Syria Won’t Allow Arab Troops in Its Country to Help End Crackdown
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LOUAI BESHARA/AFP/Getty Images(DAMASCUS, Syria) — There is virtually no chance that Syria will allow Arab troops to be deployed in its country to help end the violent 10-month crackdown on pro-reform dissidents.
Syria’s foreign ministry on Tuesday outright rejected the plan proposed by Qatar leader Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani to send an outside military that would see to it that Syrian soldiers and heavy artillery are withdrawn from cities where most of the attacks have been taking place.
While it’s impossible to determine how many people have died during the crackdown, the United Nations puts the figure at around 5,500, while the government of President Bashar al-Assad claims that 2,000 of its forces have been slain.
Al-Assad contends that foreign terrorists have instigated the unrest in his country and has vowed to crush those determined to usurp his authority.
In other developments, the White House says that there is evidence that Iran has supplied Syria with arms based on a visit to Damascus by the commander of Iran’s Quds Force, a branch of its Revolutionary Guard.
Iran is currently the only country in the region siding with the Syrian government.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio