UN Monitors in Syria Will Measure Effect of Ceasefire Plan - East Idaho News
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UN Monitors in Syria Will Measure Effect of Ceasefire Plan

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GETTY W 041612 SyrianTank?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1334569706383JOSEPH EID/AFP/Getty Images(DAMASCUS, Syria) — Even as United Nations monitors finally arrived in Syria on Sunday to determine if President Bashar al-Assad is adhering to a six-point ceasefire plan, government forces bombarded suspected rebel targets in the city of Homs, which has been under siege for months.

Activists reported that the mortar and heavy machine gunfire in Homs was relentless, an effort by al-Assad to do as much damage to his enemies before U.N. monitors appeared in the city.

Trusting that Damascus will stick to the ceasefire will take some effort as the government has shown very little restraint in stopping its onslaught against anti-government forces nor has it done anything to pull pack troops and weaponry.

The initial team of six unarmed military monitors is supposed to report on whether both sides in the 13-month conflict are following the peace plan crafted by U.N. special emissary Kofi Annan.

The U.N. Security Council authorized a team of 30 monitors last Saturday to visit Syria in the coming days with a larger group of 250 monitors to be deployed once it’s determined that the situation has stabilized.

Syria said it would abide by the pact that also calls for the government withdrawing all troops and heavy artillery from population centers, an open dialogue between the warring sides and a “political transition” without al-Assad having to step down from power.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

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