Arab League head Nabil Elaraby on Jan. 13 said he feared a possible civil war in Syria that could have consequences for neighbouring countries, as the credibility of the League’s monitoring mission was hit by members starting to walk out. An Algerian former monitor said several monitors had left Syria or might do so soon because the mission had failed to halt President Bashar Assad’s violent crackdown on a popular revolt against his rule. “Any problems in Syria will have consequences for the neighbouring states,” he said in an interview with the Egyptian Al-Hayat television channel.
Syrian opposition groups say the monitors, due to present their findings to the Arab League’s foreign ministers on Jan. 19-20, have only bought Assad more time to crush protests that erupted in March, inspired by Arab uprisings elsewhere. On Jan. 13, thousands demonstrated in support of the rebel Free Syrian Army, as long time Damascus ally Moscow kept up its opposition to calls for tougher action against the regime.