Syria frees about 3,500 prisoners, pulls tanks from cities
Syria’s government has withdrawn heavy weapons from inside cities and freed about 3,500 prisoners but security forces continue to kill protesters even with foreign monitors in the country, the Arab League chief said Monday.
An Arab League observer takes photos for anti-government protesters on the streets in Adlb December 30, 2011. Syrian security forces, undaunted by the presence of Arab League observers, have killed protesters as hundreds of thousands demonstrated against the government of President Bashar al-Assad, opposition activists said. Picture taken December 30, 2011. Nabil Elaraby said pro-regime snipers also continue to operate in Syria and he demanded a complete cease-fire. But despite the regime’s ongoing crackdown, he listed the achievements of the Arab League monitors since they began work.
The monitors are supposed to verify Syria’s compliance with an Arab League plan to stop the 9-month-old crackdown on dissent. President Bashar Assad agreed to the plan on Dec. 19. But since the Arab League monitors began work last Tuesday, activists say government forces have killed more than 150 people, the vast majority of them unarmed, peaceful protesters.
“Yes, there is still shooting and yes there are still snipers,” Mr. Elaraby told a news conference in Cairo, where the Arab League is based. “Yes, killings continue. The objective is for us to wake up in the morning and hear that no one is killed. The mission’s philosophy is to protect civilians, so if one is killed, then our mission is incomplete.”
http://mar15.info/2012/01/syria-frees-about-3500-prisoners-pulls-tanks-from-cities/