Gulf Countries Monitors Pull Out Of Syria

Children and women demonstrate in the Waer neighborhood in Homs
The Gulf Cooperation Council countries decided to withdraw their observers from the Arab League’s mission in Syria, following the steps taken by Saudi Arabia to withdraw their members. The development came after the realization that the Observers mission only served to provide a political cover to the regime’s atrocities against the Syrian people. Meanwhile, Arab League chairman and Qatari Foreign Minister headed to New York to refer the Arab League’s initiative to the UNSC for implementation, a development welcomed by the US and EU and met with silence from Russia.

Civilian militias and defected soldiers attacked the Security Headquarters building in Idlib in response to what was deemed the Black Saturday massacre. Regime forces immediately took to the streets of the city in their cars and started opening fire randomly at civilians, houses, and shops. Defected soldiers along with a few armed civilians from all over the province then rushed to the aid of the city triggering a massive exodus of the regime’s forces to the borders of the city. The Assad regime then dispatched reinforcements and started negotiating with the residents an evacuation plan for their armed personnel from the city in return for the release of all detainees and a ceasefire. Meanwhile, more soldiers defected from the town of Hass and clashed with Assad’s militiamen in Marat Noman.

Assad’s forces killed at least 58 today; many fell in Idlib, Damascus and Homs. The largest number of fallen heroes was in Hama where the regime launched a massive military campaign against its residents. The regime continues to send reinforcements to the city as it dispatched five helicopters, Brigade 47’s armoured units, and tens of thousands of soldiers. Residents of Hama are trying to block the entrances to the city to protect their families.

The army also dispatched reinforcements to Daraa after a series of clashes with defected soldiers. Clashes occurred after soldiers defected yesterday in Ghabagheb, clashes which reached the towns of Inkhel, al-Hara, Bosra al-Harir, and Saida.