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League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria
Report of the Head of the League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria for the period from 24
December 2011 to 18 January 2012

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate“We offered the trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they refused to carry it, and wereafraid of it; and man carried it. Surely he is sinful, very foolish” [Qur’an 33:72]
I.

Legal bases

1.
By resolution 7436 of 2 November 2011, the Council of the League of Arab States adopted the Arabplan of action annexed thereto, welcomed the Syrian Government’s agreement to the plan, and emphasized theneed for the Syrian Government to commit to the full and immediate implementation of its provisions.
2.
On 16 November 2011, the Council of the League of Arab States adopted resolution 7439 approving
the draft protocol of the Legal Centre and the mandate of the League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria,
namely to verify implementation of the provisions of the Arab plan of action to resolve the Syrian crisis andprotect Syrian civilians. The resolution requested the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States to takesuch steps as he deemed appropriate to appoint the Head of the League of Arab States Observer Mission and to
make contact with the Syrian Government with a view to signing the Protocol.
3.
By resolution 7441 of 24 November 2011, the Council of the League of Arab States requested theSecretary-General of the League to deploy the Observer Mission to the Syrian Arab Republic in order to fulfil
its mandate under the protocol immediately on its signature.
4.
The Syrian Arab Republic and the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States signed the protocol
on 19 December 2011. The protocol provided for the establishment and deployment to the Syrian Arab
Republic of a Mission comprising civilian and military experts from Arab countries and Arab nongovernmental human rights organizations. Paragraph 5 stated that the Mission should transmit regular reportson the results of its work to the Secretary-General of the League of Arab State and the Syrian Government for
submission — via the Arab Ministerial Committee on the Situation in Syria — to the Council of the League atthe ministerial level for its consideration and appropriate action.
5.
On 20 December 2011, the Council of the League approved the appointment of General Muhammad
Ahmad Mustafa Al-Dabi from the Republic of the Sudan as Head of the Observer Mission.
II.

Formation of the Mission

6.
The General Secretariat requested Member States and relevant Arab organizations to transmit thenames of its candidates for the Mission. On that basis, 166 monitors from 13 Arab countries and six relevant
Arab organizations have thus far been appointed.
III.

Visit of the advance delegation of the General Secretariat to Syria

7.
In preparation for the Mission, an advance delegation of the General Secretariat visited the Syrian
Arab Republic on 22 December 2011 to discuss the logistical preparations for the Mission.
8.
In accordance with the protocol, the Syrian Government confirmed its readiness to facilitate theMission in every way by allowing the free and safe movement of all of the observers throughout Syria, and byrefraining from hindering the work of the Mission on security or administrative grounds. The Syrian
Government side also affirmed its commitment to ensuring that the Mission could freely conduct the necessary
meetings; to provide full protection for the observers, taking into consideration the responsibility of theMission if it were to insist on visiting areas despite the warning of the security services; and to allow the entry
to Syria of journalists and Arab and international media in accordance with the rules and regulations in force inthe country.
VI.

Arrival and preliminary visits of the Head of Mission

9.
The Head of the Mission, General Muhammad Ahmad Mustafa Al-Dabi, arrived in the Syrian Arab
Republic on the evening of Saturday 24 December 2011. He held a series of meetings with the Minister for
Foreign Affairs, Mr. Walid Al-Moualem, and with Syrian Government officials, who stated that they stood27/01/12
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prepared to cooperate fully with the Mission and to endeavour to ensure its success, overcoming any obstacles
that may arise. The necessary logistical and security arrangements were agreed.
10.
The Syrian side stated that there were certain areas that the security protection detail would not be able
to enter with the observers for fear of the citizens’ reaction. The Head of the Mission replied that that situation
would enable the Mission to engage with citizens and opposition parties without government monitoring,
thereby removing the citizens’ fear of repercussions as a result of communicating with the Mission.
11.
The Head of the Mission completed the technical field preparations and secured the necessarytransportation and communication devices in order to start work. He met with the observers who arrived
successively in Syria and briefed them on their duties and the bases of their work under the protocol. The
observers took a special oath for the Mission which had been drafted by the Head.
12.
On 27 December 2011, the Head of the Mission and ten observers conducted a preliminary visit to thecity of Homs, one of the epicentres of tension, which has seen acts of violence and armed confrontation
between the Army and the Syrian opposition. Some security barriers separating districts remain in place.
13.
Immediately on arriving in Homs, the Head of the Mission met with the Governor of the city, who
explained that there had been an escalation in violence perpetrated by armed groups in the city. There had been
instances of kidnapping and sabotage of Government and civilian facilities. Food was in short supply owing to
the blockade imposed by armed groups, which were believed to include some 3000 individuals. The Governor
further stated that all attempts by religious figures and city notables to calm the situation had failed. He madeenquiries regarding the possibility of addressing the issue of soldiers and vehicles blocked inside Baba Amr.
14.
The Mission visited the residential districts of Baba Amr, Karam Al-Zaytun, Al-Khalidiyya and AlGhuta without guards. It met with a number of opposition citizens who described the state of fear, blockade
and acts of violence to which they had been subjected by Government forces. At a time of intense exchanges ofgunfire among the sides, the Mission witnessed the effects of the destruction wrought on outlying districts. The
Mission witnessed an intense exchange of gunfire between the Army and opposition in Baba Amr. It saw four
military vehicles in surrounding areas, and therefore had to return to the Governorate headquarters. It wasagreed with the Governor that five members of the Mission would remain in Homs until the following day to
conduct field work and meet with the greatest possible number of citizens.
15.
Immediately on returning from Homs, the Head of the Mission met with the Government and insisted
that it withdraw military vehicles from the city, put an end to acts of violence, protect civilians, lift theblockade and provide food. He further called for the two sides to exchange the bodies of those killed.
16.
At that meeting, the Syrian side agreed to withdraw all military presence from the city and residential
areas except for three army vehicles that were not working and had been surrounded, and one that had beentaken from the Army by armed groups. The Syrian side requested the Mission’s assistance to recover andremove those vehicles in exchange for the release of four individuals, the exchange of five bodies from eachside, the entry of basic foods for families in the city, and the entry of sanitation vehicles to remove garbage. It
was agreed at the end of the meeting that the Mission would conduct another visit to Homs on the following
day in the company of General Hassan Sharif, the security coordinator for the Government side.
17.
During that visit, the Mission was introduced to one of the leading figures in the opposition, who acted
as media representative of the National Council. An extensive discussion took place regarding the offer of the
Syrian Government and the best way to implement the agreement. As a result, the military vehicles werereturned and removed; the bodies of those killed were exchanged; trucks entered the city with food; and three
detainees and two women were released and returned to their families in the presence of the Mission, thereby
calming the situation inside the city.
18.
Five days after the monitors were deployed to five zones, the Ministerial Committee requested that the
Head of the Mission report on the Mission’s work. He travelled to Cairo and gave an oral presentation to themembers of the Committee at their meeting of 8 January 2012. It was decided that the work of the Mission
should continue and that the Head of the Mission should submit a report at the end of the period determined in
the protocol, on 19 January 2012. After the Head's return to Damascus to resume his duties, the Mission faceddifficulties from Government loyalists and opposition alike, particularly as a result of statements and media
coverage in the wake of the Committee meeting. That did not, however, affect the work of the Mission or its
full and smooth deployment across the country.

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19.
Following its arrival, and to this date, the Mission has received numerous letters from the Syrian
committee responsible for coordination with the Mission. The letters refer to the material and human losses
sustained by Government institutions and offices as a result of what is described as sabotage. They assert that
all of the States’ vital services have been affected.
V.

Deployment of the Observer Mission to Syria

20.
The observers were divided into 15 zones covering 20 cities and districts across Syria according to thetime frame set out below. The variation in dates was a result of shortcomings in administrative and technicalpreparations, such as the arrival of cars and personnel. Care was taken to ensure even distribution of observers.
Each unit comprised some ten observers of different Arab nationalities. The groups were deployed to Syrian
governorates and towns as follows:•

On 29 December 2011, six groups travelled to Damascus, Homs, Rif Homs, Idlib, Deraa and Hama.

•

On 4 January 2012, a group travelled to Aleppo.

•

On 9 January 2012, two groups went to Deir Al-Zor and Latakia. However, both returned to Damascus on
10 January 2012 owing to attacks that led to the injury of two of the monitors in Latakia and material
damage to the cars.

•

On 10 January 2012, a group travelled to Qamishli and Hasaka.

•

On 12 January 2012, a group travelled to Outer Damascus.

•

On 13 January 2012, four groups travelled to Suwaida, Bu Kamal, Deir Al-Zor, Palmyra (Tadmur),
Sukhna, Banyas and Tartous.

•

On 15 January 2012, two groups travelled to Latakia, Raqqa and Madinat Al-Thawra.

Annex 1. List of observers, their nationalities and their distribution.
21.

The observers were provided with the following:•

A map of the region;•

A code of conduct for observers;•

The duties of the group leaders;•

The duties of the observers;•

Necessary equipment such as computers, cameras and communication devices.

22.
An operations room was established at the offices of the League of Arab States in Damascus. The
office is open 24 hours a day and is directly linked to the League of Arab States operations room in Cairo andto the groups deployed across Syria. The room receives daily reports from the field teams and conveys special
instructions for monitoring. Owing to the volume of work, an additional operations room was opened at theMission headquarters in Damascus with the task of allocating individuals and assigning committees on followup, detainees, the media and financial affairs. It coordinates with the main operations room at the offices of the
League of Arab States.
23.
In Latakia and Deir Al-Zor, the Mission faced difficulties from Government loyalists. In Latakia,
thousands surrounded the Mission’s cars, chanting slogans in favour of the President and against the Mission.
The situation became out of control and monitors were attacked. Two sustained light injuries and an armoured
car was completely crushed. In order to address the matter, the Head of Mission contacted the Syrian
committee responsible for coordination with the Mission. Nevertheless, the Head of the Mission ordered theimmediate return of the two groups to Damascus. He met the Minister for Foreign Affairs and made a stronglyworded formal protest. The Syrian side strongly condemned the incident and extended a formal apology,
explaining that the events were not in any sense deliberate. In order to emphasize the point, the Syrian Deputy
Minister for Foreign Affairs met with the members of the Latakia team and stated that the Syrian Government
would address the shortcoming immediately and guarantee the safety and security of observers everywhere. He
apologized to them for the unfortunate and unintentional incidents. The members were then assigned to newzones after four days’ rest.
VI.

Implementation of the Mission’s mandate under the protocol

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24.
The Head of the Mission stresses that this assessment in terms of the provisions of the protocolsummarizes the findings of the groups as relayed by group leaders at their meeting with the Head of theMission on 17 January 2012.
A.
areas

Monitoring and observation of the cessation of all violence by all sides in cities and residential

25.
On being assigned to their zones and starting work, the observers witnessed acts of violence
perpetrated by Government forces and an exchange of gunfire with armed elements in Homs and Hama. As aresult of the Mission’s insistence on a complete end to violence and the withdrawal of Army vehicles andequipment, this problem has receded. The most recent reports of the Mission point to a considerable calming of
the situation and restraint on the part of those forces.
26.
In Homs and Dera‘a, the Mission observed armed groups committing acts of violence against
Government forces, resulting in death and injury among their ranks. In certain situations, Government forces
responded to attacks against their personnel with force. The observers noted that some of the armed groups
were using flares and armour-piercing projectiles.
27.
In Homs, Idlib and Hama, the Observer Mission witnessed acts of violence being committed against
Government forces and civilians that resulted in several deaths and injuries. Examples of those acts include thebombing of a civilian bus, killing eight persons and injuring others, including women and children, and thebombing of a train carrying diesel oil. In another incident in Homs, a police bus was blown up, killing two
police officers. A fuel pipeline and some small bridges were also bombed.
28.
The Mission noted that many parties falsely reported that explosions or violence had occurred inseveral locations. When the observers went to those locations, they found that those reports were unfounded.
29.
The Mission also noted that, according to its teams in the field, the media exaggerated the nature of theincidents and the number of persons killed in incidents and protests in certain towns.
B.
Verifying that Syrian security services and so-called shabiha gangs do not obstruct peacefuldemonstrations
30.
According to their latest reports and their briefings to the Head of the Mission on 17 January 2012 inpreparation for this report, group team leaders witnessed peaceful demonstrations by both Government
supporters and the opposition in several places. None of those demonstrations were disrupted, except for someminor clashes with the Mission and between loyalists and opposition. These have not resulted in fatalities since
the last presentation before the Arab Ministerial Committee on the Situation in Syria at its meeting of 8
January 2012.
31.
The reports and briefings of groups leaders state that citizens belonging to the opposition surround theMission on its arrival and use the gathering as a barrier from the security services. However, such incidents
have gradually decreased.
32.
The Mission has received requests from opposition supporters in Homs and Deraa that it should stayon-site and not leave, something that may be attributable to fear of attack after the Mission’s departure.
C.

Verifying the release of those detained in the current incidents

33.
The Mission received reports from parties outside Syria indicating that the number of detainees was
16,237. It also received information from the opposition inside the country that the number of detainees was
12,005. In validating those figures, the teams in the field discovered that there were discrepancies between thelists, that information was missing and inaccurate, and that names were repeated. The Mission iscommunicating with the concerned Government agencies to confirm those numbers.
34.
The Mission has delivered to the Syrian Government all of the lists received from the Syrian
opposition inside and outside Syria. In accordance with the protocol, it has demanded the release of thedetainees.
35.
On 15 January 2012, President Bashar Al-Assad issued a legislative decree granting a general amnesty
for crimes perpetrated in the context of the events from 15 March 2011 through to the issuance of the decree.
In implementation of the amnesty, the relevant Government authorities have been periodically releasing
detainees in the various regions so long as they are not wanted in connection with other crimes. The Mission

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has been supervising the releases and is monitoring the process with the Government’s full and active
coordination.
36.
On 19 January 2012, the Syrian government stated that 3569 detainees had been released from militaryand civil prosecution services. The Mission verified that 1669 of those detained had thus far been released. It
continues to follow up the issue with the Government and the opposition, emphasizing to the Government sidethat the detainees should be released in the presence of observers so that the event can be documented.
37. The Mission has validated the following figures for the total number of detainees that the Syrian
government thus far claims to have released:•

Before the amnesty: 4,035•

After the amnesty: 3,569.
The Government has therefore claimed that a total of 7,604 detainees have been released.

38.

The Mission has verified the correct number of detainees released and arrived at the following figures:•

Before the amnesty: 3,483•

After the amnesty: 1,669

The total number of confirmed releases is therefore 5152. The Mission is continuing to monitor theprocess and communicate with the Syrian Government for the release of the remaining detainees.
D.
Confirming the withdrawal of the military presence from residential neighbourhoods in which
demonstrations and protests occurred or are occurring
39.
Based on the reports of the field-team leaders and the meeting held on 17 January 2012 with all teamleaders, the Mission confirmed that all military vehicles, tanks and heavy weapons had been withdrawn from
cities and residential neighbourhoods. Although there are still some security measures in place in the form ofearthen berms and barriers in front of important buildings and in squares, they do not affect citizens. It should
be noted that the Syrian Minister of Defence, in a meeting with the Head of the Mission that took place on 5
January 2012, affirmed his readiness to accompany the Head of the Mission to all sites and cities designated by
the latter and from which the Mission suspects that the military presence had not yet been withdrawn, with aview to issuing field orders and rectifying any violation immediately.
40.
Armoured vehicles (personnel carriers) are present at some barriers. One of those barriers is located in
Homs and some others in Madaya, Zabadani and Rif Damascus. The presence of those vehicles was reported
and they were subsequently withdrawn from Homs. It has been confirmed that the residents of Zabadani andMadaya reached a bilateral agreement with the Government that led to the removal of those barriers andvehicles.
E.
Confirming the accreditation by the Syrian Government of Arab and international media
organizations and that those organizations are allowed to move freely in all parts of Syria
41.
Speaking on behalf of his Government, the Syrian Minister of Information confirmed that, from the
beginning of December 2011 to 15 January 2012, the Government had accredited 147 Arab and foreign media
organizations. Some 112 of those organizations entered Syrian territory, joining the 90 other accreditedorganizations operating in Syria through their full-time correspondents.
42.
The Mission followed up on this issue. It identified 36 Arab and foreign media organizations andseveral journalists located in a number of Syrian cities. It also received complaints that the Syrian Government
had granted some media organizations authorization to operate for four days only, which was insufficient time,
according to those organizations. In addition to preventing them from entering the country until they had
specified their destinations, journalists were required obtain further authorization once they had entered thecountry and were prevented from going to certain areas. The Syrian Government confirmed that it grants media
organizations operating permits that are valid for 10 days, with the possibility of renewal.
43.
Reports and information from some sectors [teams] indicate that the Government places restrictions on
the movement of media organizations in opposition areas. In many cases, those restrictions caused journalists
to trail the Mission in order to do their work.

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44.
In Homs, a French journalist who worked for the France 2 channel was killed and a Belgian journalist
was injured. The Government and opposition accused each other of being responsible for the incident, and bothsides issued statements of condemnation. The Government formed an investigative committee in order todetermine the cause of the incident. It should be noted that Mission reports from Homs indicate that the Frenchjournalist was killed by opposition mortar shells.
Annex 2. A list of media organizations identified and a list of media organizations that entered Syria, according
to the official information.
VII.

Obstacles encountered by the Mission

A.

Monitors

45.
Some of the experts nominated were not capable of taking on such a responsibility and did not haveprior experience in this field.
46.
Some of the observers did not grasp the amount of responsibility that was being placed on them andthe importance of giving priority to Arab interests over personal interests.
47.
In the course of field work, some observers were unable to deal with difficult circumstances, which areat the core of their duties. Monitors must have certain traits and the specializations required for such work.
48.
A number of the observers are elderly, and some of them suffer from health conditions that prevent
them from performing their duties.
49.
Twenty-two observers declined to complete the mission for personal reasons. Some observers offeredunfounded reasons, which were not accepted by the Head of the Mission, while others had a personal agenda.
Annex 3. List of the names of observers who declined to complete the Mission.
50.
Some observers reneged on their duties and broke the oath they had taken. They made contact with
officials from their countries and gave them exaggerated accounts of events. Those officials consequently
developed a bleak and unfounded picture of the situation.
51.
Some of the observers in the various zones are demanding housing similar to their counterparts inDamascus or financial reimbursement equivalent to the difference in accommodation rates resulting from thedifference in hotel standards or accommodation in Damascus. These issues do not warrant comment.
52.
Some observers are afraid to perform their duties owing to the violent incidents that have occurred incertain locations. The unavailability of armoured cars at all the sites and the lack of bulletproof vests havenegatively affected some observers’ ability to carry out their duties.
Comments of the Head of the Mission concerning the observers
53.
Some of the observers, unfortunately, believed that their journey to Syria was for amusement, andwere therefore surprised by the reality of the situation. They did not expect to be assigned to teams or to haveto remain at stations outside the capital or to face the difficulties that they encountered.
54.
Some of the observers were not familiar with the region and its geography. The unavailability ofarmoured vehicles and protective vests had a negative effect on the spirits of some observers.
55.
Some of the observers experienced hostility both from the Syrian opposition and loyalists. Thishostility also had a negative effect on their spirits.
56.
Despite the foregoing comments, the performance of many of the observers was outstanding andpraiseworthy. Those who underperformed will improve with experience and guidance.
B.

Security restrictions

57.
Although it welcomed the Mission and its Head and repeatedly emphasized that it would not impose
any security restrictions that could obstruct the movement of the Mission, the Government deliberately
attempted to limit the observers’ ability to travel extensively in various regions. The Government also
attempted to focus the attention of the Mission on issues in which it is interested. The Mission resisted those
attempts and responded to them in a manner that allowed it to fulfil its mandate and overcome the obstacles
that stood in the way of its work.
C.

Communication equipment

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58.
The Mission communicates with the various groups by mobile phones and facsimile machinesconnected to the local Syrian telephone network. Occasional cuts in service prevent the Mission from
communicating with the groups.
59.
The Mission was equipped with 10 Thuraya satellite phones. Such devices are hard to use insidebuildings owing of the difficulty in obtain a satellite signal. As a result, ordinary phones and fax machines,
which are not considered secure communications equipment, were used to send daily reports, instead.
60.
The communication equipment the Qatari observers brought with them was held at the Jordanianborder, despite demands made by the Head of the Mission to the Syrian authorities to permit entry of that
equipment. That notwithstanding, the amount of equipment would not have been enough to meet the needs ofall sites and station.
61.
The Mission does not have portable two-way radios for communication between team members. The
Chinese Embassy provided 10 such radios as a gift to the Mission. They were used in three sectors only.
62.
Internet service is unavailable in some regions, and in other areas it is intermittent, including in thecapital.
63.
There are no cameras attached to the vehicles used by the Mission, which would facilitate observers’
work in dangerous areas.
D.

Transportation

64.
The Mission has 38 cars at its disposal (23 armoured and 15 non-armoured), including 28 four-wheel
drive vehicles and 10 sedans. It should be noted that the Mission’s mandate requires the used of armoured fourwheel drive vehicles, given the nature of the Mission. The number of such vehicles currently available does notsatisfy the needs of the Mission, particularly for transportation into trouble spots.
65.
When it was first deployed, the Mission rented several cars from local sources for use in monitoring
operations. However, owing to some acts of violence directed against the field teams, the rental companies
recalled those vehicles and their drivers out of fear for their safety.
66.
The Mission encountered difficulties in hiring drivers because the opposition groups refused to allowf
local drivers to enter their areas because they believed the drivers were members of the security services,which forces the observers to drive the vehicles themselves.
67.
Some of the observers demanded to use vehicles sent by their countries, a demand that was denied by
the Head of the Mission, who allocated the vehicles according to the needs of each zone.
Annex 4. List showing the number, types and distribution of vehicles and the countries that provided them.
E.

The media

68.
Since it began its work, the Mission has been the target of a vicious media campaign. Some media
outlets have published unfounded statements, which they attributed to the Head of the Mission. They have also
grossly exaggerated events, thereby distorting the truth.
69.
Such contrived reports have helped to increase tensions among the Syrian people and undermined theobservers’ work. Some media organizations were exploited in order to defame the Mission and its Head andcause the Mission to fail.
VIII.

Basic needs of the Mission, should its mandate be renewed•

100 additional young observers, preferably military personnel•

30 armoured vehicles•

Light protective vests•

Vehicle-mounted photographic equipment•

Modern communications equipment•

Binoculars, ordinary and night-vision

IX.

Evaluation:

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70.
The purpose of the Protocol is to protect Syrian citizens through the commitment of the Syrian
Government to stop acts of violence, release detainees and withdraw all military presence from cities andresidential neighbourhoods. This phase must lead to dialogue among the Syrian sides and the launching of aparallel political process. Otherwise, the duration of this Mission will be extended without achieving thedesired results on the ground.
71.
The Mission determined that there is an armed entity that is not mentioned in the protocol. Thisdevelopment on the ground can undoubtedly be attributed to the excessive use of force by Syrian Government
forces in response to protests that occurred before the deployment of the Mission demanding the fall of theregime. In some zones, this armed entity reacted by attacking Syrian security forces and citizens, causing theGovernment to respond with further violence. In the end, innocent citizens pay the price for those actions withlife and limb.
72.
The Mission noted that the opposition had welcomed it and its members since their deployment to
Syria. The citizens were reassured by the Mission’s presence and came forward to present their demands,
although the opposition had previously been afraid to do so publicly owing to their fear of being arrested once
again, as they had been prior to the Mission’s arrival in Syria. However, this was not case in the period that
followed the last Ministerial Committee statement, although the situation is gradually improving.
73.
The Mission noted that the Government strived to help it succeed in its task and remove any barriers
that might stand in its way. The Government also facilitated meetings with all parties. No restrictions wereplaced on the movement of the Mission and its ability to interview Syrian citizens, both those who opposed theGovernment and those loyal to it.
74.
In some cities, the Mission sensed the extreme tension, oppression and injustice from which the Syrian
people are suffering. However, the citizens believe the crisis should be resolved peacefully through Arabmediation alone, without international intervention. Doing so would allow them to live in peace and complete
the reform process and bring about the change they desire. The Mission was informed by the opposition,
particularly in Dar‘a, Homs, Hama and Idlib, that some of its members had taken up arms in response to thesuffering of the Syrian people as a result of the regime’s oppression and tyranny; corruption, which affects all
sectors of society; the use of torture by the security agencies; and human rights violations.
75.
Recently, there have been incidents that could widen the gap and increase bitterness between theparties. These incidents can have grave consequences and lead to the loss of life and property. Such incidents
include the bombing of buildings, trains carrying fuel, vehicles carrying diesel oil and explosions targeting thepolice, members of the media and fuel pipelines. Some of those attacks have been carried out by the Free
Syrian Army and some by other armed opposition groups.
76.
The Mission has adhered scrupulously to its mandate, as set out in the Protocol. It has observed daily
realities on the ground with complete neutrality and independence, thereby ensuring transparency and integrityin its monitoring of the situation, despite the difficulties the Mission encountered and the inappropriate actionsof some individuals.
77.
Under the Protocol, the Mission’s mandate is one month. This does not allow adequate time foradministrative preparations, let alone for the Mission to carry out its task. To date, the Mission has actuallyoperated for 23 days. This amount of time is definitely not sufficient, particularly in view of the number of
items the Mission must investigate. The Mission needs to remain on the ground for a longer period of time,
which would allow it to experience citizens’ daily living conditions and monitor all events. It should be notedthat similar previous operations lasted for several months or, in some cases, several years.
78.
Arab and foreign audiences of certain media organizations have questioned the Mission’s credibility
because those organizations use the media to distort the facts. It will be difficult to overcome this problem
unless there is political and media support for the Mission and its mandate. It is only natural that some negative
incidents should occur as it conducts its activities because such incidents occur as a matter of course in similar
missions.
79.
The Mission arrived in Syria after the imposition of sanctions aimed at compelling to implement what
was agreed to in the Protocol. Despite that, the Mission was welcomed by the opposition, loyalists and theGovernment. Nonetheless, questions remains as to how the Mission should fulfil its mandate. It should be
noted that the mandate established for the Mission in the Protocol was changed in response to developments on
the ground and the reactions thereto. Some of those were violent reactions by entities that were not mentioned

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in the Protocol. All of these developments necessitated an expansion of and a change in the Mission’s mandate.
The most important point in this regard is the commitment of all sides to cease all acts of violence, thereby
allowing the Mission to complete its tasks and, ultimately, lay the groundwork for the political process.
80.
Should there be agreement to extend its mandate, then the Mission must be provided with
communications equipment, means of transportation and all the equipment it requires to carry out its mandate
on the ground.
81.
On the other hand, ending the Mission’s work after such a short period will reverse any progress, evenif partial, that has thus far been made. This could perhaps lead to chaos on the ground because all the parties
involved in the crisis thus remain unprepared for the political process required to resolve the Syrian crisis.
82.
Since its establishment, attitudes towards the Mission have been characterized by insincerity or, more
broadly speaking, a lack of seriousness. Before it began carrying out its mandate and even before its members
had arrived, the Mission was the target of a vicious campaign directed against the League of Arab States andthe Head of the Mission, a campaign that increased in intensity after the observers’ deployment. The Mission
still lack the political and media support it needs in order to fulfil its mandate. Should its mandate be extended,
the goals set out in the Protocol will not be achieved unless such support is provided and the Mission receives
the backing it needs to ensure the success of the Arab solution.
X.

Recommendations:83.
In view of the above and of the success achieved in executing the provision of the Protocol, which the
Syrian Government pledged to implement, I recommend the following:•

The Mission must be provided with administrative and logistic support in order allow it to carry out its
tasks. The Mission must also be give the media and political support required to create an appropriate
environment that will enable it to fulfil its mandate in the required manner.

•

The political process must be accelerated and a national dialogue must be launched. That dialogue should
run in parallel with the Mission’s work in order to create an environment of confidence that would
contributes to the Mission’s success and prevent a needless extension of its presence in Syria.

(Signed) Muhammad Ahmad Mustafa Al-Dabi
Head of the Mission

Annexes
1. List of observers, their nationalities and their distribution.
2. List of media organizations identified and a list of media organizations that entered Syria, according to theofficial information.
3. List of the names of observers who declined to complete the Mission.
4. List showing the number, types and distribution of vehicles and the countries that provided them.

_______________

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Translated from Arabic
League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria
Annex I
Names of the observers of the League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria

No. Name
1
Mr. Abdulaziz Saya‘a
2

Mr. Zerdani Meziane

3

Col. Jawad Kazem Ja‘afar Jassem

4Col. Ismail Husayn ‘Uwaysh
Muhsin Al-Zaidi
Mr. Said Belabad5

Nationality Field team
Algeria
Tartous andBanyas (leader)
Algeria
Tartous andBanyasIraq
Tartous andBanyasIraq
Tartous andBanyasAlgeria
Tartous andBanyasUnitedQamishli andArabHasaka (leader)
Emirates
Tunisia
Qamishli andHasaka (deputy)

6

Mr. Said Sultan Muhammad Ben
Sulayman

7

Mr. Fethi Belhaj

8

Mr. Ahmed Mana‘aTunisia

Qamishli andHasaka9

Mr. Khalid Nasir Muhammad AlSuwaidi

Qamishli andHasaka10

Mr. Ali Raja‘a Ali Al-Saheli

1112

Mr. Muhammad Ahmed Ali AlMa‘ashi
Mr. Abulrahman Hamud Al-Qadib

13

Brig. Abbas Wannas ‘Abbud

UnitedArab
Emirates
Saudi
ArabiaSaudi
ArabiaSaudi
ArabiaIraq

14Col. Abdulrahman Jassem Hilal
Jassem Al-Ameri
Brig. Sabah Kazem Ghanem Amer
Al-Saidi
Brig. Adwar Al-Fur‘an

15
16

Iraq
Iraq
JordanQamishli andHasakaQamishli andHasakaQamishli andHasakaQamishli andHasakaQamishli andHasakaQamishli andHasakaSuwaida (leader)

Remarks

Permanent
ArabCommittee for
Human Rights,
Paris
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11

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22

Brig. Khadr Qalih Hattab
Muhammad Al-SudaniCol. Maj. Mahmud Al-Muwali
Maj. Fawzi Al-Sahmiyet
Mr. Adel Ibrahim Hassan
Brig. Abbas Hassan ‘Aydan Abdul
Khaqalji
Mr. Khalid Ali Al-Bawsit

23

Mr. Abdulaziz Al-Bu Rashid

Bahrain24

Ambassador Rashid Lounas

Algeria25

Mr. Ashika Bashir

Algeria

26

Mr. Said Saif Al-Shamsi

27

Mr. Ali Rashid Ali Al-Husni

28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35

Mr. Ahmed Farhan Thabit
Mr. Mazen Fakhir ‘Aliwi
Mr. Mustafa Al-Mawhad Mustafa
Col. Sadiq Al-‘Awran
Mr. Al-Arbi Mkharek
Mr. El Hassan Zahid
Mr. Abullatif Al-Jabali
Mr. Mustafa Al-Hasan Taha

UnitedArab
Emirates
UnitedArab
Emirates
Iraq
Iraq
MoroccoJordanMoroccoMorocoTunisia
Egypt

36
37
38
39
40
41

Mauritania
Sudan
Sudan
Sudan
Algeria
Mauritania

Idlib
Idlib
Idlib
Idlib
Deraa (leader)
Deraa

42
43

Mr. Al-Bukhari Walid Ahmadi
Ms. Nun Ja‘afar Yunus
Mr. Abulqasim ‘Uthman Said
Mr. ‘Umar Ahmad Abbas
Mr. Mohammed Yarqi
Mr. Muhammad Mahmud Walid
BubakrMr. Beltut ‘Ashur
Mr. Rafa‘at Merghani Abbas

Algeria
Sudan

Deraa
Deraa

44
45
46

Mr. Hashim Hasan Ali
Mr. Al-Sharif ‘Awwad Rahmat
Mr. Muhammad Nafi’ullah Walid

Iraq
Sudan
Mauritania

Deraa
Deraa
Deraa

18
19
20
21

Iraq

SuwaidaJordanJordan
Sudan
Iraq

SuwaidaSuwaidaSuwaidaSuwaidaBahrain

Tadmur andSukhna (leader)
Tadmur andSukhnaTadmur andSukhnaTadmur andSukhnaTadmur andSukhnaTadmur andSukhnaAleppoAleppoAleppoAleppoAleppoAleppoIdlib (leader)
Idlib

Permanent
ArabCommittee for
Human Rights,
Paris

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47

Al-Ni‘ma
Col. Maj. Ahmad Salim Al-Kharafi

Kuwait48

Mr. Issa Sultan Al-Sulayti

Bahrain49

Mr. Husayn Salman Mattar

Bahrain

50

Col. Khader Jabbar Kayan Khalifa
Al-Ka’abi
Mr. Munib Ja’afar Salih Kasid AlMaliki
Brig. Nidal Muzhir Muhammad
Abdullah Al-Rukabi
Lt. Col. Salim Muhammad AlHajiri
Lt. Col. Khalid Nasir Al-Radhan

Iraq

51
52
53
54
55
56

Mr. Juraybi Mihraz
Mr. Mikati Ali
Mr Ibrahim Fadl Al-Mawna
Mr. Muhammad Khalil
Mr. Muhammad Abduljalil
Abdullah Al-Ansari

62
63

Mr. Lahsan Tahami
Mr. Abdullah Al-Tahir

64

69

Mr. Salah Abdulkarim Said
Abdullah
Mr. Zaki Koko Khalid Al-Jak
Mr. Al-Jili Al-Bashir
Mr. Al-Sadiq Al-Fadil
Brig. Ihsan Ali Bu‘aywi Ali Al‘Anuz
Mr. Aid Abdullah Iyad Al-‘Utaybi

70
71

Maj. ‘As‘ad Abu ‘Ata
Mr. Umar Sulayman Khayr Abbas

72

Mr. Zaid Muhammad Abdullatif
Muhammad Ali
Mr. Salih Walid Said Mahmud
Mr. Muhammad Hassan Said

73
74

Iraq
KuwaitKuwaitBrig. Kazem Jawad Yasir Abdulrida Iraq
Al-Adili
Mr. Ja’afar Kubayda
Sudan

57
58
59
60
61

65
66
67
68

Iraq

Algeria
Algeria
Sudan
MoroccoUnitedArab
Emirates
Algeria
Sudan

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Deir Al-Zor and
Bu Kamal(leader)
Deir Al-Zor and
Bu KamalDeir Al-Zor and
Bu KamalDeir Al-Zor and
Bu KamalDeir Al-Zor and
Bu KamalDeir Al-Zor and
Bu KamalDeir Al-Zor and
Bu KamalDeir Al-Zor and
Bu KamalDeir Al-Zor and
Bu KamalDamascus(leader)Damascus
Damascus
Damascus
Damascus
Damascus

Iraq

Damascus
Homs (a)(leader)
Homs (a)

Sudan
Sudan
Sudan
Iraq

Homs (a)Homs (a)Homs (a)Homs (a)Saudi
ArabiaJordanIraq

Homs (a)Iraq

Homs (a)Homs (b)(leader)
Homs (b)Mauritania
Iraq

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MuhammadMr. Muhammad Al-Bashir Walid
Saidi Hammadi

13

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Mauritania

Homs (b)76

Mr. Islam Muhammad Abu AlAynayn Sultan

Egypt

Homs (b)77

Mr. Mustafa Sulih

MoroccoHoms (b)78
79

Mr. Muhammad Husayn Idris
Maj. Muhammad Salim ‘Ata AlSalim
Mr. Salih Ahmad Muhammad AlGhamidi
Brig. Sulayman Hassan Karim AlSiyahi
Gen. Ali Hassan Hussein Habib Al
HabibCol. Akram Husayn TahirGen. Hassan Ali Mali Wali Al‘Ubaydi
Gen. Muhammad Sa‘ud Munji Atya
Zayni
Mr. Said Mursi
Mr. Ali Muhammad Abdullah AlShahhi

Sudan
JordanHoms (b)Homs (b)Saudi
ArabiaIraq

Homs (b)Iraq

Latakia (leader)

Sudan
Iraq

Latakia (deputy)
Latakia

Iraq

Latakia

Egypt
UnitedArab
Emirates
UnitedArab
Emirates
UnitedArab
Emirates
MoroccoMorocco

Latakia
Latakia

80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87

88

Mr. Khalid Muhammad Ali AlShahhi

89

Mr. Muhammad Khalifa Ali AlKutbi

90
91

Mr. Abulqadir Azaria Bin Ahmad
Mr. Al-Karimani Muwali
MuhammadGen. Sadiq Ja‘afar Hawsan AlWa’ili

92

93

Mr. Mubarak Said Musafir AlKhayili

94

Gen. Sattar Jabbar Zamil Al-Sa‘idi

Iraq

UnitedArab
Emirates
Iraq

Homs (b)Latakia

Latakia

Latakia
Latakia
Raqqa andMadinat AlThawra (leader)
Raqqa andMadinat AlThawra
Raqqa and

Arab
Organizationfor Human
RightsArab
Organizationfor Human
RightsPermanent
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1495

Mr. Muhammad Said Al-Kutbi

UnitedArab
Emirates
Kuwait96

Lt. Col. Muhammad Nasir AlHumaynan

97

Maj. Dr. Huquqi Yusuf Ya‘qub AlKandari

Kuwait98

Mr. Khadr Husayn Salih

Iraq

99

Mr. Safa’ Husayn Ibrahim Radi AlA‘raji

Iraq

100 Mr. Hadi Rashid Khalid

Qatar

101 Mr. Muhammad Hamad Jarullah

Qatar

102 Mr. Muhammad Naji‘ ‘Awwad

Qatar

103 Mr. Hassan Ali Rashid

Qatar

104 Mr. Muhammad Sayf Muhammad

Qatar

105 Mr. Hamad Tawim Muhammad

Qatar

106 Mr. Said Ahmad Yati Al-Falasi

108 Maj. Muhammad ‘Ubayd Al-‘Anzi

UnitedArab
Emirates
UnitedArab
Emirates
Kuwait109 Mr. Nawaf Mubarak Sayf

Qatar

110 Mr. Dayfullah Hasan Abdullah

Qatar

111 Mr. Abdullah Sultan Abdullah

Qatar

112 Mr. Muhammad Abdulman‘am
Shadhili Al-Shadhili
113 Mr. Ghanem Mahya Al-Harbi

Egypt

107 Mr. Ali Sultan Al-Suraydi

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Madinat AlThawra
Raqqa andMadinat AlThawra
Raqqa andMadinat AlThawra
Raqqa andMadinat AlThawra
Raqqa andMadinat AlThawra
Raqqa andMadinat AlThawra
Damascuscountryside(leader)Damascuscountryside
Damascuscountryside
Damascuscountryside
Damascuscountryside
Damascuscountryside
Damascuscountryside
Damascuscountryside
Damascuscountryside
Damascuscountryside
Damascuscountryside
Damascuscountryside
Hama (leader)Hama27/01/12
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114 Mr. Muhammad Abdulaziz Mana‘a
Al-Dusri
115 Mr. Ahmad Al-Nu‘aymi
116 Mr. Sami Jalil Salim
117 Mr. Ali ‘Auda
118 Mr. Fawaz Mukhlid Musafir AlMutayri
119 Mr. Jassim Muhammad Habib ‘Issa
120 Mr. Abdulrahim Shalabi

Saudi
ArabiaBahrain
Iraq
Iraq
Saudi
ArabiaIraq
Egypt

121 H. E. Nazih ‘Umarayn

Jordan122 Brig. Muhammad Ahmad Zaza

Jordan123 Mr. Abdullah Said ‘Abbud Al-Asri

Saudi
ArabiaIraq

124 Mr. Razzaq Abd Ali Muhammad
Al-Tali
125 Dr. Khalfan Sultan Hamad Al-Kindi United
Arab
Emirates
126 Mr. Mazen Ibrahim Al-Tamimi
Bahrain
127 Mr. Ahmad Abdullatif

Sudan

128 Mr. Tariq Al-Mawmani

Jordan129 Mr. Al-Shadhili Hamid

Sudan

130 Mr. Abdulrahman Ben ‘Umar
131 Mr. Tali‘ Al-Sa‘ud Abdullah AlAtlasi

MoroccoMorocco132 Mr. Abdulillah Muhammad Hassun
Haydar Al-Khafaji
133 Mr. Hamad Rashid Jabir

Iraq
Qatar

134 Mr. Salih Faraj Muhammad

Qatar

135 Mr. Khalid Salim Salih Al-Saidi

UnitedArab
Emirates
Sudan

136 Mr. Afifi Abdullatif Muhammad
137 Mr. Khalid Bin Rabi‘an
138 Mr. Adel Ahmad Sultan

Saudi
ArabiaUnitedArab

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Hama
Hama
Hama
Hama
Hama
Hama
Consultative
team
Consultative
team
Coordination ofoperations
Operations
controlCommittee on
detainees
Committee on
detainees
Committee on
detainees
Committee on
detainees
Publicinformation
Publicinformation
Advisers
Advisor on
publicinformation
Transportation
Administrative
supportAdministrative
support
Medical support

Chief,
operations room
Operations
control
Operations
control

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16

139 Mr. Farijat Bushu‘ayb

Emirates
Morocco140 Mr. Fahd Muhammad Ali

Qatar

141 Mr. Ali Muhammad Ali

Qatar

142 Ms. Ilham Al-Shajali

Yemen

143 Mr. Sidi ‘Uthman Walid Al-Sheikh
144 Mr. Maslah Salih Maslah Al‘Utaybi

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Saudi
ArabiaMcAULEY
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Operations
supervisor
Communications
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Annex II
Extent of compliance with paragraph 5 regarding the media
With regard to the media, the protocol states that the Mission should verify that the Syrian
Government gives accreditation to Arab and international media and allows them free andunfettered movement throughout Syria.
The Mission teams have followed up the issue. They observed that members of the media
were exercising their profession in various regions. They noted some complaints made by membersof the media, who said that the Syrian Government had given them four days in which to work in
the country, a time frame that they considered insufficient. In view of the complaints, and after the
Head of the Mission referred the matter to the Syrian side, the Government agreed to increase thetime frame to ten days including the initial four. The media were thus able to work freely with theMission teams.
While the Mission was present, there was only one killing. The victim was the Frenchjournalist Gilles Jacquier, a correspondent for the channel France II, who was walking throughHoms. Each side blamed the other for his death and issued statements condemning it. The
Government formed a committee to investigate the incident, in which a Belgian journalist was also
wounded.
With regard to the decision whether or not to grant entry, the Syrian President Bashar AlAssad stated in his speech of 10 January 2012 that the media were selectively allowed to operate in
Syria. However, he did not define the criteria in use. Government figures have indicated that thedecision whether or not to grant entry is based on the journalist's position regarding Syria and theevents taking place in the country. They stated that only two channels had been barred, namely AlJazeera and Al-Arabiya, which the Government believes to be targeting Syria and its system ofgovernment.
In regions where media access is difficult, the events are being relayed through hightechnology devices incompatible with television, such as mobile phones and simple cameras thatgive a poor picture on satellite television.
According to the latest information, the Mission teams have observed 44 media outlets and anumber of freelance journalists. The Minister of Information, Mr. Adnan Mahmud, stated that 147
Arab and international media outlets had been accredited between the start of December 2011 and15 January 2012, of which 112 had entered the country, in addition to 90 media outlets that werealready based in Syria and had permanent correspondents.
The media outlets observed covering the events in Syria are as follows.
I.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Monitoring by teams of observers
Name
Algerian delegation
Dubai Network
BBC Arabic Network
German television
Iranian television
German television
Chinese media delegation (14 media
organizations)
Russian television - RT

Date of monitoring
31/12/2011
3/1/2012
5/1/2012
7/1/2012
7/1/2012
7/1/2012
7/1/2012

Place
Daraa/Damascus
Damascus
Outskirts of Damascus
Damascus
Damascus
Damascus
Damascus

7/1/2012

Damascus

27/01/12
259.12D

9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.

18

TSR
CNN
RTL
Associated Press Agency
France 2 Network
Italian journalist
Lebanese journalist
Japanese television
Al-Kawthar Iranian television network
Iraqi network
Canadian media delegation
CBS Network - America
Voice of America Radio
Financial Times
Belgian journalist and writer
Indonesian media delegation

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8/1/2012
8/1/2012
8/1/2012
8/1/2012
9/1/2012
9/1/2012
9/1/2012
10/1/2012
10/1/2012
12/1/2012
12/1/2012
13/1/2012
13/1/2012
15/1/2012
15/1/2012
16/1/2012

Damascus
Damascus
Damascus
Damascus
Homs
Homs
Homs
Daraa
Damascus
Damascus
Damascus
Damascus
Damascus
Damascus
Lattakia
AleppoII.
Arab and foreign media that entered Syria since the signing of the Protocol
19/12/2011 and 16/1/2012, according to official reports:
Name
Chinese media delegation made up of 14
journalists from different Chinese media
outlets
Japanese TBS Network and Japanesejournalist Yuta Furukawa
Xinhua Chinese News Agency
Agence France Presse French News
AgencyYomiuri Japanese newspaper and Japanesejournalist Tao Shigeki
Belgian journalist Pierre Piccinin

Date of entry
19/12/2011

27/12/20118.

New TV - Firas Hatoum, Sa`d al-Din AlRifa`i and Ali Sha`ban
Algerian National Television

9.

Algerian National Radio

30/12/2011

10. Algerian News Agency

30/12/2011

11. Mainichi Japanese newspaper and Japanesejournalist Hiroaki Wada
12. TBS Japanese broadcasting network

1/1/2012

13. Italian official television
14. French journalist Hervé Degal

3/1/2012
3/1/2012

1.

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

betweenRemarks
Monitored by team ofobservers

19/12/2011
20/12/2011
20/12/2011
26/12/2011
27/12/2011

30/12/2011

3/1/2012

Monitored by team ofobservers
Monitored by team ofobservers

Monitored by team ofobservers - part ofAlgerian delegation
Part of Algeriandelegation
Part of Algeriandelegation

Monitored by team ofobservers

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15. BBC News Arabic network

3/1/2012

16. Asahi Shimbun Japanese newspaper
17. RTL German television and Austrianjournalist Antonia Rados
18. ORF Austrian broadcasting network andcorrespondent Fritz Orter
19. Aftenposten Norwegian newspaper andNorwegian journalist Jørgen Lohne
20. Milli Gazete Turkish newspaper

3/1/2012
4/1/2012

21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.

TV5 Turkish network
Milliyet Turkish newspaperİhlas Turkish news agency
Vatan Turkish newspaperAkşam Turkish newspaper
Vakit Turkish newspaper
Yeni Şafak Turkish newspaper
Today's Zaman English-language Turkish
newspaper
KON Turkish television network
Hürriyet Turkish newspaperStar Turkish newspaper
Turk online news site
STV Turkish television network
Yeni Asya Turkish newspaper
Bugün Turkish newspaper
Sözcü Turkish newspaper
Cumhuriyet Turkish newspaper
Guardian British newspaper and British
journalist Ian BlackNHK Japanese Government television andJapanese journalist Yujiru Fuori
Russian media delegation and journalist
Dimitri
FR2 French television

5/1/2012
5/1/2012
5/1/2012
5/1/2012
5/1/2012
5/1/2012
5/1/2012
5/1/2012

42. Hebdo Swiss newspaper
43. Lebanese New TV network andcorrespondent Firas Hatoum
44. CNN network: British journalist Dominic
Robertson
45. Spanish official television and journalist
Oscar Fernando Gómez
46. British journalist Elizabeth Cocker
47. Russian journalist Boris Dolgov
48. Polish journalist Marcin Domagala

7/1/2012
7/1/2012

29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.

Monitored by team ofobservers
Monitored by team ofobservers

4/1/2012
5/1/2012
5/1/2012

5/1/2012
5/1/2012
5/1/2012
5/1/2012
5/1/2012
5/1/2012
5/1/2012
5/1/2012
5/1/2012
5/1/2012
6/1/2012

Monitored by team ofobservers
Monitored by team ofobservers (Turkish
media delegation)
Part of the delegation
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
Monitored by team ofobservers
Monitored by team ofobservers

6/1/2012
7/1/2012

8/1/2012
8/1/2012
8/1/2012
8/1/2012
8/1/2012

Monitored by team ofobservers
Monitored by team ofobservers
Monitored by team ofobservers

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49. Polish journalist Kornel Sawinski
50. VRT Belgian radio network
51. Newspaper of the Republic of Egypt andjournalist Sayyid Husayn Abdul`al
52. Sole 24 Italian newspaper and journalist
Alberto Negri
53. Italian-Arab Centre and Lebanese journalist
Talal Khreis
54. La Vie French magazine
55. Bild Zeitung German newspaper andjournalist
56. EFE official Spanish news agency andjournalist Javier Rodríguez
57. CBC Canadian broadcasting network andCanadian journalist Susan Ormiston
58. VRT Belgian television and journalist Rudi
Vranckx
59. American CBS News network and British
journalist Elizabeth Palmer
60. Iranian journalist Mostafa Afzalzadeh
61. British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)News, International news department andjournalist Timothy Whewell
62. Czech TV: Jan Molacek and Martin Bobin

8/1/2012
8/1/2012
8/1/2012

63. Asahi Shimbun Japanese newspaper, editor

13/1/2012

64. Sky News network and British journalist
Jeremy Thompson
65. Voice of America radio and television
network: American journalist Elizabeth
Arrott
66. Financial Times newspaper and British
journalist Abigail Fielding-Smith
67. Los Angeles Times newspaper andjournalist Alexandra Zavis

13/1/2012

9/1/2012
9/1/2012

Monitored by team ofobservers
Monitored by team ofobservers

10/1/2012
10/1/2012
10/1/2012
10/1/2012

Monitored by team ofobservers
Monitored by team ofobservers

10/1/2012
11/1/2012
11/1/2012
11/1/2012

12/1/2012

13/1/2012

14/1/2012
14/1/2012

Monitored by team ofobservers
Monitored by team ofobservers
Monitored by team ofobservers
Monitored by team ofobservers
Monitored by team ofobservers
Monitored by team ofobservers

List of Arab and international media representatives who have entered Syria since the start ofDecember 20111.

The United States channel ABC News: Barbara Jill Waters on 3 December.

2.
Delegation of various French media outlets including the journalist Richard Labévière,
working from the Institut Français du Proche Orient (IFPO); Professor Eric Denec, a teacher at
IFPO; and Saida Ben Hbeibes, on 3 December.
3.

The Egyptian journalist Sana Al-Said, on 10 December.

4.
Abduh Maghribi, editor of the Egyptian newspaper Al-Anba Al-Duwaliyya on 10
December.

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5.

Muhammad Al-Fawwal, deputy editor of the newspaper Al-Gumhuriyya, on 10 December.

6.

Ilham Al-Maliji, press journalist and analyst, 10 December.

7.

Muhammad Mahmud Al-Sayyid of the newspaper Al-Ahram, 10 December.

8.

Nura Khalaf, deputy editor of the magazine Hurriyyati, 10 December.

9.

Muhammad Said Galal, deputy editor of Akhbar Al-Yawm (Egypt), 10 December.

10.

Muhsin Abdulaziz of Al-Ahram, 10 December.

11.

Laarbi Usama Al-Dalil, head of the international section, Al-Ahram, 10 December.

12.

Ayman Al-Sisi, Al-Ahram, 10 December.

13.

Yasir Mishali, deputy editor of Ruz Al-Yusif, 10 December.

14.

Rami Al-Maliji of the newspaper Al-Yawm Al-Sabi`, 10 December.

15.

Shadiya Ahmad Al-Husri of the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Ra'y, 10 December.

16.

Lenka Ardnašova, editor of the Slovak newspaper Extra Plus, 11 December.

17.

Robert Kolisek of the State publication Tasar, 11 December.

18.

Peter Durkovic, a journalist specializing in the Middle East, 11 December.

19.

Filip Fosfić, editor for Slovak television, 11 December.

20.

Martin Kubala of the Slovak channel JOV, 11 December.

21.

Josef Durica, editor of a weekly magazine, 11 December.

22.

Andrea Emkova, a journalist who publishes in the State media, 11 December.

23.

German radio and television, 12 December.

24.

Makoto Sasaki of the Japanese network Fuji, 13 December.

25.
Joerg Ambruster, Friedre Meissner and Heiko Viehl of the German television channel ARD,
15 December.
26.

Dietmar Ossenberg of the German television channel ZDF, 15 December.

27.

Takeshi Tsuchiya of the Japanese news agency Kyodo , on 15 December.

28.

Giuseppe Bonavolontà of the Italian television channel RAI, 16 December.

29.

Sara Firth of the English-language channel Russia Today, 17 December.

30.
Mariana Belenkaya of the Arabic-language Russian channel Rusiya Al-Yawm, 17
December.
31.

Annalisa Rapanà of the Italian news agency ANSA, 18 December.

The Chinese delegation is composed of 14 journalists from various news outlets and entered
the region on 19 December:
32.

Zhou Hu, correspondent for Travel News Weekly.

33.

Tao Haibin, editor of Global Travel Magazine.

34.

Li Wei, editor of Wings of China Magazine.

35.

Liu Qiang, editor of Wings of China Magazine.

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36.

Lin Haidong, editor of Wang Jia Travel.

37.

Zau Yinghao, editor of Wang Jia Travel.

38.

Zau Qi, editor of Shanghai Media Group.

39.

Jin Song, editor of Shanghai Media Group.

40.

Bao Gang, editor of Shanghai Media Group.

41.

Yu Meug, editor of Century Business Herald.

42.

Ruan Yuhong, editor of the website Blashe

43.

Ho Yanguang, editor of China Youth Daily.

44.

Qiu Xiaoyu, editor of Chinese international radio.

45.

Bao Limin, editor of Youth Reference News.

46.

Yuta Furukawa of the Japanese channel TBS, on 19 December.

47.

Zheng Kaijun, Li Muzi and Li Jia of the Chinese news agency Xinhua, on 20 December.

48.

The French news agency AFP on 20 December.

49.

Pierre Piccinin, Belgian author and journalist, entered the region on 27 December.

50.

Tao Shigeki of the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri, 26 December.

51.

Firas Hatoum, Sa`duddin Al-Rifa`i and Ali Sha`ban of the channel Al-Jadid, 27 December,

52.

Algerian national television, on 30 December.

53.

Algerian national radio, 30 December.

54.

Algerian news agency, 30 December.

55.

Hiroaki Wada of the Japanese newspaper Mainichi, 1 January 2012.

56.

The Japanese channel TBS, 3 January.

57.

Italian State television, 3 January.

58.

Hervé Degal, French journalist, 3 January.

59.

BBC News Arabic, 3 January.

60.

Correspondents for the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun, 3 January.

61.

The Austrian journalist Antonia Rados for the German television channel RTL, 4 January.

62.

Fritz Orter of the Austrian radio and television network ORF, 4 January.

63.

Jørgen Lohne of the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten, 5 January.

64.

The Turkish newspaper Milli Gazete, 5 January.

65.

The Turkish channel TV5, 5 January.

66.

The Turkish newspaper Milliyet, 5 January.

67.

The Turkish news agency İhlas, 5 January.

68.

The Turkish newspaper Vatan, 5 January.

69.

The Turkish newspaper Akşam, 5 January.

27/01/12
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23

70.

The Turkish newspaper Vakit, 5 January.

71.

The newspaper Yeni Şafak, 5 January.

72.

The Turkish English-language newspaper Today's Zaman, 5 January.

73.

The Turkish television channel KON, 5 January.

74.

The Turkish newspaper Hürriyet, 5 January.

75.

The Turkish newspaper Star, 5 January.

76.

The Turkish website Haber Türk, 5 January.

77.

The Turkish channel STV, 5 January 2011.

78.

The Turkish newspaper Yeni Asya, 5 January.

79.

The Turkish newspaper Bugün, 5 January.

80.

The Turkish newspaper Sözgü, 5 January.

81.

The Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet, 5 January.

82.

Ian Black of the UK newspaper The Guardian, 5 January.

83.

Yujiru Futori of the Japanese State television NHK, 6 January.

84.

The journalist Dimitri of the Russian press delegation, 6 January.

85.

The British journalist Dominic Robertson of CNN, 8 January.

86.

Oscar Fernando Gómez of Spanish State television, 8 January.

87.

The French television channel FR2, 7 January.

88.

The Swiss publication Hebdo, 7 January.

89.

Firas Hatoum of the Lebanese channel Al-Jadid, 7 January.

90.

The British journalist Elizabeth Cocker, 8 January.

91.

The Russian journalist Boris Dolgov, 8 January.

92.

The Polish journalist Marcin Domalaga, 8 January.

93.

The Polish journalist Mateusz Piskorski, 8 January.

94.

The Polish journalist Kornel Sawinski, 8 January.

95.

The Belgian radio VRT, 8 January.

96.

Sayyid Husayn Abdul`al of the Egyptian newspaper Al-Gumhuriyya, 8 January.

97.

Alberto Negri of the Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, 9 January.

98.

The Lebanese journalist Talal Khreis of the Italian-Arab Centre, 9 January.

99.

The French magazine La Vie, 10 January.

100.

Julian Reichelt of the German newspaper Bild Zeitung, 10 January.

101.

Javier Rodríguez of the Spanish State news agency EFE, 10 January.

102.

Susan Ormiston of the Canadian radio and television network CBC, 10 January.

103.

Rudi Vranckx of the Belgian television channel VRT, 10 January.

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24

104.

Elizabeth Palmer of the US channel CBS News, 11 January.

105.

The Iranian journalist Mostafa Afzalzadeh, 11 January.

106.

Tim Whewell of BBC News, international section, 11 January.

107.

Jan Molacek and Martin Bubin of Czech television, 12 January.

108.

The editor of the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun, 13 January.

109.

The British journalist Jeremy Thompson of the channel Sky News, 13 January.

110.

Elizabeth Arrot of Voice of America radio and television, 13 January.

111.

Abigail Fielding-Smith of the British newspaper Financial Times, 14 January.

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112. Alexandra Zavis of the newspaper Los Angeles Times, 14 January.
List of Arab and international media granted accreditation for the region since 1 January
who have yet to enter the country:
1.

Kazuhide Iketaki of the Japanese agency Jiji Press, 26 December 2011.

2.
Kazayuki Bandok, Head of office and correspondent for the newspaper Hokkaido Shimbun,
accompanied by the Egyptian journalist Mahmud `Id Mahmud, 26 December.
3.

Enrique Rubio of the Spanish agency EFE, 27 December.

4.

Salwa Al-Khatib, correspondent for Press TV, 9 December.

5.

Jon Anderson, correspondent for the magazine The New Yorker, 28 December.

6.

Jeremy Bowen of the BBC, 9 December.

7.

Roel Maria Geeraedts of the Dutch channel RTL4, 27 December.

8.

Paul Jørgensen of the Norwegian channel TV2, 28 December.

9.

William Spindle of the Wall Street Journal, 27 December.

10.

Hristo Petrov of the independent news agency Trinity M, 27 December.

11.

The Algerian newspaper Al-Khabar, 24 December.

12.

The US television channel NBC, 26 December.

13.

Vidal Dominguez of the Cuban station Radio Habana, 9 December.

14.

Tomas Avenarius of the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, 9 December.

15.
The Argentinean journalist Karen Marón, who is currently working for French international
radio and the Colombian press, 26 December.
16.

Fausto Biloslavo of the newspaper Il Giornale, 28 December.

17.

Turutumita Wakishi Tumura of the Japanese television channel Nippon, 1 January 2012.

18.

The Arabic-language Russian channel Rusiya Al-Yawm, 1 January.

19.

The English-language channel Russia Today, 1 January.

20.

The Spanish-language Russian station, 1 January.

21.

The American author Charles M. Glass, 7 January.

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22.

Alexandra Zavis of the Los Angeles Times, 7 January.

23.

Alice Fordham of the Washington Post, 7 January.

24.

Arwa Damon of CNN, 7 January.

25.

The American journalist Ayman Mohyeldin of NBC News Cairo, 8 January.

26.

The journalist Jorg Armbruster of the German channel ARD.

27.

The American journalist Kareem Fahim of the New York Times, 8 January.

28.

The British journalist and academic James Harkin, 8 January.

29.

The Chinese journalist Li Lianxing of the newspaper China Daily, 12 January.

30.

Karim Al-Jawhari of the Austrian channel ORF, 12 January.

31.

Toshihiro Fuji of the Japanese channel NHK, 12 January.

32.

Wang Chu of the Chinese news agency Xinhua, 12 January.

33.

Abigail Fielding-Smith of the Financial Times, 12 January.

34.

Claudie Abi Hanna of the Lebanese channel Al-Hurra, 12 January.

35.

Michael Robert Peel of the Financial Times, 12 January 2012.

36.

Jan Eikelboom of Dutch television, 12 January.

37.

Ahmad Jadullah Hasan Salem and Maryam Qar`uni of the agency Roberts, 13 January.

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Annex III
Names of observers who withdrew from the League of Arab States Observer Mission
Name

Nationality

Field teamComments

Comments

1

MuhammadHusayn Umar

Djibouti

Homs A

Qatar Charity

Departed2

Anwar
Abdulmalik

Algeria

Homs A

Departed

3

Muhammadbin Yusuf AlNafati

Tunisia

Idlib

Departed

4

Ahmad
Abdullah
Muhamamd
Abdullah

Egypt

Idlib

Departed5

Abdulhamid
Al-Wali

Morocco6

Jamal Hamid
Barakat

Egypt

Hama

Arab Human
RightsOrganization

Departed

7

Nabil
Abdulmuhsin
Hasan AlShalabi

Egypt

Hama

Arab Human
RightsOrganization

Departed

8

Haidi Ali
Muhammad
Al-Tayyib

Egypt

Hama

Arab Human
RightsOrganization

Departed

9

IbrahimAbdullah AlSulayman

Saudi Arabia

Hama

Arab Human
RightsOrganization

Departed

10

Karim
Abdulmuhsin
Hasan AlShalabi

Egypt

Homs A

Arab Human
RightsOrganization

Departed

11

Manina bint
Muhammad
Salim

Mauritania

Deraa

Arab Human
RightsOrganization

Departed

12

HishamBnay`ishMoroccoDamascus

Departed

13

Isam
Abdulrahman

Sudan

Damascus

Departed

14

Muhammad
Salim

United Arab

Deraa

Departed

Departed27/01/12
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MuhammadRashid AlKa`bi

Emirates

15

Yahya
Abdulmuhsin
Al-`Itabi

Iraq

Deraa

Arab Human
RightsOrganization

Left without
the Mission's
permission
and at his own
expense16

Isam Mansur
MuhammadMiqdadJordanCoordinator

Arab
Committee on
Human Rights

Departed

17

MuhammadUthman AlSudairi

Tunisia

AleppoDeparted18

Sabr AlRawashida

JordanAleppoDeparted

19

Jalal bin
Ibrahim AlSanusi

Tunisia

Idlib

Departed

20

Muhammadbin Husayn
bin Yusuf

Tunisia

Idlib

Departed

21

MuhammadSalah Ali
Shawar

Egypt

Idlib

Egyptian
National
Council on
Human Rights

Departed

22

Hadi Al-Yami

Saudi Arabia

Committee on
detainees

ArabCommittee on
Human Rights

Special leave
for five days

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Vehicle fleet
League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria
No.
1Count Land CruiserryArmou Regu
red
lar
Iraq
7
-

2

Qatar

-

5

-

-

-

Saudi
Arabi
a
4 Unite
d
Arab
Emira
tes
Total
armouredvehicles

5

-

-

-

-

-

-

12

5

10

3

MercedesArmou Regu
red
lar
10
-

NissanArmou Regul
red
ar
-

Cadillac
Armou Regu
red
lar
-

Tot
al

Rema
rks

17

23
armoured
15 garmour
ed

1

-

10

-

4
(Toyo
ta)
-

-

-

5

-

-

6

-

-

6

-

-

10

1

-

38

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Appendix IV
Vehicles used by the League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria
No. Country

Make

Regular/armoured
Regular
Regular
Regular
Regular
Regular
Regular
Regular
Regular
Regular
ArmouredType

SectorLand Cruiser
Land Cruiser
Land Cruiser
Land Cruiser
Land Cruiser
Land Cruiser
Land Cruiser
Land Cruiser
Land Cruiser
CadilladPlate
number
2192
2193
2194
2195
2196
2197
2198
2199
2201
2212

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Qatar
Qatar
Qatar
Qatar
Qatar
Qatar
Qatar
Qatar
Qatar
Qatar

4x4
4x4
4x4
4x4
4x4
4x4
4x4
4x4
4x4
4x4

GMS
GMS
GMS
GMS
GMS
Nissan

2231
2232
2233
2234
2235
2214

Armoured
Armoured
Armoured
Armoured
Armoured
Regular

4x4
4x4
4x4
4x4
4x4
4x4

Nissan2215

Regular

4x4

Latakia

Nissan2216

Regular

4x4

Qamishli

Nissan2217

Regular

4x4

Latakia

Nissan2222

Regular

4x4

TadmurNissan2223

Regular

4x4

Latakia

22

Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
United ArabEmirates
United ArabEmirates
United ArabEmirates
United ArabEmirates
United ArabEmirates
United ArabEmirates
Iraq

Deraa
Homs (b)BanyasHama
Idlib
SuwaidaDamascus
Qamishli
Damascus
Damascuscountryside
Homs
Homs
Qamishli
Hama
TadmurLatakia

11
12
13
14
15
16

Mercedes2202

ArmouredHoms (a)23

Iraq

Mercedes2203

Armoured24

Iraq

Mercedes2204

Armoured25

Iraq

Mercedes2205

Armoured26

Iraq

Mercedes2206

Armoured27

Iraq

Mercedes2207

Armoured28

Iraq

Mercedes2208

Armoured29

Iraq

Mercedes2209

ArmouredStationwagon
Stationwagon
Stationwagon
Stationwagon
Stationwagon
Stationwagon
Stationwagon
Station

17
18
19
20
21

Damascuscountryside
AleppoHoms (a)SuwaidaDeraa
Deir Al-Zor
BanyasRemarks

Ready for deploy

Ready for deploy

Inoperable

Inoperable

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30

Iraq

Mercedes2210

Armoured31

Iraq

Mercedes2211

Armoured

32
33

Iraq
Iraq

Land Cruiser
Land Cruiser

2224
2225

Armoured
Armouredwagon
Stationwagon
Station
wagon
4x4
4x4

34
35

Iraq
Iraq

Land Cruiser
Land Cruiser

2226
2227

Armoured
Armoured

4x4
4x4

36

Iraq

Land Cruiser

2228

Armoured

4x4

37
38

Iraq
Iraq

Land Cruiser
Land Cruiser

2229
2230

Armoured
Armoured

4x4
4x4

With the team
Homs (b)Latakia
Damascus
Idlib
Raqqa and
Al-Thawra
Raqqa and
Al-Thawra
Deir Al-Zor
Raqqa and
Al-Thawra

Undergoing
maintenance