"Executed" corpses dumped in restive Syrian city

1 of 13. Demonstrators protest against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad after Friday prayers in Hula near Homs, January 27, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Handout

By Alistair Lyon

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The bodies of 17 men previously held by Syrian security forces have been found in the city of Hama, activists said on Saturday, victims of a deadly struggle between President Bashar al-Assad and those determined to topple him.

Turkey was due to meet Gulf Arab states later in the day to reinforce support for an Arab call for Assad to quit. The Arab League and Western countries are pushing for a U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria, resisted by Assad's ally Russia.

Elsewhere in Syria, security forces firing mortars at the northeastern town of Quwaira killed an infant, activists said.

An oil pipeline was also set ablaze in the town at dawn, although it was not immediately clear if this was the work of saboteurs or the result of firing by security forces. The pipeline supplies crude oil to the Banias refinery.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said troops were battling rebels in the central town of Rastan and that security forces had killed a man in the southern province of Deraa and another at a checkpoint in Harasta, near Damascus.

Activists also reporting fighting between armored forces and rebels at the edges of the Damascus suburb of Irbin.

The reported killings in Hama occurred during a military offensive this week that intensified a five-month-old crackdown on the conservative Sunni Muslim city, where Assad's father crushed an armed Islamist revolt in 1982 and killed thousands.

"They were killed execution-style, mostly with one bullet to the head. Iron chains that had tied them were left on their legs as a message to the people to stop resisting," Abu al-Walid, an activist in the city, told Reuters by telephone.

Another activist said the bodies, their hands tied with plastic wire and some with their legs chained, were dumped in the streets of five Hama neighborhoods on Thursday evening.

Turkey, hosting a meeting with Gulf Arab foreign ministers later in the day, urged Syria's leadership to comply with an Arab League transition plan that calls on Assad to step down.

"We are siding with the Syrian people and their legitimate demands," Turkish President Abdullah Gul was also quoted as saying by the United Arab Emirates newspaper al-Bayan.

MORE SYRIANS FLEE CONFLICT

Turkish officials say the number of Syrians seeking sanctuary in Turkey has risen in the past six weeks, with 50 to 60 arriving daily, taking the total living in refugee camps to nearly 9,600 from about 7,000 previously.

More than 6,000 Syrian refugees have fled to Lebanon.

Turkey, which spent years rebuilding relations with Syria, turned against Assad after he ignored its advice to enact reforms to calm what began in March as a peaceful uprising against his rule, inspired by Arab revolts elsewhere.

Diplomatic pressure has failed so far to persuade Damascus to halt a violent crackdown on what the government says are armed terrorists implementing a foreign-inspired conspiracy.

The United Nations, which estimated in mid-December that more than 5,000 people had been killed, says it can no longer keep track of the death toll. The government says insurgents have killed more than 2,000 soldiers and policemen.

The U.N. Security Council discussed a new European-Arab draft resolution on Friday aimed at halting the bloodshed.

Russia, which joined China in vetoing a previous Western draft resolution in October and which has since promoted its own draft, said the European-Arab version was unacceptable in its present form but added that it was willing to "engage" on it.

Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin criticized the draft, which endorses the Arab transition plan.

Moscow, he said, wants a Syrian-led political process, not "an Arab League-imposed outcome of a political process that has not yet taken place" or Libyan-style "regime change."

Britain and France said they hope to put the draft to a vote next week after Arab League Secretary General Nabil Elaraby and the Qatari prime minister brief the council on Syria on Tuesday.

The draft, obtained by Reuters, calls for a "political transition" in Syria. While not calling for U.N. sanctions against Damascus, it says the council could "adopt further measures" if Syria does not comply with the resolution.

Russia and Iran are among Syria's few remaining allies.

With Prime Minister Vladimir Putin facing the biggest protests of his 12-year rule and planning to return to the Kremlin in a March presidential vote, Russia wants to avoid approval of any regime change engineered from outside.

(Additional reporting by Khaled Yacoub Oweis in Amman, Joseph Logan in Dubai, Steve Gutterman in Moscow, Louis Charbonneau at the United Nations and Simon Cameron-Moore in Istanbul; editing by Tim Pearce)

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Syrian tanks fire, expected 20 dead as Homs monitors

Demonstrator protest against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad after Friday prayers in Binsh near Adlb December 23, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/handout

By Erika Solomon

BEIRUT (Reuters) - at least 20 people were killed as Syrian forces tank battled opponents of President Bashar al-Assad in Homs on Monday, residents said, ahead of a planned visit by Arab League monitors to verify whether he is ending a violent crack down on unrest.

A day before observers were to have their first look at the city at the heart of a nine-month-old revolt, there was no sign of Assad carrying out a plan agreed with the League to halt an offensive against protests and start talks with the opposition.

Amateur video posted to the internet by activists showed three tanks in the streets next to apartment blocks. One was firing its machinegun and another appeared to be firing mortar rounds. Gruesome video showed mangled bodies lying in pools of blood along a narrow street. Power lines had collapsed and cars were burnt and blasted, as if by mortar rounds.

On armed insurgency is increasingly eclipsing civilian protests. Now many fear Syria is sliding toward a sectarian was that pits the Sunni Muslim majority, the driving force of the protest movement, against minorities that have mostly stayed loyal to the government, particularly the Alawite sect to which Assad belongs. Fighting in Homs has intensified since a double suicide bombing in Damascus on Friday that killed 44 people.

"The Baba AMR (district) (of Homs) is being exposed to fierce shelling from heavy machinegun fire, armored vehicles and mortars," the British-based Syrian Observatory for human right, said in a statement.

"The violence is definitely two-sided," said a Homs resident who named himself only as Mohammed to protect his safety. I "'ve been seeing ambulances filled with wounded soldiers passing by my window in the past days." "They're getting shot somehow."

Parts of Homs are defended by the free Syrian army, made up of defectors from the regular armed forces, who say they have tried to establish no go areas to protect civilians.

The Observatory documented names of those reported killed in Monday's clashes sparked by a new wave of raids and arrests that so hit districts in Syria's second city Aleppo. That business hub had been spared most of the upheaval until recently.

The initial 50 of 150 Arab League monitors were due to arrive in Syria on Monday, and some will go to Homs on Tuesday, a source at the group's headquarters in Cairo told Reuters. Their job will be to assess whether Assad is withdrawing tanks and troops from Syria's third largest city as promised.

"The element of surprise will be present," said monitor Mohamed Salem al-Kaaby from the United Arab Emirates. "We will inform the Syrian side the areas we will visit on the same day so that there will be no room to direct monitors or change realities on the ground by either side."

The mission's objective is to confirm that the Syrian government is executing the Arab League initiative by withdrawing the military from cities, releasing prisoners and allowing Arab and allowing international media to visit.

Syria has barred most foreign journalists since the revolt began, making it hard to verify reports of events on the ground.

Other residents in Homs said they were running low on food as fighting left them trapped in their neighborhoods.

"We are hungry and cold." "There's no food, and we're running out of fuel for heating," said Tamir, at penniless construction worker who of híd with his family in their basement as heavy gunfire rocked the city.

Syrian state television has regularly shown some areas of Homs, a city of one million, looking peaceful. But activist video on the internet shows other areas was looking like a zone of empty streets, crumpled bodies and blasted buildings.

SPLIT IN SYRIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL?

The Syrian state news agency SANA reported clashes further south on Monday. "Civilians and forces to preserve security have been exposed to attacks by armed terrorist groups in the village of al-Lijat in Deraa province," it said.

SANA said "a number" of the group were killed. One soldier died and eight were Médical. The agency also said Syrian forces disabled four improvised explosive devices on main roads close to the flashpoint city's main fuel station.

A source inside the opposition Syrian National Council said a growing number of its members are pushing to openly endorse armed insurrection against the government. But they faced resistance from those dealing diplomatically with Western powers, and calling for United Nations support or foreign intervention in Syria.

The United Nations says at least 5,000 Syrians have been killed the revolt, inspired by other Arab uprisings this year that have toppled three dictators, broke out in March - and an estimated one-third of deaths have occurred in and around Hims.

The Syrian authorities blame the violence on foreign-backed armed Islamists who they say have killed 2,000 members of the security forces. After six weeks of stalling, Damascus signed a protocol this month to get the Arab League monitors.

Assad, 46, succeeded his father in 2000 to carry on a dynasty that has ruled for 41 years. He has responded to popular calls to step down with a mixture of force and promises of reform, announcing on end to a state of emergency and promising a parliamentary election in February.

The first group of about 50 Arab League monitors, led by General Mustafa Dabi Sudanese, will be divided into five 10-man teams going to five locations.

"We're waiting." "Let's see," said Homs resident Mohammed. "We hope they work the way they should." We hope they will be neutral... "If they are neutral, they will be condemning everyone but most especially the (Syrian) areas because they are the ones who should be responsible for protecting people."

Arab League mission chief Dabi reached Damascus on Saturday while the capital what still reeling from suicide bombings the day before that marked on ominous escalation of the violence.

Assad's opponents say they suspect his government carried out the Damascus bombings itself to prove to the world that Syria is facing indiscriminate violence by armed Islamists and to intimidate the work of monitors.

"The Assad regime, through the two suicide attacks in Damascus on Friday, has given the Syrian people and Arab states two choices: either it remains in power or it will confront them with killing and terrorism," said Paris-based Syrian National Council president Burhan Ghalioun.

"The explosion in Damascus carried the signature of the Syrian intelligence forces," he told Asharq Alawsat newspaper. "But these terrorist operations will not discourage people from continuing the revolution to topple this regime no matter the sacrifices." "It is no longer acceptable to blackmail US through terrorism."

(Additional reporting by Ayman Samir in Cairo;) Writing by Douglas Hamilton; (Editing by Mark Heinrich)

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Syrian rebels kill 27 soldiers in the South

 1 of 9. demonstrators protest against the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the vicinity of Qamishli, 14 December 2011.IMG credit: Reuters/handout

Dominic Evans

BEIRUT | Thu 15 December 2011 5: 30 pm EST

BEIRUT (Reuters) - army deserters 27 soldiers killed in the southern Syria on Thursday, said an active group in some of the deadliest attacks on forces President Bashar al-Assad since the start of an uprising loyal nine months ago.

The Syrian Observatory for human rights, Deraa, said the clashes flared that where first broke protests against Assad in March, and at a checkpoint East of the city, where all 15 people crew there were killed.

Coordinated strikes by the army, rebels escalated attacks recently have suggested to the high losses among security forces increase the specter of civil war breaks out.

The United Nations says that in Assad's crackdown on protests uprisings elsewhere in the Arab world inspired killed 5,000 people. Assad denied all orders were issued to kill protesters and says that armed 1,100 of his troops have killed.

A report by human rights watch which often explicit statements published on Thursday, is based on interviews with dozens of defectors army said commanders ordered troops to use "all necessary means" to stop protests, to to open fire.

A special forces soldier said that his team was told "use as many balls as you want" on demonstrators in Deraa in April.

A sniper in the city of Hims, that ordered his commanders said, in that a certain percentage of protesters should die. "Such as the goal for 5,000 demonstrators, would be 15 to 20 people," he said human rights watch (HRW).

HRW identified 74 commanders had ordered, authorized or condoned murder, torture and unlawful arrests during the anti-Government protests. "Represent these abuses crimes against humanity,", it said to call on the Security Council of the United Nations, Syria at the International Criminal Court.

Assad, 46, whose family from the minority Alawite Sunni Muslim Syria sect, the energy within majority has been for four decades, is the most serious challenge of his 11-year rule.

Army rebels have their campaign against security forces in the last month, increasingly ambushing military convoys, fire on an Intelligence Center on the outskirts of Damascus, and killing six pilots on an air base open.

PROMPTED FOREIGNERS

Turkey lost its first citizens Syrian riots on Thursday, according to its state news agency. Munir dural shot said Turkish media, it dead in the vicinity of the town of Idlib caught in the crossfire was stolen after his car.

Canada called to leave his Syria of concern for the deteriorating security situation. "Our best advice is immediately, Syria left, by all available means and opportunities exist," said his Foreign Ministry in a statement.

He cited provide the new Arab League sanctions against Syria to leave the country quickly can make difficult.

The UN Security to cope with the increasing number who claimed lives have the United States and France, to blame the Assad's forces for the violence. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, "that can go on," told reporters in New York. "In the name of humanity, it is to be time for the international community."

Syria's foreign donor Russia and China, that condemnation of Damascus blocked Western efforts to Council.

But Russia offered Thursday, said they were willing to negotiate about it for the first time a new, strengthening motion for a resolution to the Council and Western countries. [ID: nN1E7BE0G9]

Although Western envoys said, the Russian text was too weak, offered their willingness to work on it a chance for the Security Council to overcome its deadlock and issue of the 15-nation Panel first resolution of Syria's crackdown against the opposition protesters.

The design of Russia into circulation brought unexpectedly expands and hardens Moscow's previous text to add a new reference to "disproportionate use of force by the Syrian authorities."

The draft, which calls by Reuters, "the Syrian Government to suppress the exercise of their rights to freedom of expression, freedom of Assembly and Association put an end."

FEARS OF WAR

The bloodshed prompted the head of the main Syrian opposition group call, on the rebel forces free Syrian army operations against Assad's military limit to defend you on protests. "We want to avoid civil war at all costs," said Burhan Ghalioun of Syrian Reuters last week.

But its impact on the insurgency seems limited.

A free Syrian officer, speech to Thursday clashes, said that rebels in the alignment of Assad's forces were justified and said Ghalioun comments reveal "a lack of knowledge about the military base of this regime".

"Who bears arms against the civilian population, army, security or Shabbiha (Pro-Assad militia), and kills civilians - we respond and what harm we can," major Maher Ismail al-Naimi said.

A former Ambassador turned dissident announced in Istanbul the formation of an opposition group called the National Alliance of revolutionary forces in Syria.

Mohammad Bassam Imadi, Syria's former commissioned Sweden resigned his post two years ago and left Syria earlier this month, said that the Group of the Syrian National Council in a bid to overthrow of the Government would work together.

"We make up the majority of the revolutionary and political groups in Syria." After a long time and much effort, all these groups bring together under one roof is managed, "Imadi told a press conference."

Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Imadi was released and had his assets frozen last year after he was investigated for fraud and "His authority use for material gain".

Activists said that Assad's forces on Thursday, the streets of Damascus suburbs hunt for defector combed and try, the opposition would"strike".

In the city of Hama said 24 hours earlier stormed through the army the army took over a children's Hospital and snipers be viewed above on government buildings.

The official news agency SANA, said a member of "terrorist group" was killed and three others wounded, when they placed bombs in a Villa, which province had robbed them in Damascus.

(Additional reporting by Daren Butler in Istanbul;) (Editing by Diana Abdallah)

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Syrian forces kill 4 at start of Eid: activists

AMMAN | Sun Nov 6, 2011 4:47am EST

AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian forces shot dead at least four civilians on Sunday in a continued military assault on the central city of Homs and in an attack on pro-democracy demonstrations that erupted after prayers marking the main Muslim feast, an activist group said.

Three of the deaths occurred in Homs, 140 km (90 miles) north of Damascus, where a main district has been under tank bombardment since Tuesday. One demonstrator was shot dead when security police fired at a protest demanding the removal of President Bashar al-Assad in the city of Hama to the north, the Syrian Revolution General Commission (SRGC) said.

The organization said in a statement that at least 10 protesters were also injured in the town of Talbisah near Homs and in Harra in the southern Hauran Plain.

Fifty protesters were arrested after a demonstration in the Damascus district of Kfrar Souseh. Troops deployed in several Damascus suburbs, surrounding mosques to prevent crowds from rallying after the early morning prayers for the feast of Eid al-Adha, it said.

Syrian authorities have banned most non-official media since an uprising against Assad's rule erupted seven months ago, making independent verification of events hard.

Officials say the unrest is largely a result of a foreign conspiracy to divide Syria and that security forces are using legitimate means to confront "terrorists" and Islamist militants bent on wrecking a reform drive by Assad.

Activists and residents said tank fire killed at least 13 civilians and wounded dozens in Homs on Saturday, casting doubt on whether an Arab League plan can end the bloodshed touched off by the popular uprising.

In Cairo, the Arab League chief said the organization was seriously concerned by the violence in Syria, and appealed to Damascus to abide by steps agreed this week with Arab states to protect civilians and set Syria on the course of dialogue.

(Reporting by Khaled Yacoub Oweis, Amman newsroom; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

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Syrian forces kill 19, Government offers amnesty

 Soldiers are seen on an army in Hula, in the vicinity of Hims 4 November 2011.Credit: Reuters/handout

By Khaled Yacoub Oweis

AMMAN | Friday, 4 November 2011 10: 01 pm EDT

AMMAN (Reuters) - killed Syrian security forces at least 19 people and wounded dozens, as she said after Friday prayers, hard activists to protests, throwing doubt on whether a plan of the Arab League can stop bloodshed in months.

The Government offered an amnesty to anyone with weapons, if she reported police within a week, "as long as they don't kill no crimes committed," State television reported.

The gesture was not displayed, part of which would begin a plan of the Arab League, Wednesday, under which the army would leave free way, and a dialogue with the opposition period of two weeks, would turbulent cities, political prisoners of Syria to be accepted.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland dismissively responded, when asked whether she thought Syrians should take part in the amnesty, saying: "I would not recommend anyone to make authorities regime at the moment."

She threw out the Syrian Government on the plan of the Arab League to wear, and said that the United States have no confidence that it would. "We have a long and deep history of broken promises by the Assad regime," told reporters.

Violence has, if anything, increased since announcement of the Arab League agreement amid reports of sectarian murders.

Troops fired on protests, which broke people nine in the city of Hims, where tanks were again in action, and in Saqba, near the capital after Friday prayers in many cities, killing at least seven activists in Kanaker, South of Damascus.

A further two demonstrators in the city of Hama, 240 km (155 miles) North of Damascus, were killed when security forces several thousand demonstrators, the, March, large demonstrations before the tanks that stormed the city three months ago fired at Hauptplatz of Orontes, scene which, they said.

"Many people fell to the ground with gunshot wounds, and we fear that some will not make it," Mohammed, a resident said by phone Kanaker.

Citing activists in Kanaker, the Syrian information centre for human rights, that the 20-year-old a-year soldier mutinied a colonel said during his unit from protesters in the city was fire and killed five members of the security forces, including, before he shot and killed.

Hard media curbs have hard to check the events in Syria since the beginning of the protests against President Bashar al-Assad in March, inspired by revolts against Arab autocrats elsewhere.

GOVERNMENT DENIES TÖTUNGEN

Syrian State television denied all killings and broadcast of recordings, which were one from areas where protests, result masses were reported quiet from mosques after prayers. It said that four police were injured by shots from "armed terrorist groups in Kanaker."

But YouTube allegedly waving material, flags of many cities and towns, thousands of people, with some shouting: "don't cry mother, Bashar of the days are numbered."

A clip from the town of Taybet al-Imam, was close to Hama, masses marched along a main road, where huge Syrian flags from the pre-Ba'ath era were over buildings, adopted crashed the Muammar al-Gaddafi with the Libyan flag through those draped.

"People want the execution of Assad," screamed people at a rally in the town of Deir Baalba near the city of Homs.

Homs has established itself as a flash point of the protest and a Centre for emerging armed resistance against the Government. Activists tank and sniper said at least 22 people in the central city fire Thursday, killed in the old town of Bab AMRO.

The violence in Homs, where tanks for the second day were just bombed the indicates how difficult it will be, to the plan of the Arab League in a country locked in a deadly struggle between Assad and enemies to implement his 11-year rule.

Diplomats who have seen the agreement, saying that there was no any timetable for implementation.

SECTARIAN MORDE

This week in reports of the murders of members of the minority Alawite Assad and counter killings of Sunnis, the a majority of Syria are fears that unrest will have a sectarian turn 20 million mounted.

State News Agency SANA quoted several inhabitants of Hims, which describes attacks by armed taxis Thursday.

A woman named Ikhlas Ashour, said armed forced passengers from the taxi and robbing them of their money and identity cards before killing all the men.

"It was an incredibly ugly scene, I felt like I was living a nightmare," she was quoted.

Another resident, Ghayath Darwish, said SANA armed some male passengers killed at random and dragged their bodies way.

The opposition has talks with Assad rejected so far, as long as the violence continue and said that the only way to peace for the President to resign immediately.

The United Nations says that since the uprising against the 41 years of Assad family reign began in March more than 3000 people have been killed. The authorities blame Islamic militants and foreign-backed armed gangs to kill 1,100 security forces.

Western sanctions and growing criticism from Turkey and Arab neighbors raised have pressure on Syria to stop the bloodshed.

(Additional Erika Solomon and Mariam Karouny in Beirut;) (Editing by Alistair Lyon and Rosalind Russell)

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Dozens killed in Syrian city of Hims, deal day after Arab

2. November 2011 1 out of 3. Regierungsfeindliche demonstrators at the funeral of Sunni Moslem villagers killed, participate on Wednesday, in Hula in the vicinity of Hims.

Credit: Reuters/handout

By Khaled Yacoub Oweis and Mariam Karouny

AMMAN/BEIRUT | Wed, November 3, 2011 6: 03 pm EDT

Dozens died AMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) - in the Syrian city of Hims on Thursday, after reports of sectarian murders said activists, in an outburst of violence, this week, which threaten to ignite unrest between Sunni majority and the minority of Nusairier sect.

Tanks hit a major residential area in Homs for the second day, and there was no sign of troops leave cities under an Arab League agreement on bloodshed after seven months of protests against President Bashar al-Assad, whose Nusairier sect makes dominated.

A witness called rejected, said that he saw dozens of civilian facilities at the national hospital, which is under control of the security forces. The circumstances of her death were not clear.

"they were all men with gunshot wounds." A doctor told me that they came from all over Hims, ", he said."

Activists said another 19 people were killed, tank a bombardment of the District of Bab AMRO, hotbed of pro-democracy protests against President Bashar al-Assad and recordings by security forces in Homs.

There was no independent confirmation of the killings. They follow reports of local activists, the forces which held-loyal to Assad dead at least 11 Sunni Muslims to villagers at a roadblock province of Homs on Wednesday she is.

Nine Alawites have been pulled from a bus and killed the day before near the town of another activist said.

Harte Syrian media restrictions have made it hard to review the events on the ground, since a revolt against Assad began in March, inspired by other revolts in the Arab world.

Syria has killed more than 3,000 people, a plan of the Arab League decided army of towns, free political prisoners and talks with the opposition on Wednesday under pressure, a RAID set that says the United Nations.

The authorities blame the violence Islamic militants and armed gangs, they say, 1,100 soldiers and policemen have killed.

ISOLATION FEAR

Arab League Secretary General Nabil Elaraby informed the members of the main opposition party National Council on the plan in Cairo.

"We do not speak with the Secretary General a dialogue with the regime" Council Member Samir Nashar by Egypt's MENA News Agency was quoted after the meeting.

"We discussed, moved in negotiations with the authorities of a totalitarian to a democratic system, and demanded, that President Assad makes can be."

Assad's critics have his past, the offers of dialogue, some words you first must stop bloodshed dismissed and others say that only his resignation can end the conflict.

Paris Burhan Ghalioun, a leading member of the National Council, doubted that Syria the plan would be.

"The regime has accepted the Arab initiative for fear of Arab isolation, his weakness and lack of options." He wrote "But the adoption not means that it respect its clauses".

In Syria, some demonstrators Arab League, which said the initiative, but residents and activists remained in cities and security operations on celebrated especially in Homs troops.

Tanks fired heavy machine guns and flak Bab AMRO district of the city, a hotbed of protests and scene operations by the military against insurgents hiding there.

In other districts shot a city with one million, army, the sniper of roofs and soldiers Homs fired from checkpoints.

"We slept late there was night road rallies, to celebrate the Arab initiative." This morning we woke up rain and peel "Samer, an activist in Bab AMRO, said by phone."

EXPLOSIONS ROCK CITY

Another said the sound of the explosions was rocking the city and activists called on people in and around the Centre of Homs donations of blood for provisional hospitals.

Activists and residents army posted reinforcements at roadblocks in cities in the southern Hauran plain, where the troops in the air to disperse overnight triggered protests.

Early in the morning, an armored column fired machine guns in the air after al-Madiq Castle near the Roman ruins of Apamea has seen in the Ghab plain, the protests and has established itself as a refuge for army deserters, local activists.

In Damascus suburb of Harasta at least 120 demonstrators were arrested overnight after the celebration of the Arab League offer, a resident said.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Wednesday that it was Syria for better access to thousands of prisoners in pro-democracy protests arrested press.

Western sanctions and growing criticism from Turkey and Arab neighbors raised have pressure on Syria to stop the bloodshed.

"We are pleased, this agreement have and we will be even happier if she immediately implemented", said Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani of Qatar, leads a Committee of the Arab League behind schedule in Cairo agreed.

China, which has resisted sanctions against Syria along with Russia, u.n., welcomed the plan of the Arab League.

"This is an important step to the relaxation of the situation in Syria and the early start a political process with broad participation of all parties in Syria believe", said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei.

Despite the latest violence, Sami Baroudi, a political analyst at the Lebanese American University of Beirut, said it was too early to judge whether Syria would honor the agreement.

"It will take at least a few days to see if the intensity of violence is below or above going or staying at the same level", said Baroudi. "I would have not this initiative to the trash, because nothing happened immediately."

After the deal in Cairo was announced, the Syrian President to end again its call for the United States.

The Arab League has not exposed to Syria's membership or support international intervention, as it was overthrown against Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, the rebels supported by NATO.

(Additional reporting by Erika Solomon in Beirut;) (Edit by Sophie hares)

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