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| Syria unrest: Arab League monitors visit restive Homs | Syria unrest: Arab League monitors visit restive Homs |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Arab League peace monitors have arrived in the restive Syrian city of Homs, to be met by tens of thousands of anti-government protesters. | Arab League peace monitors have arrived in the restive Syrian city of Homs, to be met by tens of thousands of anti-government protesters. |
| The observers are verifying an Arab League peace plan that requires an end to the violent crackdown on protests. | |
| Unverified video footage showed Homs residents demanding protection from the monitors. The Arab League said the first day had been "very good". | |
| The UN says more than 5,000 people have been killed in protests since March. | The UN says more than 5,000 people have been killed in protests since March. |
| Snipers | Snipers |
| The head of the monitors was upbeat about the visit to Homs. | |
| Sudan's Gen Mustafa Dabi told Reuters news agency: "Today was very good and all sides were responsive." | |
| Syrian armed forces have made a show of withdrawing from protest flashpoints in the past, only to return when protests resume. | |
| When a UN fact mission came a couple of months ago, they also had trouble in Homs because they attracted a big crowd. As soon as they disappeared, there was shooting and people killed as the security forces dispersed the crowd. | |
| This illustrates just how difficult this mission will be. The monitors seem to have finished for the day and they will be back again in the same place on Wednesday, apparently. But this is a big country and it is going to be very hard for the monitors to be sure they have got tabs on things happening everywhere at all times. It will be virtually impossible with a handful of observers. | |
| He added: "I am returning to Damascus for meetings and I will return tomorrow to Homs. The team is staying in Homs." | |
| Abdul Omar, a spokesman for the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told the BBC at least 20,000 people had come out on to the streets to mark the arrival of the monitors. | Abdul Omar, a spokesman for the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told the BBC at least 20,000 people had come out on to the streets to mark the arrival of the monitors. |
| Mr Omar said the monitors had met the governor of Homs but he had no reports of any meetings with opposition activists. | |
| He said the government was playing cat-and-mouse with the protesters by withdrawing tanks from parts of the city. | He said the government was playing cat-and-mouse with the protesters by withdrawing tanks from parts of the city. |
| Eyewitness Abu Rami told the BBC the protesters numbered 50,000 and there had been attacks by the government forces, leaving eight dead. | Eyewitness Abu Rami told the BBC the protesters numbered 50,000 and there had been attacks by the government forces, leaving eight dead. |
| He said the security forces had changed clothes to appear like normal civilians. | |
| Mr Rami said no-one knew where the monitors had gone and attempts by activists to contact them had proved unsuccessful. | |
| Video footage sent to Reuters on Tuesday and posted on YouTube appeared to show residents arguing with monitors, trying to get them to go further inside the city's Baba Amr district to see the victims of attacks. | |
| Gunfire can be heard in the background. | |
| The residents in the video shout: "We want international protection" and "Where is the world?" | |
| One of the monitors says that he is not authorised to speak. | |
| Baba Amr and other parts of Homs came under heavy shellfire on Monday. Activists said at least 30 people were killed. | |
| Residents said many buildings had been destroyed and government snipers had made it impossible to search for survivors. | Residents said many buildings had been destroyed and government snipers had made it impossible to search for survivors. |
| Casualty figures and other information are hard to verify from Syria as most foreign media are banned from reporting. | Casualty figures and other information are hard to verify from Syria as most foreign media are banned from reporting. |
| The Syrian government says it is fighting armed gangs and that hundreds of members of the security forces have been killed as well. | The Syrian government says it is fighting armed gangs and that hundreds of members of the security forces have been killed as well. |
| Large numbers of army deserters are reported to have joined armed rebels in the Free Syrian Army in recent weeks to launch attacks on pro-government troops. | Large numbers of army deserters are reported to have joined armed rebels in the Free Syrian Army in recent weeks to launch attacks on pro-government troops. |
| 'Held prisoners' | |
| The observers' mission is to assess an Arab League initiative agreed with the Syrian government requiring all armed forces to withdraw from areas of conflict. | The observers' mission is to assess an Arab League initiative agreed with the Syrian government requiring all armed forces to withdraw from areas of conflict. |
| Damascus has pledged to allow the monitors full freedom of movement, but they will depend on the regime to provide transport and security. | Damascus has pledged to allow the monitors full freedom of movement, but they will depend on the regime to provide transport and security. |
| The leader of the Syrian National Council (SNC), the main umbrella group of opponents to President Assad, said the observers were "being held prisoners by the Syrian system". | |
| The BBC's Jim Muir, in neighbouring Lebanon, says it will be clear by the end of the week whether the monitors are having the wool pulled over their eyes and, if they are, a referral to the UN Security Council will be virtually automatic. | |
| The observer mission will eventually have up to 200 members. | The observer mission will eventually have up to 200 members. |
| Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem has said he expects the monitors to back the government's claim that armed gangs are behind the continuing violence. | Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem has said he expects the monitors to back the government's claim that armed gangs are behind the continuing violence. |
| Are you in Syria? Did you witness the gunfire and shelling? Send us your account of what happened using the form below. | Are you in Syria? Did you witness the gunfire and shelling? Send us your account of what happened using the form below. |
| Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. | Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. |
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