Senior members of the Syrian opposition National Council leadership expressed fears over the recent statements by the head of the Arab observers, Gen. Mohammed Ahmed al-Dabi. They relate his remarks on the situation in Homs to the fact that the retired Sudanese officer's name was mentioned earlier in the indictments of the International Criminal Court.
Burhan Ghalyoun the head of the National Council has called for an emergency meeting of the Executive Office in order to assess the performance of the Arab Observer Mission, especially after al Dabi described the situation in Homs as "not bad."
Some opposition sources accuse the Arab League (AL) of being biased towards the Syrian regime. These sources claim the Arab body did not consult the opposition regarding the selection of the monitors team members and its head. The opposition sources conveyed that al-Dabi was among three names submitted to the Syrian authorities for approval. The Syrian regime preferred al-Dabi.
On his part, Fadi al Qadi from "Human Rights Watch," stressed in a press statement that the AL did not explain the method of selecting the observers and their experience. According to him, the Arab League had lost its credibility in the Syrian street.
The Syrian opposition claims that the behavior of the Arab League had a negative impact on the possibility of seeing a more assertive role by Europe and the United States in regard to the Security Council. It also led to a slower Turkish role. Sources within the Syrian opposition conveyed they maintain "other effective alternatives" to promote their case if the AL continues with its current policy.
