Arabs seek UN support for Syria peace plan

(Reuters) -
Arab states are
appealing to world
powers to help end the
crisis in Syria after
months of failed efforts
to persuade President
Bashar al-Assad to halt a
10-month crackdown on
his opponents.
The cornerstone of their
efforts - a 165-strong
peace monitoring effort -
was thrown into doubt on
Tuesday when Gulf Arab
states began withdrawing
55 of their monitors,
saying they had failed to
stem the violence.
The deputy head of the
22-member Arab League
said the remaining
monitors would continue
their work.
However, Arab League
chief Nabil Elaraby and
Qatari Prime Minister
Hamad bin Jassim al-
Thani, who heads the
organisation's committee
on Syria, wrote to U.N.
Secretary General Ban
Ki-moon requesting a
meeting to seek the
Security Council's support
for the League's faltering
peace effort.
One ambassador to the
League said that bringing
in the United Nations
Security Council could
lead to a tougher set of
measures if Assad fails
to comply.
"The Syrian regime did
not implement the Arab
plan under existing Arab
pressure, so there was
no other way except to
approach the Security
Council," the ambassador
at the League said before
the announcement of the
letter and on condition of
anonymity.
The League's new plan
agreed at the weekend
calls on Assad to step
down, transfer power to
his deputy and allow the
formation of a unity
government.