Syria Observer Mission

Two weeks into Russia's air war in Syria, some observers say the narrow scope of the US-led mission in Syria -- to conduct drone and plane strikes against Islamic State jihadists -- needs an urgent rethink.

United Nations military observers left Damascus on Monday after a four-month mission in which they became helpless spectators of Syria's spiralling conflict, instead of monitoring a ceasefire between President Bashar al-Assad's forces and rebels.

The Security Council will let the mandate for the UN military observer mission in Syria expire on Sunday and will back a new civilian office there to support UN and Arab League efforts to end the country's 18-month conflict.

Syrian rebel forces were bracing today for the "mother of all battles" in Aleppo, as the former UN observer mission chief said President Bashar al-Assad's fall was a matter of time.

European nations and Russia proposed rival U.N. resolutions on Friday morning, both calling for expanding the number of U.N. cease-fire monitors in Syria from 30 to 300 but disagreeing on possible sanctions and on how quickly the larger observer force should get on the ground.

UN monitors arriving in Syria are starting a perilous mission as there is no formal ceasefire between President Bashar al-Assad and opposition forces, diplomats said.

The Arab League has halted its observer mission in Syria because of escalating violence that has killed nearly 100 people over the past three days, as pro-regime forces battled dissident soldiers in a belt of suburbs on the eastern edge of Damascus in the most intense fighting yet so close to the capital.

The Arab League on Wednesday confirmed the suspension of Syria from the organization and gave its government three days to halt the violence and accept an observer mission or face economic sanctions.

Two weeks into Russia's air war in Syria, some observers say the narrow scope of the US-led mission in Syria -- to conduct drone and plane strikes against Islamic State jihadists -- needs an urgent rethink.

United Nations military observers left Damascus on Monday after a four-month mission in which they became helpless spectators of Syria's spiralling conflict, instead of monitoring a ceasefire between President Bashar al-Assad's forces and rebels.

The Security Council will let the mandate for the UN military observer mission in Syria expire on Sunday and will back a new civilian office there to support UN and Arab League efforts to end the country's 18-month conflict.

Syrian rebel forces were bracing today for the "mother of all battles" in Aleppo, as the former UN observer mission chief said President Bashar al-Assad's fall was a matter of time.

European nations and Russia proposed rival U.N. resolutions on Friday morning, both calling for expanding the number of U.N. cease-fire monitors in Syria from 30 to 300 but disagreeing on possible sanctions and on how quickly the larger observer force should get on the ground.

UN monitors arriving in Syria are starting a perilous mission as there is no formal ceasefire between President Bashar al-Assad and opposition forces, diplomats said.

The Arab League has halted its observer mission in Syria because of escalating violence that has killed nearly 100 people over the past three days, as pro-regime forces battled dissident soldiers in a belt of suburbs on the eastern edge of Damascus in the most intense fighting yet so close to the capital.

The Arab League on Wednesday confirmed the suspension of Syria from the organization and gave its government three days to halt the violence and accept an observer mission or face economic sanctions.