Members of the Free Syrian Army's "Commandos Brigade" go for a patrol near Qusayr, 15kms from the flashpoint city of Homs, on 10 May 2012. (Photo: AFP - STR)
The rebel Free Syrian Army on Friday announced it was resuming militant operations after the expiry of its ultimatum for the regime to respect international envoy Kofi Annan's six-point peace plan.
"We will now resume defensive operations," FSA spokesman Kassem Saadeddine told AFP via Skype. "We will not go on the offensive because we do not want to be singled out as the ones responsible for breaking the peace initiative."
The decision came 48 hours after the FSA's military council from inside Syria gave the regime until Friday 0900 GMT to observe the Annan plan which calls for the withdrawal of government forces and heavy armor from towns and cities.
"We have tried to remain committed to the plan but it is our military and ethical duty to defend civilians," Saadeddine said.
"The Annan plan has failed," he said. "The ball has been in the regime and international community's court from the start, and the initiative was a failure from the day it was signed."
But confusion still remains as to which faction of the FSA announced the ultimatum after Turkish-based Colonel Riyadh Asaad dismissed the deadline on Al Jazeera on Thursday.
Militant attacks have also continued unabated despite a UN ceasefire, despite an official FSA commitment to the truce, highlighting the chaotic division among Syrian armed groups.
The decision, however, is still a setback to Annan's efforts to revive his peace plan, which has failed to take hold.
The FSA call heightens the chance for all-out civil war, raising fears among world powers that the situation could spiral out of control and endanger regional stability.
(Al-Akhbar, AFP)
"We will now resume defensive operations," FSA spokesman Kassem Saadeddine told AFP via Skype. "We will not go on the offensive because we do not want to be singled out as the ones responsible for breaking the peace initiative."
The decision came 48 hours after the FSA's military council from inside Syria gave the regime until Friday 0900 GMT to observe the Annan plan which calls for the withdrawal of government forces and heavy armor from towns and cities.
"We have tried to remain committed to the plan but it is our military and ethical duty to defend civilians," Saadeddine said.
"The Annan plan has failed," he said. "The ball has been in the regime and international community's court from the start, and the initiative was a failure from the day it was signed."
But confusion still remains as to which faction of the FSA announced the ultimatum after Turkish-based Colonel Riyadh Asaad dismissed the deadline on Al Jazeera on Thursday.
Militant attacks have also continued unabated despite a UN ceasefire, despite an official FSA commitment to the truce, highlighting the chaotic division among Syrian armed groups.
The decision, however, is still a setback to Annan's efforts to revive his peace plan, which has failed to take hold.
The FSA call heightens the chance for all-out civil war, raising fears among world powers that the situation could spiral out of control and endanger regional stability.
(Al-Akhbar, AFP)
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