Jordanians rally in support of Syrians

Syrians living in Jordan rallied in the capital Amman on Friday to show their solidarity with protesters in Syria demanding the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad.

Syrian migrant workers in Libya also staged similar protests in the capital Tripoli, asking Assad to step down after a 10-month long violent crackdown that has seen 5,000 people die.

While protestors in the region expressed their support for Syrians, Arab League monitors visited the Omayyades mosque in Damascus for Friday prayers, the time when protest violence usually flares up on a weekly basis.

The visit, which was meant to witness cultural aspects of the country, came ahead of a trip by Mohamed al-Dabi, chief monitor, to the Arab League headquarters in Cairo to report on the mission’s finding since it began on December 26. Hundreds of civilians have been killed since.

The mission has been riddled with controversy as some critics debate the nature of it, deeming it more of a diplomatic alibi for Assad rather than a serious attempt to resolve the crisis in Syria.

French president Nicolas Sarkozy said the repression of the country’s opposition was only deteriorating Syria’s situation, and the European Union is anticipated to slap further sanctions against Syria on Monday ranging from individuals to institutions.

Sanctions against oil exports have already cost the country nearly two billion dollars.