France hopes to increase sanctions on Syria

France on Wednesday announced it had recalled its ambassador in Syria due to security reasons.

According to the French Foreign Ministry, the French consular agencies in Aleppo and Latakia were attacked last weekend, and the French government had lodged strong protest against the Syrian government and summoned the Syrian ambassador to France.

Since the Syrian crisis broke out in March, the French government has repeatedly condemned Syrian authorities. It says it does not support military intervention in Syria but hopes to resolve the crisis through international sanctions.

On Friday, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said the Syrian regime was not willing to implement a reform program and "now it is too late." The UN Security Council should increase sanctions on Syria, he said.

Asked about the French attitude toward a Turkish military intervention in Syria, Juppe said, "We are against unilateral intervention. If an intervention is implemented, the decision should be made by the United Nations. This has been France's opinion all along."

The foreign minister added that the Syrian opposition should avoid the use of arms to avoid civil war.

Syria welcomes observers from Arab League

Analysts sid the Syrian government did not respond to the Arab League's request to send observers to the country before the deadline because the League was studying modifications suggested by the Syrian side on the Arab observer mission.

The Arab League put forward a plan Wednesday to send 500 observers and gave Syria three days to agree. On Saturday, it suspended Syria's membership in the pan-Arab body until Assad implemented its deal to end what it said was a crackdown on protestors.

As violence continued in the West Asian country, allowing in foreign observers was in the interest of the Syrian government, observers said.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said Monday that his country welcomed any Arab effort to solve the crisis, stressing that Damascus had a strong resolve to implement the Arab League peace plan reached on November 2.

But analysts say the ongoing bloodletting in Syria is far more complicated than an alleged lethal crackdown on protesters by the government, as some media reported.

Former Egyptian ambassador to Syria Mahmoud Shokry said the current security situation in Syria is not under complete control of the government.

The Free Syrian Army, an alleged group of army defectors, has recently carried out attacks against an air intelligence base outside Damascus.

It shows the Syrian government is unlikely to unilaterally stop all military activities in three days as the Arab League requested.

Allowing in observers would help clarify distorted press reports and change the passive and cornered status of the Syrian government. That's why the Syrian government welcomed the observers, analysts said.