Some UN monitors spying in Syria: Jordanian observer

A Jordanian member of the UN observer team in Syria says some of his teammates are carrying out spy missions by collecting information about Syria’s military headquarters.

The Jordanian officer, who was not named in the report, was quoted by the Lebanese al-Diyar newspaper as saying that the Western members of the team, in particular head of the UN mission in Syria, Major General Robert Mood, conduct acts of espionage against the Syrian government.

He said the monitors, on the order of Mood, made a visit to the port city of Tartus that hosts a Russian naval base and is of high military and security importance and sensitivity.

UN monitors are tasked with observing the implementation of a ceasefire that was part of UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan’s peace plan, but the visit to Tartus raises suspicions as the city has not been affected by the tensions and unrest in the country.

He said the UN monitors also visited four military zones in cities including Daraa, Homs and Idlib where Syria’s air and defensive air army are located.

The Jordanian officer added that the UN monitors also took videos from an aerial reconnaissance base in al-Hareh and another military base between Nowi and al Sheikh al Meskin.

The first group of the UN observers arrived in Damascus late on April 15. The observers were approved for the mission according to UNSC Resolution 2042 passed on April 14.

On April 21, the UN Security Council met and unanimously voted on Resolution 2043 to send a mission of 300 observers to Syria.