Syrian people urge Army not to withdraw under Annan deal

Syrians in Homs have urged the Army not to withdraw from the western city as has been required by a peace plan proposed by the special UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan, Press TV reports.

The residents’ opposition to the pullout comes as the international community is pressuring Damascus to implement Annan’s six-point plan.

Under the proposed plan, the Syrian Army must first withdraw its troops from populated areas.

Damascus has criticized Annan for not requiring the same commitment from the armed terrorist groups, who are fighting the government, warning that they would enter cities as soon as the Army gets out.

The plan, however, reserves Damascus’ right to “respond proportionately to any attacks carried out by armed terrorist groups against civilians, government forces or public and private property.”

Annan said on Wednesday that he had received a written pledge from the Syrian Foreign Ministry “to cease all military fighting throughout Syrian territory as of 6:00 a.m. tomorrow (0300 GMT).”

Syrian Defense Ministry officials also confirmed that military operations would be halted from Thursday, but the Armed Forces would “remain on standby.”

Syria has been experiencing the unrest since mid-March 2011. The violence has claimed the lives of hundreds of people, including many security forces.

Damascus blames ‘outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups’ for the unrest, asserting that it is being orchestrated from abroad.

The West and the Syrian opposition, however, accuse the government of killing protesters.