Arab League rejects Syria's offer

DAMASCUS, Syria, Nov. 20 (UPI) -- The Arab League has issued a statement rejecting a request by Damascus to amend a proposal to send monitors to Syria in an effort to end violence there.

"It was agreed that the amendments and appendices proposed by the Syrian side affect the core of the document and would radically change the nature of the mission, which is to oversee the implementation of the Arab plan to end the crisis in Syria and protect Syrian civilians," the statement issued by the Arab League said.

A three-day ultimatum issued by the League last week demanding Syria end the bloody violence expired on Saturday.

Syrian Army defectors Sunday said they fired a rocket propelled grenade on a Baath Party building in Damascus, Britain's The Daily Telegraph reported.

Quoting unnamed human rights campaigners, The Telegraph said four intelligence agents and two defecting soldiers were among those killed in the town of Shayzar on Saturday.

The Arab League suspended Syria's participation during a meeting in Morocco last week. The League demanded President Bashar Assad negotiate with the opposition and warned it would impose harsh sanctions against Damascus if he refused the proposal. The Arab League also said it would send a 500-strong team of monitors to Syria to observe the situation there, The Daily Star said.

In an exclusive interview with The Sunday Times, Assad dismissed the Arab League proposal, which he said was aimed at giving the international community an excuse to meddle in his country.