Official says U.N. monitoring in Syria can work

DAMASCUS, Syria, May 18 (UPI) -- The leader of the U.N. observer mission in Syria said Friday he believes violence during a fragile cease-fire could be stopped through negotiations.

Gen. Robert Mood said the 260 U.N. monitors' now in the country could play a key role in a political dialogue to end the violence, the Kuwaiti news agency KUNA reported.

Mood said he was satisfied with the work of the monitors so far.

The cease-fire was declared in April as part of a six-point peace plan proffered by U.N.-Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan.

The U.N. mission is expected to expand to 300 observers.

In a speech Thursday at a U.N. youth event, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said he thinks al-Qaida was behind bombings that killed 55 people in Damascus last week.

Ban said al-Qaida's possible involvement in Syria's unrest has created "very serious problems," Voice of America reported.

Two car-bomb explosions hit the Syrian capital May 10 in what was the country's deadliest attack since the start of the pro-democracy uprising more than a year ago. A militant group known as the al-Nusra Front claimed responsibility.

The opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said machine-gun fire killed three people in the Homs region Thursday and another person died elsewhere because of government shelling.

The group and Syrian state-run media said assailants fired on a bus carrying law enforcement officers in Homs, killing one person.

The government blamed "armed terrorists" for the attack, something it has done repeatedly since the protests against President Bashar Assad's regime began in March 2011.

In Paris, the newly re-elected head of the main exiled coalition offered to resign, VOA reported. Syrian National Council chief Burhan Ghalioun cited criticism of his leadership and infighting that has swamped groups trying to oust Assad.

Ghalioun said Thursday he does not want to be a source of division and will step aside as soon as a successor is seated. He has been the SNC leader since its formation last year and was elected Tuesday to another three-month term.

The United Nations estimates more than 9,000 people have been killed since the uprising began.