Activists accused the Syrian regime Wednesday of misleading Arab League observers by taking them to areas loyal to the government, changing street signs to confuse them and sending regime supporters into rebellious neighborhoods to give false testimony.
The month-long observer mission, which started Dec. 27, offers a rare outside glimpse into a country where a government crackdown has killed more than 5,000 people. But there are fears Bashar Assad loyalists have corrupted the observer process beyond repair.
There was no immediate comment from the Arab League. But Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi denied the allegations.
“We don’t interfere in the mission’s job,” Makdissi told The Associated Press, adding that government escorts are necessary to protect the observers.
Activists also said regime loyalists are painting military vehicles blue to make them look like police vehicles — a ploy that allows the government to claim it has pulled the army out of heavily populated areas in accordance with the Arab League plan that was supposed to end the government’s crackdown on dissent.
On Wednesday, security forces and pro-government gunmen shot dead at least 12 people, nine of them in central Homs province, activist groups said.
