U.N. Talks with Syria over Monitoring

There is no end in sight to fierce fighting between the Syrian government and rebel factions.

The situation has become so dangerous that the United Nations was forced to suspend full operations of its ceasefire monitoring mission last week.  

            

On Monday, Robert Mood, the U.N.'s chief monitor, was cautiously optimistic about the mission's future after talks with Syrian officials.  

            

[Robert Mood, U.N. Ceasefire Monitoring Mission Chief]:       

"I conveyed that we are now in the phase when we are discussing options for the future and we had a very professional exchange on that and then we'll see in the coming days what will happen next."
   

        

In Geneva, the International Committee of the Red Cross said it planned to do its best to evacuate victims in cities at the heart of the violence, but getting permission from all parties was paramount.  

           

[Jakob Kellenberger, ICRC President]:    

"It is important to have an unambiguous, an unambiguous agreement of those concerned in the violence - of all, I underline of all."    

          

Syria has come under harsh criticism from much of the international community for its deadly crackdown on protesters over the last year-and-a-half.