Western and Gulf media entangled in own contradictions

The international press is bewildered by the statements pronounced by the Arab League Observation Mission director, Mohamed Ahmad al-Dhabi, according to which the situation in Homs is "reassuring."

Consequently, newspapers are now split between those who exert caution, fearing of having been misled and of having distorted or magnified events, and those who accuse the monitors of "false testimony," thereby directly challenging Mr. al-Dhabi’s integrity and that of his colleagues.

To explain their turnaround, the media - which had demanded the visit of the observers yesterday and repudiates them today - argue that General al-Dabi was imposed on the Arab League by the Syrian "regime." They seem to forget that Syria has been suspended from the League and has lost its leverage.