Syria accepts Arab League plan to keep the peace

Syria has accepted an Arab League request to send observers to the country in an effort to end its eight-month crisis, a move that could ease Arab sanctions on Damascus.

A foreign ministry spokesman today said that foreign minister Walid al-Moallem had "responded positively" to the demand last night. Syria is under pressure to end its crackdown on an uprising against President Bashar Assad that the UN says has killed more than 4,000 people.

Arab leaders had given Syria a new deadline of yesterday to respond to the plan for observers to ensure compliance with a government ceasefire.

Syria's failure to meet a November 25 deadline on the observers drew Arab League sanctions.

Syria's military held war games at the weekend that included test-firing missiles and air force and ground troop operations "similar to a real battle", state-run media reported today. It said they were meant to test "the capabilities and the readiness of missile systems to respond to any possible aggression".