11 killed as Syria OKs deal

BEIRUT / MOSCOW

Syria has agreed “in principle” to allow an observer mission into the country, a senior official in Damascus said Friday, as security forces killed 11 anti-government protesters. The Arab League formally suspended Damascus this week over its crackdown on an 8-month-old uprising. The group wants to send dozens of observers to the country to try to help end the bloodshed. “Syria has agreed in principle to the Arab League proposal and we are still studying the details,” the senior Syrian official said Friday. Syrian activists said at least 11 people were killed as security forces on Friday fired on anti-government protests. Nabil Elaraby, the head of the Arab League, said in a statement Friday that he received “amendments” from Damascus, which the League is studying. Meanwhile, Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Nov. 18 urged the U.N. Security Council to be restrained in drafting a resolution condemning the violent crackdown on dissent. However, Putin added that Russia is not going to “ignore opinions of our partners and will cooperate with everyone.”

Compiled from AFP and AP stories by the Daily News staff.