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UN Authorizes 300 Cease-Fire Observers in Syria
(Washington Post) Colum Lynch and Alice Fordham - The UN Security Council voted Saturday to establish a full-fledged UN mission, with up to 300 unarmed military observers and an unspecified number of civilian specialists, to monitor a shaky cease-fire in Syria. The agreement marks a public show of unity among the UN's big powers in support of envoy Kofi Annan's plan for ending the deadly upheaval. Susan E. Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, said there should be "no illusions" that a small mission of UN observers will be capable of halting the Syrian crackdown and that the U.S. is prepared to pull the plug on it after 90 days if Syria does not comply with Annan's peace plan.