MaximsNewsNetwork: (www.MaximsNews.com ) 18-19 May 2012 United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria: UNSMIS: Damascus, Syria - Upon arrival in Syria for a four day visit on Saturday (19 May), the head of UN peacekeeping, Hervé Ladsous, told journalists that the UN Military Observer mission has deployed at a speed "unprecedented in the history of the United Nations." Ladsous' is in Syria to assess progress made on the ground by UN military observers and to meet with Government officials and representatives of the opposition. On Friday (18 May) Chief Military Observer General Robert Mood briefed journalists and noted that the 260 military observers from 60 nations do not constitute a "powerful tool in military terms" but it is significant as it represents the "international community coming together on the ground." Mood stressed that "no volume of observers can achieve a progressive drop and the permanent end to the violence if the commitment to give dialogue a chance is not ! genuine from all internal and external actors." The military chief said he could not confirm the presence of the terrorist group Al-Qaida and other third parties in Syria, but expressed concern about incidents "where explosives, improvised devises, are targeting innocent civilians, innocent people, cause it is not going to solve the situation." A protest movement -- similar to those across the Middle East and North Africa -- has claimed over 9000 lives in Syria, mostly civilians, and displaced tens of
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