Monitors in the middle of the Syria crisis
On Friday, Syria experienced the largest demonstrations that country has seen in months. Huge crowds again calling for the resignation of President Bashar al Assad. They also want to show Arab League monitors how strong the movement is. But as CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips reports, that didn't stop the regime from striking with deadly force.
The presence of Arab League observers in Syria -- seen in their high-visibility vests -- seems to have emboldened the protest movement. In some places like the city of Idlib in the north, the crowds appeared to be several hundred thousand strong.
But government troops continue to shadow the protesters and the casualties continue to mount up. Shots fired into this protest in a Damascus suburb, hitting a man taking these pictures.
Four days into their mission, the Arab League observers have found themselves in the middle of the argument, accused of sticking to a government-arranged schedule.
Syrians brace for unrest in view of monitors
Syrian troops fire on activists in deadly attack
Come see the corpse of a victim, they're being told by protesters.
We have to follow our plan, the observers answer.
While some of the observers are being welcomed as heroes, doubt is being cast on the mission because many of its members come from countries with questionable human rights records themselves.
The observers' first report is expected in a few days. It will be an indication of whether this is a serious exercise in dealing with public grievance, or a stalling tactic by a regime intent on staying in power.
