The Arab League,
...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing...
which has threatened to impose new sanctions on Damascus
...Home to a staggering array of terrorist organizations...
if it fails to comply with the plan for monitors, said it was considering the Syrian offer to allow them into the troubled country.
French oil company Total, meanwhile, said it was suspending its operations in Syria in line with EU sanctions, which indirectly target its local partner.
"We have informed the Syrian authorities of our decision to halt our operations with GPC (General Petroleum Corporation) in order to comply with sanctions," the company said in a statement.
Syria had initially refused to sign an Arab proposal to send in observers to monitor its forces accused of rights violations by the UN, which says that more than 4,000 people have been killed since March in a protest crackdown.
But in a letter sent to the Cairo-based Arab League late on Sunday as a League deadline was set to expire,
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad's
Oppressor of the Syrians and the Lebs...
regime said it will accept monitors if its conditions are met.
"The Syrian government responded positively to the signing of the protocol" on sending observers "based on the Syrian understanding of this cooperation," Syrian foreign ministry front man Jihad Makdisi told news hounds.
While confirming the receipt of a Syrian government letter outlining the about-face, Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi said it contained "new demands."
"We've contacted Arab foreign ministers and they have been apprised of the Syrian letter," Arabi said, adding that consultations were under way.
Damascus has refused to sign, arguing the text undermines its sovereignty, prompting the vaporous Arab League to slap Syria with sweeping sanctions on November 27 including a halt on transactions with Damascus and its central bank.
The sanctions announced on Saturday put 19 officials on a blacklist for travel to Arab states and froze their assets in those countries, while calling for an arms embargo and halving Arab flights into and out of Syria.
Syria has already been hit by a raft of EU and US sanctions, and last Friday the UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution "strongly condemning the continued widespread, systematic and gross violations of human rights
One man's rights are another man's existential threat.
and fundamental freedoms by the Syrian authorities."
Damascus -- which accuses "armed terrorist groups" of fuelling the unrest -- rejected the resolution as "unjust" and said it was "prepared in advance by parties hostile to Syria."