Tunisia would support Arab peacekeepers in Syria

Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki on Wednesday said his country would support an Arab peacekeeping force in Syria, as nations struggle to find a solution to the conflict. "A peacekeeping operation by Arab nations is something we could well imagine," Marzouki told AFP on the sidelines of a UN General Assembly. "We have really pushed for a peaceful solution, but if it is necessary, it must be an Arab peacekeeping force, yes." He was speaking a day after the emir of Qatar called for an Arab intervention in Syria and a no-fly zone to protect refugees as President Bashar al-Assad's forces step up the battle for Aleppo. Arab League ministers on Wednesday held a meeting at the United Nations to discuss the conflict in Syria. "Tunisia has already spoken about an Arab peace corps," said Marzouki, speaking in French. "We have to do something, because it is obvious that faced with this bloodthirsty dictator, in my opinion we are faced with a real Nero who is capable of destroying the whole country to stay in power," he told AFP. "We have to shoulder our responsibilities as Arabs."