Role of Monitors in Syria Comes Under Scrutiny The Qatari foreign minister, Sheik Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, consulted on Wednesday with Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general, about enhancing the performance of the Arab League monitors in Syria. "The monitors have tried their best," Sheik Hamad said, but they lack any previous experience, so could benefit from United Nations technical help. The protocol that Syria signed with the Arab League demands that the government, not the monitors, halt the violence, the minister said, so forging a regional solution and avoiding a referral to the Security Council requires that Syria respect that agreement.