Syria FM Signals Crackdown Will Continue Syria's foreign minister has signaled that his country will continue its 10-month crackdown on dissent. Walid al-Moallem said Tuesday it's the duty of the government to take any steps it sees necessary to protect against chaos. His news conference came one day after President Bashar Assad's regime rejected an Arab-brokered plan to end the country's bloodshed. The plan calls for a unity government within two months, which would then prepare for parliamentary and presidential elections to be held under Arab and international supervision. Syria has long held that a foreign conspiracy is behind the uprising. An anti-Syrian regime protester colors his fingers with the revolutionary flag colors during a protest outside the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012. Arab League foreign ministers, meeting in Cairo, extended the much-criticized observers mission for another month, officials from the 22-member organization said. The League decided to add more observers and provide them with additional resources, the officials said. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser) Close Al-Moallem said Tuesday it was clear that some Arab countries have joined the conspiracy. BEIRUT (AP) - Syria's foreign minister says some Arab countries have joined the conspiracy against his country. Walid al-Moallem spoke at a news conference on Tuesday, one day after President Bashar Assad's regime rejected an Arab-brokered plan to end the country's bloodshed. The plan announced Sunday calls for a unity government within two months, which would then prepare for parliamentary and presidential elections to be held under Arab and international supervision. Syria has long held that a foreign conspiracy is behind the country's 10-month uprising, not peaceful protesters seeking change. Also Tuesday, Gulf countries said they planned to pull out of the Arab League observer mission in Syria. The move was seen as yet another blow to Damascus.