U.N. to End Monitoring in Syria

Peace efforts not happening.

The United Nations' four-month-old observer mission in Syria will withdraw from the country next week, diplomats and U.N. officials said on Thursday, yet another blow to the world body's efforts to broker an end to the conflict.

"The mandate of UNSMIS is over on the 19th of August … UNSMIS will fade out," said French U.N. Ambassador Gerard Araud, who is the president of the Security Council for the month of August.

Speaking to reporters after a closed-door meeting of the council, he said conditions for renewing the mandate of the observer mission in Syria, known as UNSMIS, had not been met.