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CAIRO, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Arab monitors will not stop working in Syria because of a decision by Gulf states to pull out their observers but the Arab League is still waiting for Damascus to respond to a request to formally extend the mission, a League official said on Tuesday.
The fate of the monitoring mission, part of an Arab plan to end a crackdown on protests, was thrown into doubt when Gulf states said they would pull out their contingent, which accounts for a third of the 165 Arab monitors sent Syria.
Arab foreign ministers agreed on Sunday to extend the mission that began in December. Its initial mandate was for one month.
"The mission will continue its task now because the protocol was temporarily extended till Jan. 24," League Deputy Secretary-General Ahmed Ben Helli told reporters in Cairo, adding "we are waiting for a response from Syria" on extending the mission.
He was speaking after Arab League ambassadors met at the Cairo headquarters to discuss the situation in Syria and the Gulf decision to pull out observers.
Ben Helli said it was a matter of "free choice" if states chose to take part in the mission or withdraw at any point. He said the shortfall created by the withdrawal of Gulf monitors could be met by monitors from other Arab or other states.
"The protocol signed between the Syrian government and the secretariat (of the Arab League) allows for seeking help from Islamic and friendly states if there is a need," he said.
It was not clear what the mission would do if Syria did not respond to the extension request by Tuesday's deadline. One League official indicated the team, led by Sudanese General Mohamed al-Dabi, could work for at least a day or two more.
Adnan al-Khodeir, head of the monitoring operations room in Cairo, said it was up to Dabi to decide. "If conditions are suitable, (the mission) will work. If conditions are not suitable, it will remain in the hotel," he told Reuters.
The monitoring mission has been criticised by the Syria's opposition for failing to halt President Bashar al-Assad's crackdown. Dabi has said violence dipped since observers were deployed, remarks the opposition has disputed.
Ben Helli said there were now 110 Arab monitors left in Syria after 55 Gulf Arab monitors withdrew. He added that Gulf states would continue to provide financial and logistical support to the monitors despite withdrawing their own monitors. (Reporting by Edmund Blair and Ayman Samir; Writing by Tom Pfeiffer)
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