U.N. observers are seen at the Dama Rose hotel in Damascus, Syria, on Sunday, June 17, 2012. U.N. observers suspended their patrols in Syria due to a recent spike in violence, the strongest sign yet that an international peace plan was unraveling despite months of diplomatic efforts to prevent the country from plunging into civil war. The observers’ decision came after weeks of escalating attacks, including reports of several mass killings that have left dozens dead. <AP/NEWSis>
