The Aide to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Ali Moussawi, announced that the Iraqi National Security Adviser Falah al-Fayadh arrived Saturday to Damascus for talks with Syrian officials on an Iraqi proposal to end months of unrest.

"He is there to meet with the Syrian authorities to discuss the Iraqi peace initiative," Moussawi, the media advisor to PM al-Maliki, told AFP.

The initiative is aimed at opening a dialogue between the Syrian regime and the opposition to reach a result that satisfies both sides.

This comes after al-Maliki revealed Thursday that "America and Europe are afraid of the phase after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. That is why they understand the initiative."

Meanwhile, the Arab League official Ahmed Ben Helli expected Saturday that "Damascus is to sign up "soon" to an observer mission."

"There are positive signs... I expect the signing will happen soon," Ahmed Ben

Helli told AFP ahead of a meeting of an Arab League ministerial commission in Qatar.

"It will not be today," he said.