Ms Rice said Mr Annan's deputy, Nasser al-Kidwa, had had "constructive exchanges" with the opposition to urge them to cease their operations within 48 hours of a complete cessation of government hostilities.
The U.N. monitors, whose numbers gradually rose to about 300, were sent in to ensure that both government and opposition fighters were abiding by the cease-fire and other elements of Annan's peace plan.