Arab League to impose sanctions on Syria

[IDemo]

Source: msnbc.com news services

updated 1 hour 18 minutes ago 2011-11-12T13:20:24

CAIRO — The Arab League said Saturday that it would impose economic and political sanctions against Syria and called on member states withdraw their ambassadors from the country over its failure to implement a peace plan.

At an emergency session of the League in Cairo, member states also voted to suspend Syria from all its meetings.

Qatar's foreign minister said the suspension would begin Wednesday and he called on the Syrian army to stop the violence against civilians.

He said 18 countries agreed to Saturday's decision, while Lebanon, Yemen and Syria voted against it and Iraq abstained.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45268111/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/

[pampango]

1. Arab League suspends Syria, invites opposition to discuss transition

The Arab League has suspended Syria after it failed to implement the league’s peace plan and its continuing repression of opposition protests that have swept the country this year.

The meeting of foreign ministers in Cairo also called on the opposition to discuss “transition” in the country and called for sanctions against the government of Bashar al-Assad.

Khaled al-Habbas, an assistant to Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi, told reporters before the meeting that the situation in Syria was "complex" and "Arab countries are trying to find a solution that reconciles different viewpoints".

But the pro-suspension faction won the day, leaving the Assad regime more isolated after long-term criticism by the US and the European Union and pressure from neighbour Turkey. Russia and China have opposed strong action at the UN with Moscow accusing Assad’s critics of working for regime change.

http://www.english.rfi.fr/middle-east/20111112-arab-league-suspends-syria-invites-opposition-discuss-transition

Wonder if the Arab League turning on Syria will influence efforts at the UN to condemn Assad and impose sanctions on his government.

[azurnoir]

2. Good its about time they did that

and for the Arab world it carries much more weight than if the West had done it

[Dover]

3. Arab League suspends Syria, demands end to killing

Source: Reuters

The Arab League suspended Syria and called on its army to stop killing civilians in a surprise move Saturday that turned up the heat on President Bashar al-Assad.

The League will impose economic and political sanctions on Assad's government and has appealed to member states to withdraw their ambassadors from Damascus, said Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani. It will also call a meeting of Syrian opposition parties, he said.

"We were criticized for taking a long time but this was out of our concern for Syria," Sheikh Hamad told reporters in Cairo. "We needed to have a majority to approve those decisions."

Hopes among Western powers that Assad would be isolated by his Arab neighbors were repeatedly dashed until now.



Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/12/us-arabs-syria-idUSTRE7AB0CP20111112

[No Elephants]

5. I guess the League didn't want to be too hasty.

"We were criticized for taking a long time but this was out of our concern for Syria," Sheikh Hamad told reporters in Cairo."



How does allowing Syrian after Syrian to be slaughtered show your concern for Syria, as opposed to your concern for Assad?

God forbid reporters ask a follow up question when they hear something self-servingly nonsensical.

[Little Tich]

4. Good to see the Arab League showing some balls.

This wouldn't have been possible before the Arab Spring. It's a step in the right direction, but Assad won't go willingly, and he's prepared to destroy Syria if he has to. There is a potential for a civil war, with Assad being better armed and completely ruthless.