Saturday, November 12, 2011

Syria suspended from Arab League



Member states agree to exclude Syria and impose sanctions over its failure to end government crackdown on protests

David Batty and Jack Shenker in Cairo
guardian.co.uk, Saturday 12 November 2011

"Syria has been suspended from the Arab League over its failure to end the bloodshed caused by brutal government crackdowns on pro-democracy protests in a move that will increase the international pressure on President Bashar al-Assad.

At an emergency session of its 22 member states in Cairo to discuss the crisis, the league decided to exclude Syria until it implements the terms of an earlier agreed peace deal to stop the violence.

The league also agreed to impose economic and political sanctions on Syria over its failure to stop the violence and appealed to its member states to withdraw their ambassadors from Damascus, the Qatari prime minister, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr bin Muhammad Al Thani, said.....

The deal's failure had damaged the standing of the pan-Arab body, which has largely remained flat-footed as revolutions rumbled across the Middle East this year.

Human Rights Watch has accused the Syrian regime of committing crimes against humanity throughout the uprising, which has killed more than 3,500 civilians and about 1,500 members of the security forces."

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