Syria faces growing international pressure
Syria looks ever more isolated, but still has the support of Russia, which said the Arab League had made the wrong move and accused the West of inciting Assad’s opponents.
Despite the diplomatic pressure, there was no let-up in violence and at least two people were killed, activists said.
Jordan’s King Abdullah said Assad should quit. “I believe, if I were in his shoes, I would step down,” he told the BBC.
Syrian foreign minister Walid Moualem said the league’s decision, due to take effect tomorrow, was “an extremely dangerous step” at a time when Damascus was implementing an Arab deal to end violence and start talks with the opposition.
Syria has called for an emergency Arab League summit in an apparent effort to forestall its suspension.
The league plans to meet Syrian dissident groups today, but secretary-general Nabil Elaraby said on Sunday it was too soon to consider recognising the Syrian opposition as the country’s legitimate authority.
Elaraby met representatives of Arab civil society groups yesterday and agreed to send a 500-strong fact-finding committee, including military personnel, to Syria as part of efforts to end the crackdown on demonstrators and dissenters.
“Syria agreed to receive the committee,” said Ibrahim al-Zafarani, of the Arab Medical Union.
Moualem said Syria had withdrawn troops from urban areas, released prisoners and offered an amnesty to armed insurgents under an initiative agreed with the Arab League two weeks ago.
Yet violence has intensified since then, especially in the central city of Homs, pushing the death toll in eight months of protests to more than 3,500 by a UN count. Damascus says armed “terrorist” gangs have killed 1,100 soldiers and police.
Moualem described US support for the Arab League action as “incitement,” but voiced confidence Russia and China would continue to block Western efforts to secure UN Security Council action. “The Libya scenario will not be repeated.”
The Arab League’s decision to suspend Libya and call for a no-fly zone helped persuade the UN Security Council to authorise a Nato air campaign to protect civilians, which also aided rebels who ousted and killed Muammar Gaddafi.
Europe Minister Lucinda Creighton supported the introduction of new sanctions against Syria at a meeting of EU ministers in Brussels yesterday. “The situation in Syria is worsening, with an increasing death toll. We must continue to exert pressure on Damascus to end the crisis. I welcome the additional restrictive measures agreed by the EU today against the Assad regime”
The European Union has extended penalties to 18 more Syrians and approved plans to stop Syria accessing funds from the European Investment Bank.
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