Arab League suspends Syria
Cairo (CNN) -- The Arab League dealt a stinging blow to Syria on Saturday, announcing that it is suspending Syrian membership over the failure of the government to stop violent repression.
The move takes effect Wednesday.
In an emergency session at its headquarters in Cairo, 18 of the Arab League's 22 members voted to punish Syria. Only two -- Lebanon and Yemen -- voted against. Iraq abstained and Syria was barred from voting.
The league also called for sanctions against President Bashar al-Assad's regime but did not specify what those may be.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim read the league's decisions at a news conference after the meeting of the foreign ministers.
It called on member states to withdraw their ambassadors from Damascus, a decision that will be left up to each nation.
And perhaps most surprising of all, the league urged the Syrian army to stop attacks on civilians and said it will hold a meeting with opposition groups in the next three days to discuss a transitional phase in Syria's future.
That significance of the league, the formal family of Arab states, taking such a bold step against a nation that prides itself as the beating heart of Arabism, is a major development, said Fawaz Gerges, director of the Middle East Centre at the London School of Economics.
"Syria is now as isolated as ever," he said. "I would call it a game-changer."
The Arab League's stated purpose is to strengthen ties among its member nations, coordinate their policies and promote common interests. But the divisions among the 22 nations have diminished success.
In the case of Syria, however, the league's decision could open the door for broader international sanctions against the al-Assad regime.
The punitive measures come after al-Assad's failure to abide by an Arab League proposal earlier this month to halt all violence, release detainees, withdraw armed elements from populated areas and allow unfettered access to the nation by journalists and Arab League monitors.
But none of that has happened, according to daily reports streaming out of Syria.
There have been reports of civilian deaths in the last few days and Saturday was no exception. The Local Coordination Committees, a network of opposition groups, reported 21 people dead, including 10 in Homs, the restive city that has emerged as the epicenter of the uprising.
With pressure on Syria ratcheted up, some fear an escalation of brutality in the next few days.
Syria's representative to the league, Yousef Ahmad, blasted the league's decision as illegal.
He said it was "a eulogy for Arab common action and a blatant announcement that its administration is subordinate to U.S.-Western agendas," according to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency.
Earlier Ahmad had reiterated the government's claim that terrorist gangs were behind the violence and said Syria "made strides" in quelling the violence "despite armed groups' attempts to foil the plan since it was announced."
Western leaders welcomed Saturday's decision.
"After the al-Assad regime flagrantly failed to keep its commitments, the Arab League has demonstrated leadership in its effort to end the crisis and hold the Syrian government accountable," said U.S. President Barack Obama.
"These significant steps expose the increasing diplomatic isolation of a regime that has systematically violated human rights and repressed peaceful protests," he said in a statement.
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said the league's actions show "that it is time to increase pressure on the Syrian regime."
Human rights activists have been pushing for weeks for the United Nations to take action and Amnesty International said Saturday that the Arab League's decision should pave the way for the Security Council.
"Now that the Arab League has taken decisive action, it is time for the U.N. Security Council to finally step up to the plate and deliver an effective international response to Syria's human rights crisis," said Philip Luther, the monitoring group's Middle East and North Africa director.
Human Rights Watch has also urged the Security Council to impose sanctions.
It published a damning 63-page report Friday, based on interviews with victims and witnesses in Homs, that said al-Assad's regime's "systematic" crackdown on civilians amounted to crimes against humanity.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said earlier this week that more than 3,500 people have been killed in the brutal suppression of dissent since the Syrian uprising began eight months ago.
Arab League suspends Syria - CNN.com
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