Arab League Rejects GCC Push to Suspend Syria

Arutz Sheva ^ | 18/10/11 | Gavriel Queenann

[Eleutheria5]

The Arab League on Monday rejected a push by Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Cooperation Council allies to suspend Syria's membership in the body over Bashar al-Assad's brutal seven month crackdown, Arabic daily al-Hayyat reported.

Instead, Qatari Prime Minister Hamad Bin Jassim Al Thani said, the Arab League will seek to bring Assad's regime and Syria's nascent opposition National Council to the negotiating table.

"We will call all of the parties of the opposition and government to hold a dialogue within 15 days," Arab League Secretary General Nabil Al-Arabi said after an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo.

Al-Arabi's statement signifies a deep rift among Arab states over seven months of bloodshed in Syria, which is one of the seven founders of the Arab League.

The emergency meeting was held one month after the League urged the Syrian regime to stop killing protesters and start meaningful political reforms.

Sources told UAE-based Gulf News the discussions will focus on whether to suspend Syria's membership or any other punitive actions for failure to comply with the call made in its previous meeting.

Dr. Ammar Qurabi, rotating president of the Syrian Council for Change, one of three groups representing the Syrian opposition, thanked the GCC move to isolate Bashar's the government and stand by the people of Syria.

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[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Eleutheria5.