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Arab League to Continue to Try Mediating in Syria
[An Nahar] The Arab League...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing... will continue working to end political violence in Syria to stave off foreign military intervention after Russia and China blocked a U.N. resolution condemning Damascus ...Capital of the last remaining Baathist regime in the world... , league chief Nabil al-Arabi said on Sunday. Arabi said the 22-member organization would continue working with the Syrian regime and opposition for a "political solution" to Damascus' deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protests. Arab nations had proposed the resolution which Russia and China vetoed at the U.N. Security Council on Saturday, and which backed an Arab League plan to end  Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad The Scourge of Hama... 's crackdown. Vetoing the resolution "does not negate that there is clear international support for the vaporous Arab League's decisions," Arabi said in a statement. The league "will continue its efforts with the Syrian government and opposition, in coordination with concerned parties, to achieve its uppermost goal to stop all acts of violence and killing, and to protect civilians." The bloc will work to "find a political solution that will achieve reforms and the process of change demanded by the Syrian people, which would preserve it from ... any foreign military intervention," he said. Arab leaders and officials attacked the U.N. on Sunday after Russia and China blocked a resolution condemning the Damascus regime, as Tunisia urged the world to cut diplomatic ties with Syria. Russia and China on Saturday used their diplomatic muscle for the second time in four months to block a resolution condemning the violence. The other 13 countries in the 15-member council voted for the resolution. Rights groups say the Syrian regime's crackdown has killed more than 6,000 people since democracy protests broke out in March last year. The Arab League which suspended an observer mission in Syria due to an upsurge in violence, is due to meet in Cairo on February 11 to review the mission. Posted by: Fred 2012-02-06 |
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