Arab League votes to suspend Syria if it doesn't end violence against protesters

President Bashar al-Assad given ultimatum to rein in his troops or face economic and political sanctions

Syrian protesters demonstrate in front of the Arab League’s headquarters in Cairo. Photograph: Amr Nabil/AP

Syria has been told it will be suspended from the Arab League – and faces the threat of sanctions in the Arab world – if it does not agree to end its bloody crackdown on anti-government protesters. The vote in Cairo took place after Syria had failed to abide by an agreement negotiated by the Arab League to end violence against its people, instead continuing with assaults on opposition centres.

The dramatic decision is a deep blow to a nation that has long prided itself on being a significant centre of Arab nationalism, but reflects the growing sense of anger in the Arab world towards President Bashar al-Assad and his regime.

Qatar's prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr al Thani, said 18 countries had agreed to the suspension, which will take effect on Wednesday. Syria, Lebanon and Yemen voted against it, and Iraq abstained. The Arab League will also introduce political and economic sanctions against Syria.

A double line of police, many in riot gear, protected the entrance to the building on the fringes of Tahrir Square and tried to ensure there was no repeat of the scenes when a Syrian opposition delegation was pelted with eggs by protesters who accused them of being too conciliatory towards Assad.

As the discussion over Syria's membership of the Arab League took place, hundreds of Syrians gathered at the gates waving flags, banging drums and calling for international protection from a regime they say is massacring its own people.

By the side of the road canvas sacks stuffed with straw were laid out like body bags in a morgue, each one scrawled with the name of a different Arab nation undergoing its own political upheaval.

Demonstrators said that the mock corpses represented the thousands that have been killed across the region in the struggle for liberation, but many felt they also symbolised the death of the Arab League itself, which has struggled as an institution to reflect the grassroots explosion of expectations and change that has erupted throughout the Middle East this year.

As news filtered out of the decision, the rally rapidly mutated into a celebration as children were wrapped in Syrian headbands, singing broke out and passing cars honked their horns.

Mohamed Saidi, an electrical engineer, flew all the way from his job in Saudi Arabia to join the protests in Cairo. "If Arab unity still means anything, then it must mean something today," he said. "A message has to be sent, and that is, 'The killing stops, right now'. We must speak as one on this; everything else is secondary."

Violence has continued unabated since Syria agreed on 2 November to an Arab-brokered peace deal that called for Syria to halt violence against protesters, pull its tanks and armoured vehicles out of cities, release political prisoners and allow journalists and rights groups into the country. "Syria is a dear country for all of us and it pains us to make this decision," Bin Jassim said. "We hope there will be a brave move from Syria to stop the violence and begin a real dialogue toward real reform."

In a nod to concerns that the decision could pave the way to international intervention, as took place in Libya, Bin Jassim stressed that "no one is talking about a no-fly zone. People are trying to mix up the cases. None of us is talking about this kind of decision."

More than 250 Syrian civilians have been killed in the past 11 days as the regime continues to besiege the rebellious city of Homs. The UN estimates that in all some 3,500 people have been killed in the crackdown since the Syrian uprising began eight months ago, inspired by the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia.

The bloodshed has spiked dramatically in recent weeks amid signs that more protesters are taking up arms to protect themselves, changing the face of what has been a largely peaceful movement. Many fear that the change plays directly into the hands of the regime by giving the military a pretext to crack down with increasing force.

Although the crackdown has led to broad international isolation, Assad appears to have a firm grip on power. The government has largely sealed off the country from foreign journalists and prevented independent reporting, making it difficult to confirm events on the ground.

Key sources of information come from amateur videos posted online and details gathered by witnesses and activist groups that then contact the media, often at great personal risk.

Source:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/12/syria-arab-league-bashar-assad?INTCMP=SRCH