Defiant Syria warns Arabs

2011-11-14 17:30

Damascus - Syria's Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said on Monday that the government in Damascus will not budge despite its suspension from the Arab League, which he warned was a "dangerous step".

Muallem's comments come after the Arab League announced a fresh meeting on Syria and as global pressure, including further EU sanctions, intensified on President Bashar al-Assad's regime over its lethal crackdown on protests.

"The decision of the Arab League to suspend Syria... represents a dangerous step," Muallem told a packed news conference in Damascus.

"Today there is a crisis in Syria which pays the price of its strong positions. Syria will not budge and will emerge stronger... and plots against Syria will fail," said the minister.

Saturday's vote to suspend Syria from the League, by 18 of the bloc's 22 members, triggered attacks by angry pro-regime mobs on the Damascus embassies of France, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

And Muallem apologised for the violence.

"I, as foreign minister, apologise for this matter," Muallem told the news conference.

"It is important... that this does not repeat itself. The protection of the embassies is part of our responsibilities. For this reason I apologise for what happened."

Qatar and Saudi Arabia were among the countries that voted to suspend Syria from the Arab League.

Crush protests

Assad's regime has responded with lethal force in a bid to crush unprecedented protests against his rule that erupted in March.

The United Nations says more than 3 500 people have been killed in the crackdown.

Muallem said however that he believed the crisis in Syria is approaching its end.

"I think that the crisis is reaching the beginning of the end," he said, while issuing a call for dialogue with the opposition.

"The programme of reform is clear," he added in reference to a series of measures the Assad regime has announced since the protests broke out, including promises of a new constitution for a multi-party political system.

Western governments have repeatedly criticised the Syrian regime for failing to implement the reforms and for following the announcements up with even more bloodshed, prompting many to say Assad's time is up.

In Brussels, the European Union tightened the noose on Syria on Monday, slapping new sanctions on Assad's regime and urging the UN to act to protect civilians after eight months of bloodshed.

EU foreign ministers arrived at a meeting in the Belgium capital lauding the Arab League's decision to suspend Syria but saying more needed to be done to ensure the safety of civilians.

Protect population

"Today the time has come to see how we can better protect the population. I hope the Security Council too will finally take a position," French Foreign Minister Juppe said after denouncing "the bloody stubbornness" of Damascus.

Shortly after going into the talks, the EU ministers agreed to blacklist a further 18 Syrians associated with the lethal crackdown and freeze loans offered to Damascus by the European Investment Bank.

"It's important that the EU consider additional measures," Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague said. "We have taken very strong measures, I think we can add to those."

Arab League head Nabil al-Arabi at the weekend said League representatives would be "studying mechanisms it could implement to protect civilians in Syria" but gave no details.

Arab foreign ministers had met in Cairo on November 2, when they drew up a plan to end the violence in Syria.

Under the deal, Syria would pull back its troops from the cities that were the focus of the anti-government protests and free demonstrators arrested since the start of the uprising.

The November 2 meeting had given Syria 15 days to comply with the peace plan and on Saturday the League's foreign ministers decided in Cairo that Damascus had done nothing to keep its side of the bargain.

Under the vote, Syria's suspension is due to go into effect from November 16. Syria, Yemen and Lebanon voted against the measure, and Iraq abstained.

Algerian foreign ministry spokesperson Amar Belani told AFP that the foreign ministers would meet again on Wednesday at Rabat in Morocco.

Keep its seat

An Arab League official in Cairo told AFP that Wednesday's meeting would assess the degree to which Syria had applied the November 2 agreement.

"The implementation of the suspension is due to begin on Wednesday. The foreign ministers will meet in Morocco to assess the situation and implement the deal," the official said.

Despite the suspension, Syria is to retain its seat at the Arab League, unlike the decision to expel Egypt in 1979 when it signed a peace treaty with Israel.

In practical terms, the suspension means Syrian delegates and ministers will not be allowed to take part in the League's activities.

China on Monday urged Syria to implement the Arab League plan.

"What is pressing now is to implement the Arab League's initiative appropriately and earnestly," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Liu Weimin told journalists at a regular briefing in Beijing.

"China once again urges the Syrian government and all relevant parties to cease violence, launch an inclusive and balanced political process and make unremitting efforts to realise the Arab League's initiative."

- AFP