Arab League foreign ministers called Sunday on the United Nations Security Council to form a joint Arab-UN peacekeeping force to observe a ceasefire in Syria, in the latest diplomatic attempt to end the bloodshed and stop the country from sliding into a full-blown civil war, dpa reported.
According to a statement issued by the Arab League after a meeting in Cairo, the ministers also decided to end their observer mission, which had been launched after an agreement with Damascus in December.
However, Lebanon and Algeria expressed their reservations, while Syria flatly rejected the meeting's proposals, describing them as a "hostile act."
"The decision reflects the state of hysteria and confusion the governments of some countries experience, especially Saudi Arabia and Qatar, after their latest failure at the Security Council to get foreign interference in Syria," Syrian state television reported.
Earlier, the Arab League issued a statement emphasising the need to continue "Arab efforts to find a peaceful solution in Syria and achieve the aspirations of the Syrian people for reform, change and a peaceful transition to a sound democratic life."
It also warned the regime that "the use of extreme violence against Syrian civilians, including targeting women and children, is subject to the international criminal law and requires the punishment of perpetrators."
Ministers called for an end to all diplomatic cooperation with the Syrian government, economic sanctions and halting all trade deals with Damascus.
The 22-member organization welcomed a proposal by Tunisia to hold a "Friends of Syria" meeting on February 24, as the bloc stressed on holding dialogue with the Syrian opposition and "provide them with all political and financial support" to help them unite before the meeting in Tunisia.
The Arab League talks were preceded by a meeting of the foreign ministers of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, which recently expelled Syria's envoys.
The meeting in Cairo came just days after Russia and China vetoed a resolution at the UN Security Council aimed at ending the bloodshed.
However, the secretary general of the Arab League, Nabil al-Arabi, told the opening session of the meeting that a recent message he had received from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested that Russia's stance on Syria "might have changed."
He quoted Lavrov as having said Russia supports the Arab League's efforts and would be ready "to expand the observer mission" in Syria.
The Arab League suspended its mission in Syria last month due to the escalating violence. Al-Arabi said that the bloc would work on diplomatic efforts to solve the Syrian crisis, along with the proposed means to end the bloodshed.
"Violence cannot be stopped without a vision agreed upon for the desired political settlement," al-Arabi said. "This mission must differ radically."
The Secretary General nominated former Jordanian foreign minister, Abdul Ilah al-Khatib, as the organization's envoy to Syria, Egyptian state television reported Sunday, quoting Arab League sources.
The nomination came after Sudanese General Mohammed al-Dabi resigned from his post as head of the League's observer mission to Syria. No reason was given for the resignation.
The Arab League statement did not mention if the ministers had endorsed the nomination.
The attention of diplomats now turns to New York, where the 193-nation UN General Assembly is to hold a debate on Monday to discuss the crisis with an address by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay.
Meanwhile, at least 23 people were killed by government troops in the latest violence in the restive provinces of Homs, Daraa and Hama, opposition activists reported.
The United Nations has said more than 5,400 people were killed between March, when the Syrian regime began its crackdown on pro-democracy activists, and January, when the UN stopped its body count.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which regularly updates the number of casualties, says more than 6,800 people have died.
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