AL Chief: Syria Situation Requires Intervention

Local Editor

Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi said in an interview published on Thursday that the situation in Syria requires the intervention of his organization. “Syria is facing an unacceptable situation [characterized by] killing, oppression and violence,” he told An-Nahar newspaper. He also said that his repeated visits to meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad resulted in “a minor change” in the regime’s policy. Arabi said that Damascus rejected holding a national dialogue in the Arab League’s Cairo headquarters and insisted on hosting such a session only in Syria. However, the Arab League chief added that Syrian National Council members reject meeting with “a government that is killing its own people.” Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Mouallem said on Wednesday that “Syria is currently [targeted] because of its support for Arab causes, [particularly] the Palestinian cause,” the Syrian Arab News Agency reported. Mouallem said he is confident that the “Syrian people have the ability to overcome the [current] crisis.” Asked about Syria’s relations with Middle Eastern countries, the FM said that “Syria looks forward for the best relations with Arab countries… Middle Eastern countries will sooner or later realize that attempts to destabilize Syria do not serve the region’s interest.” He also accused “armed groups of carrying out terrorist actions against civilians” in Syria, and added that “no country in the world accepts the security of its people to be threatened.” Last week, the Arab League said after an urgent meeting of its foreign ministers it had decided to make contact with the Damascus government and a raft of opposition groups with the aim of launching "national dialogue within the seat of the Arab League and under its guidance within 15 days."

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian