Arab League stops short of suspending Syria

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Arab League stops short of suspending Syria

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Arab League gave Syria a 15-day deadline to enact a cease-fire.

17 October,2011 03:51 am

Gulf countries seeking to suspend Syrias membership to the Arab League over its bloody crackdown on protesters failed to gain enough support Sunday to push the measure through, reflecting deep divisions among the bodys 22 nations.Arab foreign ministers met at the groups Cairo headquarters behind closed doors for an initial 3-hour session without Syrias representative, then took a break and reconvened for talks with Syrian diplomats that lasted late into the night.Just after the meeting with Syrian diplomats, Qatar Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim made no mention of a possible suspension and instead gave Syria a 15-day deadline to enact a cease-fire.The Arab League also agreed to create a committee led by Qatar to oversee the situation in Syria and said a national dialogue between Syrian officials and the opposition would take place at the Leagues headquarters in Cairo.A national dialogue in 15 days is one of the most important decisions of the day, bin Jassim said.The national dialogue is to include members of the opposition from outside Syria as well as inside. If the meeting and a cease-fire do not take place within the allotted time frame, the Arab League will meet again in an emergency session, participants said.Syrian state TV reported that Damascus was not eager to hold the dialogue in Cairo, suggesting it should be held in Syria instead.The newly formed Syrian National Council, a broad based opposition umbrella group, was also seen unlikely to accept the call for dialogue, though some factions within the fragmented opposition who might be willing to hold talks.