After scrapping its own monitoring team, the Arab League on Sunday asked the U.N. Security Council to assemble a joint Arab-U.N. peacekeeping force to end the 11-month campaign of brutal repression by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that has killed more than 5,000 people.

“Until when will we remain spectators?” Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said. “It is a disgrace for us as Muslims and Arabs to accept” the slaughter in Syria. Faisal did not say whether support should include sending armed forces into the country, and Western nations have downplayed the option of military intervention. –ARK

The Guardian:

The resolution called for “opening communication channels with the Syrian opposition and providing all forms of political and material support to it”, according to the final resolution drawn up at a meeting in Cairo. It also urged the Syrian opposition to unite.

The resolution said violence against civilians in Syria had violated international law and “perpetrators deserve punishment”. The resolution reaffirmed a call for Arabs to impose economic sanctions on Syria and decided on ending diplomatic co-operation with Damascus.

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