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Arab League

Foreign ministers from 19 Arab League countries voted Sunday to impose economic sanctions on the Syrian regime, officials said.

Arab League finance ministers had recommended Saturday that economic sanctions be put in place against the Syrian government for its part in a bloody crackdown on civilian demonstrators.

The foreign ministers agreed Sunday to stop dealing with Syria's central bank, to ban high-profile Syrian officials from visiting Arab nations, and to freeze the assets of the Syrian government, according to a senior league official, who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Iraq abstained from the vote, officials said. Lebanon voted against sanctions.

Syrian state television said the move "lacks legality."

The Arab League suspended Syria from its membership this month after President Bashar al-Assad's regime ignored demands to end its crackd own on citizens.

The United Nations says more than 3,500 people have died in the course of an eight-month government crackdown on protests. Ref. CNN

League Arab

Arab League seeks Iraqi mediation in Syria:

The Arab League sought Iraq's help on Thursday in persuading Syria to allow observers on its soil as part of efforts to end unrest, as activists called for a civil disobedience campaign against the regime. Ref. Source 9

Arab League History & Civil Business Politics

Arab League observers head to Syria

The task of the monitoring mission is to assess the real situation in the country. In particular, mission members will investigate who is responsible for civilian deaths: whether members of the military and interior minister employees or armed militants, including foreigners, as the Syrian authorities claim. Ref. Source 4

League Arab

Arab League says Syria monitors are helping:

Meanwhile army defectors whose armed insurgency has threatened to overshadow the peaceful popular uprising captured dozens of members of the security forces by seizing two checkpoints Monday, the opposition said. Army defectors also clashed with security forces at a third checkpoint, killing and wounding an unspecified number of Syrian troops. Ref. Source 2

League Arab

The Arab League is demanding that the Syrian government start a national dialogue with the opposition within two weeks.

They are also calling for a national unity government, formed within two months, and for President Bashar al-Assad to hand over powers to his vice president following the formation of the new government. Ref. CNN

Arab League

The Arab League has suspended its monitoring mission in Syria because of an increase in violence, a senior league source said Saturday.

The move comes days after President Bashar al-Assad's government agreed to a one-month extension of the mission, which began December 26.

The mission is part of a peace initiative in Syria. The 22-member Arab League has called on al-Assad's regime to stop violence against civilians, free political detainees, remove tanks and weapons from cities and allow outsiders -- including the international news media -- to travel freely in Syria.

The mission has been monitoring government activities in various hotspots. In the last two days, opposition activists reported scores of deaths, with one group, the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, reporting 135 deaths Thursday and Friday.

Violence continued to rage Saturday as an "armed terrorist group" killed seven soldiers in an attack Satu rday, state-run media reported. Ref. CNN

Arab League

The Arab League will propose a "peacekeeping joint force" with the United Nations to oversee the aftermath of a proposed cease-fire in Syria, the Cairo-based alliance announced Sunday.

The proposal was one of many points offered in a statement from the league, which met Sunday to discuss Syria. Other proposed measures included to "stop trading with the Syrian regime, except those directly affecting Syrian citizens."

The Syrian government sternly indicated it was not on board with the plan offered by the Arab League, which suspended Syria late last month. Denying rampant accusations that its forces have killed thousands of civilians in a crackdown on popular unrest, the Damascus-based government has consistently blamed "armed terrorist groups."

The international political maneuvering comes as reports continue to stream in about the violence in Syria.

U.N. Officials estimate 6,000 people have died since protests seeking President Bashar al-Assad's ouster began nearly a year ago. Ref. CNN

Arab League Politics Business Civil & History

Arab League chief arrives in West Bank calls last 20 years of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations 'waste of time':

"Our next move in agreement with the Palestinians and with full support from the Arab countries and the European Union is to change the current formula (for the peace process)," he added. "We cannot continue with the methods of the last 20 years. It was a waste of time." Ref. Source 3