Arab sanctions against Syria

Arab League imposed Sunday severe economic sanctions on Syria to force the regime of Bashar Al-Assad to halt the bloody repression of the popular revolt, which since March has left 3,500 dead according to the UN.

This is the first economic sanctions of such magnitude that the Arab League adopted against one of its members.

Sanctions, proposed Saturday by the Finance Ministers of this organization were adopted at a meeting of Foreign Ministers Arab in El Cairo.

They freeze the business with Syria transactions and bank accounts of the Government in the Arab countries, the suspension of flights between these countries and Syria and the ban for those responsible for Syrian travel to countries Arabs.

Measures on commercial transactions and bank accounts shall enter into force "immediately", said the Prime Minister of Qatar Hamad ben Jasem to Tani, whose country chairs a ministerial Committee u000aArab Syria.

The entry into force of the other sanctions will be fixed next week. Of the 21 members of the League - not counting Syria, suspended in the middle of November - 19 voted in favour of the sanctions, while Iraq and Lebanon chose to "dissociate themselves" from the vote, said Sheikh Hamad.

According to Sheikh Hamad, the Turkish relations Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who participated in the opening of the meeting, said that Turkey would also apply the same penalties against Syria.

The economy is already affected by European sanctions to Americans and the similar measures taken by the Arab League AP could choke off Syria, half of whose exports to a quarter of its imports as destination or origin countries Arabs.

The regime of Bashar Al-Assad ignored ultimatums from the League and was limited to accuse Arabs of wanting to "internationalize" the crisis in Syria.

u000aMualem, accused the Arabs of favouring a "foreign intervention" in Syria, after his decision to go to the United Nations to help them find a solution to the crisis.

"Everything we do is to avoid a solution that comes from abroad" replied the first Minister Qatari.

But "If the international community sees that we are not trying the matter seriously, I can guarantee that foreign intervention there are no", added.

"The important thing is that the Syrian Government will realize that there is an Arab position which wants to urgently resolve the problem," he added, urging the "cessation of the massacres, the release of prisoners and the withdrawal of tanks" of cities Syrian.

These sanctions are a "unprecedented step", said no more comment public television Syria, to announce the measures of countries Arabs.

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Assad COMBATIRÁ A LOS "terrorista"
Syrian President Bachar u000aAssad, said yesterday that the forces of the regime will continue to fight "terrorists" in country

"There will be no tolerance with them, continue them everywhere," said Al-Assad during a meeting with University students in which stated that the army has been "forceful and decisive blows" to terrorists. The Syrian President said that "armed groups that terrorize the Syrian citizens are divided into three groups: one belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood, others to fanatical Islamist groups and a few others are those who are sentenced to death or to life imprisonment and do not hesitate to commit these acts".

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