Arabs threaten to take Syria to UN
The Arab League yesterday threatened to take Syria to the UN over its deadly crackdown on dissent but an Iraqi mediator said he had "positive" talks in Syria aimed at defusing the nine-month crisis.
Iraqi National Security Advisor Falah al-Fayadh said he was heading to Arab League headquarters in Cairo after holding "positive" talks with President Bashar al-Assad in a bid to end the deadlock over a League peace plan.
"I am on my way to Cairo for a meeting with the Arab League after holding positive talks with President Assad," Fayadh told AFP after discussing an Iraqi initiative in Damascus.
But the Qatari prime minister warned that the Arab League would take Syria to the UN Security Council if it persisted in refusing to allow observers into the country to monitor the protection of civilians.
Arab foreign ministers will meet on Wednesday in Cairo to discuss taking the Arab peace plan to the UN, said Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Al-Thani at the end of a meeting in Doha on the Syria crisis.
"As Russia has gone to the Security Council, a proposal will be presented in the (Arab ministers') meeting on December 21 that the Arab League goes to the Security Council to present the Arab initiative," Sheikh Hamad said.
The 22-member Arab bloc has been trying to persuade Syria to receive observers to monitor the situation as part of a plan to end the bloodshed.
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