Syria Rejects Arab League Call for Al-Assad to Cede Power
Published at
Sasha Mordovets/Getty Images(DAMASCUS, Syria) — Already on the hot seat from critics who complained that its presence in Syria did nothing to stem the government crackdown on pro-democracy dissidents, the Arab League caught fire from the other direction Monday when it urged President Bashar al-Assad to cede power to a transitional body to end the 10 months of bloodshed.
Al-Assad’s government was reacting to the Arab League’s decision that a national dialogue should be followed by the formation of a unity government that would oversee elections.
In the interim, the Arab League urged al-Assad to hand over his authority to one of two vice presidents to ensure a smooth transition of power.
Calling the Arab League’s proposal “blatant interference,” an unidentified official said Monday, “Syria condemns this decision, which came in the framework of the conspiratorial schemes hatched against Syria.”
Some anti-government activists hailed the Arab League plan while others charged that it was unworkable and would give al-Assad more time to wreak havoc on his political enemies.
The Arab League had just wrapped up a mission in Syria where it sent observers to monitor the government’s adherence to an agreement to move troops and heavy artillery out of cities that have become flashpoints for violence against demonstrators.
By all accounts, the mission was a flop because the killings continued, some say at an even greater rate than before the Arab League monitors showed up.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio