Syria faces growing world pressure to halt bloodshed

Syria incurred more European sanctions and criticism from Turkey and Jordan on Monday after a surprise Arab League decision to suspend its membership for failing to halt months of violence against protesters opposed to President Bashar al-Assad. Syria looks ever more isolated, but still has the support of Russia, which said the Arab League had made the wrong move and accused the West of inciting Assad's opponents.
The popular uprising against Assad, inspired by revolts elsewhere in the Arab world, has plunged Syria into turmoil and devastated its economy, driving away tourists and investors, while Western sanctions have crippled Syrian oil exports. Jordan's King Abdullah said Assad should quit in the interest of his country. "I believe, if I were in his shoes, I would step down," the king told BBC World News in an interview.
He said Assad should begin a new era of political dialogue before leaving to ensure a change in the status quo.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moualem said the League's decision, due to take effect on Wednesday, was "an extremely dangerous step" at a time when Damascus was implementing a deal to end violence and start a dialogue with the opposition. Syria has called for an emergency Arab League summit in an apparent effort to forestall its suspension.
The League, which has yet to respond to Syria's request, plans to meet Syrian opposition groups on Tuesday. Its secretary-general, Nabil Elaraby, said on Sunday it was too soon for the Cairo-based body to consider recognising the Syrian opposition as the country's legitimate authority. Arab League officials met Arab human rights and other groups on Monday to discuss ways to protect Syrian civilians from the violent crackdown on demonstrators and dissenters. Moualem said Syria had withdrawn troops from urban areas, released prisoners and offered an amnesty to armed insurgents under an initiative agreed with the Arab League two weeks ago.
Yet violence has intensified since then, especially in the central city of Homs, pushing the death toll in eight months of unrest to more than 3,500 by a UN count. Damascus says armed "terrorist" gangs have killed 1,100 soldiers and police. Security forces shot dead eight protesters in the city of Hama on Sunday, activists said. Syria's ban on most foreign media makes it hard to verify events on the ground. Moualem described Washington's support for Arab League action as "incitement", but expressed confidence that Russia and China would continue to block Western efforts to secure UN Security Council action, let alone any foreign intervention.
It was the Arab League's decision to suspend Libya and call for a no-fly zone that helped persuade the UN Security Council to authorise a Nato air campaign to protect civilians, which also aided rebels who ousted and killed Muammar Qadhafi. The Arab League made no call for military action, but its disciplining of Syria is deeply embarrassing to a nation touted by its Baathist leaders as the "beating heart of Arabism". Syrian state television said millions of Syrians denounced the Arab League decision in demonstrations on Sunday and showed crowds with Syrian flags and posters of Assad in Damascus, and the cities of Raqqa, Latakia and Tartous.
Crowds also attacked Saudi, Turkish and French diplomatic missions in Syria after the Arab League announcement. Moualem apologised for the assaults, which have worsened already tense ties between Syria and its former friend Turkey. Non-Arab Turkey, after long courting Assad, has lost patience with its neighbour's failure to halt the violence and implement promised reforms. It now hosts the main Syrian opposition and has given refuge to defecting Syrian soldiers. The European Union agreed to extend penalties against Syria to 18 more individuals linked with the crackdown on dissent, but signalled that Western military action was unlikely.