SYRIA: Syria denounces Arabs for telling Assad to quit

Record ID: 280487

  • Title: SYRIA: Syria denounces Arabs for telling Assad to quit
  • Date: 24th January 2012
  • Summary: TISHREEN NEWSPAPER FRONT PAGE VARIOUS OF A MAN READING THE PAPER
  • Embargoed: 8th February 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA8Z3R2X0JB2UR18PMNECHARFWX
  • Story Text: Syrian newspaper headlines says new Arab League plan reflects a "conspiracy against Syria."
    Syria on Monday (January 23) rebuffed an Arab League call for President Bashar al-Assad to step down in favour of a unity government as interference in its affairs.
    An official Syrian source quoted by the state news agency SANA said the new Arab League plan, which told Assad to hand power to a deputy pending democratic elections, reflected a "conspiracy against Syria".
    "Syria rejects the decisions of the Arab League ministerial council ... and considers them a violation of its national sovereignty and a flagrant interference in its internal affairs," the source said.
    Akil Shihada, a Syrian jeweller, told Reuters: "It is failure (the decision) because it interferes in our affairs. Even Gulf States are interfering in our affairs. The reforms should be done by Syrians because this is our society."
    It was not immediately clear whether Syria would accept the League's decision to keep Arab observers in the country for another month.
    Saudi Arabia announced it would withdraw its own monitors because of the Syrian authorities' failure to cooperate with its mandate. It was unclear if other Gulf States would follow suit.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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