Arab League Sanctions Syria

Fearing further crackdowns and civil war, the Arab League voted almost unanimously in favour of sanctions.

In a historic move, the Arab League voted to sanction an Arab state on Sunday following months of mounting violence and unrest. Nineteen of 22 members voted to sanction President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, with just Iraq and Lebanon abstaining. As a result, the League will cut off all transactions with Syria’s central bank, and stop funding projects in the region, though they will continue to promote emergency civilian aid. Jordan also admitted today for the first time that the country is harbouring Syrian defectors. The League says it will reconsider the sanctions if, and only if, Syria follows a brokered peace plan including outside observers and removes tanks from the streets.

Image courtesy of Reuters