The New York Times reports that the Arab League has just approved “tough economic sanctions against Syria … to press it to end its violent crackdown against antigovernment protesters, an unprecedented step against an Arab country.”
The sanctions which include a travel ban against Syrian officials and politicians, a halt to dealings with the Syrian Central Bank and the end of Arab-financed projects in the country “will be another blow to the Syrian economy, which is suffering from sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United States.”
Other significant points, according to the Times:
– The sanctions were supported by 19 of the league’s 22 countries. Iraq abstained, Lebanon “disassociated” itself and Jordan “has issued mixed signals.”
– The sanctions are to take effect immediately and the resolution called for the United Nations Security Council to adopt similar measures.
– The Syrian government and its supporters denounced the sanctions as an attempt by outsiders to break up the country.
– Analysts said they expected the impact of the sanctions to be limited, in large part because Syria’s largest trading partners will not participate.
– Economists estimate that about 50 percent of Syrian trade is with the Arab world, but the largest chunk of that is with its immediate neighbors, including Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan.
Read more of the New York Times article here
Furthermore, according to Al-Jazeera:
Walid al-Muallem, Syrian foreign minister, earlier sent a critical letter to the Arab League, accusing it of trying to “internationalise” the conflict in Syria.
He had called any sanctions an invitation “for foreign intervention instead of a call to avoid one … what we understand, by this latest Arab League decision, is a tacit green light for the internationalisation of the situation in Syria and to meddle in its domestic affairs”.
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… [T]he impact of the Arab sanctions is expected to be crippling for Syria itself which already faces a raft of EU and US measures even without Iraq or Lebanon’s participation.
In London, William Hague, the UK foreign secretary, praised the Arab League’s move.
“Today’s unprecedented decision to impose sanctions demonstrates that the regime’s repeated failure to deliver on its promises will not be ignored and that those who perpetrate these appalling abuses will be held to account,” he said in a statement.
Read more of the Al Jazeera article here
Image: aljazeera.com
