Syria's isolation grows

Riyadh, Nov 30 (EFE) .- The regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, today witnessed how their isolation increases between Islamic countries demanded firm steps to end the crisis passes, despite the release gesture of Damascus almost a thousand arrested during the protests.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) decided today in an urgent meeting in the Saudi city of Jeddah to join the international pressure on Syria, a member of this group of 57 countries which watched over the interests of Muslims in the world .

After the meeting on Syria, Secretary General of the organization, Ekmeledin Ehsanoglu called on Damascus to cooperate with the initiatives from the Islamic world want to promote a solution to the crisis, especially with the Arab League.

"It's your last chance to resolve the conflict," said the Syrian authorities Ehsanoglu, implied the possibility that the issue be raised to international bodies such as the Security Council of the United Nations.

OIC's call comes after the recent imposition of a heavy package of economic sanctions against Syria, the Arab League, which still does not stop violence in its territory after numerous warnings.

"The OIC sent delegations (Syria) to express their concern and fear for the safety of civilians," he recalled Ehsanoglu, which highlighted the agency's efforts to avoid the internationalization of the crisis or foreign military intervention in the country.

After the meeting, which was attended by the Syrian top diplomat, Walid al Mualem, Muslim countries asked the Assad regime to sign a protocol to allow an Arab observer mission on the ground to verify compliance with the commitments by Syria.

One step closer today took Turkey to impose sanctions on Syria for "having missed his last chance to reject observers," said Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

Ankara sanctions include the suspension of relations with the Central Bank of Syria, the freezing of financial assets of the Syrian government and the ban on arms sales to the country.

Faced with the pressures, Damascus today released 912 people arrested during the riot and did not commit any murder, according to the Syrian official news agency, Sana.

These prisoners joined the more than 1,700 that were released during the month of November, following a plan drawn up by the Arab League to promote a solution to the crisis.

This initiative, which the Syrian authorities agreed on 2 November, including the release of all those arrested during the protests, which the opposition amounted to about 12,000, the cessation of all violent repression and the withdrawal of the armed forces of the cities of country.

Syria failed to execute the plan, which earned him the suspension of the Arab League and a long series of threats that led to the imposition of sanctions.

These measures provide for the prohibition of flying to other countries in the region to 17 Syrian authorities to a committee of the pan-Arab organization determined today.

The sanctions are mostly senior military, security forces and secret services, although the name of President Bashar al-Asad does not appear in the list.

This detail and the willingness of the Secretary General of the Arab League, Nabil al Arabi, not to apply sanctions if Damascus agrees to the observer mission could serve as a safety valve to the Syrian regime, which meanwhile continues to repress the protests.

A dozen people died today, including two women and two children in northern and central Syria at the hands of forces loyal to Al Asad, opponents denounced the Local Coordination Committees.

The deteriorating security in the country has also made countries like Saudi Arabia and Spain have asked its citizens to leave the country immediately, which has killed more than 3,500 people since the revolt began in March, according to figures from United Nations.

By Suleiman Al Asad
http://www.google.com/hostednews/epa/article/ALeqM5i12ON8GwLFgwSfr0v1eivj8fPFBA?docId=1665268