Introduction to the evening news 24-11-2011

The Arab League gave Syria one option: either approve or approve the protocol of monitors under penalty of sanctions. Arab ministers refused the amendments requested by Damascus, despite Algeria’s attempts to find a middle ground, and gave the Syrian capital until 1 p.m. tomorrow to sign the protocol as ratified in Rabat last Wednesday.

This implicit warning was accompanied with the Arab League’s Social and Economic Council setting their meeting date for Saturday, and another meeting for the Arab foreign ministers in Cairo to announce the sanctions, which will include: halting flights to Syria, stop dealing with their central bank, end governmental trade agreements with the Syrian government, freeze financial assets and halt financial transactions with the Syrian government.       

The main component of the Arab League’s decision was exactly what Walid Muallem warned of just last week. In fact, for the first time, the Arab League has explicitly asked for U.N. support.      

If it was stipulated that the ministers must inform the U.N. Secretary General of their decision and asking him to take the necessary decisions in line with the U.N. charter to assist the league in their efforts to address the Syrian crisis.      

The diplomats considered this decision as the key to opening the door to the U.N. Security Council.    

This request also coincided with the French foreign minister’s call for creating a safe humanitarian corridor, although he himself acknowledged the difficulty of such a project without the approval of Assad’s regime and the intransigent nature of Russia and China in the Security Council.      

Until now, there has not been an official Syrian response, despite the Iraqi foreign minister’s announcement a few hours ago that Syria has approved the protocol with no reservations.      
Lebanon, which is swinging on the events in Syria, is waiting to hear what Prime Minister Najib Mikati has to say tonight on Kalamennas on previous events and the upcoming phase, as well as this current government, whose fate lies in the STL funding issue.      

Knowing that the visiting STL president informed Mikati that he has to inform the Security Council by 15 December regarding funding and ask for help if Lebanon fails to fulfill its commitments.