Arabs approve immediate sanctions on Syria, Lebanon abstains

Arab League sanctions on Syria will go into force straight away, Qatar's foreign minister said on Sunday.
   
"The decision should be executed immediately, starting today," said Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani.

The Arab League approved by a majority vote on Sunday sweeping economic sanctions on Syria over its crackdown on protesters and the Qatari foreign minister said that, if Arabs failed to contain the crisis, other foreign powers could intervene.   

Sheikh Hamad has previously said Arabs wanted to avoid a repeat of what happened in Libya, where U.N. Security Council resolution led to NATO air strikes.   

"All the work that we are doing is to avoid this interference," he said, adding that if the international community did not see that Arabs were "serious" he could not guarantee that such action would be avoided.   

The League approved by 19 of the League's 22 members sanctions that included a travel ban on top Syrian officials, freezing assets related to President Bashar al-Assad's government, halting dealings with Syria's central bank and stopping investments in Syria, Sheikh Hamad told a news conference.

Sheikh Hamad also confirmed that Iraq voiced reservation on the decision while Lebanon distanced itself from the debate.