Arab League holds talks with Assad as 19 killed

“The meeting with President Assad was frank and friendly and we are going to continue our talks on October 30,” said Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Al-Thani.“We took note of the commitment of the Syrian government to work with the Arab committee to reach a solution.” Headed by Qatar, the League’s current chair, the delegation comprised the foreign ministers of Algeria, Egypt, Oman and Sudan, in addition to Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi. Faced with a tough mission, Arabi has said he hopes the Syrian regime will agree to this initiative, and begin with genuine reforms, in comments to pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat.“It is my prerogative as secretary general of the Arab League to meet with any member of the peaceful opposition,” said Arabi, referring to a “disagreement” with Damascus after he met members of the Syrian opposition. At an emergency session in Cairo on October 16, the 22-member League called for “national dialogue” between the government and opposition by the end of October to help end the violence and avoid “foreign intervention” in Syria.Syria’s representative to the League, Youssef Ahmad, slammed what he said was a “conspiracy” against Assads regime at the Cairo meeting. But the initiative has also been criticised by the opposition.“Arabs, do not get more involved in the bloodshed against us,” said the Syrian Revolution General Commission, a coalition representing some 40 opposition blocs. “We will not accept anything less than Bashar al-Assads resignation and his trial,” they said.The demonstrators, waving Syrian flags and brandishing pictures of Assad, swarmed to Omayyad Square, chanting, “The people want Bashar al-Assad.” Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 19 people, including nine government soldiers, had been killed in the latest unrest between Assad loyalists and opponents.