Assad supporters in show of force as Syria calls for Arab League summit

Tens of thousands of Syrian government supporters poured into the streets yesterday to protest an Arab League vote to suspend the country’s membership, as Turkey sent planes to evacuate diplomatic staff and their families after a night of attacks on embassies.

Facing growing isolation, the Syrian government called for an urgent Arab summit to discuss the country’s spiralling political unrest and invited Arab League officials to visit before its membership suspension takes effect on Wednesday.

In a significant concession, the government said Arab League officials could bring any civilian or military observers they deem appropriate to oversee implementation of a League plan for ending the bloodshed.

The 22-member bloc’s vote on Saturday was a stinging rebuke to a regime that prides itself as a bastion of Arab nationalism and left Syria increasingly isolated over its crackdown on an eight-month uprising.

The violence continued yesterday, with activists reporting at least 11 people killed in shootings by security forces.

The local co-ordination committees activist network said at least four of the deaths occurred in the central city of Hama when security forces fired on a group of opposition protesters who infiltrated a pro-government rally in the area.

The protests yesterday in support of the government drew large numbers in the capital and four other cities.

President Bashar al-Assad claims that extremists pushing a foreign agenda to destabilise Syria are behind the country’s unrest, rather than reform seekers aiming to open the country’s autocratic political system. Some involved in yesterday’s protests accused Arab countries of being complicit with the purported conspiracy.

The government called the Arab League decision “illegal”, claiming it was intended to set the stage for foreign military intervention like in Libya. Arab League secretary general Nabil Elaraby, on a visit to Libya, demanded immediate implementation of the Arab peace initiative.

Iraq’s representative with the Arab League has offered Baghdad as a location for the meeting if it is approved. Members of the Syrian opposition rejoiced and saw the vote to suspend Syria as a step toward greater recognition for their movement.

“This gives strong legitimacy to our cause ... We consider this decision to be a victory for the Syrian revolution,” Bassma Kodmani, a spokeswoman for the Syrian National Council opposition group, said.

Hours after the Arab League vote, pro-regime demonstrators in Syria attacked the diplomatic offices of countries critical of the Syrian government, including the Saudi and Qatari embassies and a number of Turkish diplomatic posts across the country.

Turkey sent a plane to Damascus yesterday to evacuate the families of its diplomats as well as non-essential staff. The Turkish foreign ministry also said Turkey summoned Syria’s ambassador, who was given a formal protest demand for protection for its diplomatic missions.

France also said it had summoned Syria’s ambassador to “remind” him of Syria’s international obligations, after demonstrators tried to attack an honorary French consulate in Latakia and another office in Aleppo.