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Gulf nations reject Syrian request for Arab summit | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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CAIRO (AP) — A bloc of Gulf nations has rejected Syria’s request for an emergency Arab League summit to discuss the country’s spiraling political unrest. That significantly dims chances such a meeting will have enough support to take place.

The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council announced its position Tuesday in a statement. It said Arab foreign ministers are already holding talks to prepare for a Wednesday meeting in Morocco in which Syria is to be officially suspended from the Arab League.

Syria requested the summit after the Arab League voted to give Damascus until Wednesday to implement a plan for ending the violence or face suspension. The call for a summit needs backing from 15 of the League’s 22 members.

The Gulf countries led the drive to punish Syria over its crackdown on protesters.