Arab League forces sanctions against Syria

CAIRO, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- The Arab League is to suspend Syria from its meetings and impose sanctions against Damascus for its failure to end violence against protesters.

The decision was reached at an emergency meeting of Arab League foreign ministers in Cairo after Syria ignored the league's proposal to start a dialogue with the opposition, the BBC reported Saturday.

The Arab League's proposals, which were accepted by President Bashar al-Assad's government, included the release of prisoners, the withdrawal of forces from streets, and talks between the government and the opposition.

Human Rights Watch issued a report Friday documenting accusations of torture and unlawful killings in Homs, which had seen the most violence at the hands of government forces.

Assad had tried to quell protests since March. More than 3,500 people have died in the protests so far, the United Nations said.