Gulf states urge halt to Syria 'killing machine'

Dec 20, 2011 |

Riyadh

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Gulf Arab states on Tuesday urged Syria's government to immediately halt its ‘killing machine’ as a first step towards implementing an Arab peace deal.

The Gulf Cooperation Council called on Syria to ‘immediately halt its killing machine, put an end to bloodshed, lift all signs of armed conflict and release prisoners, as a first step towards implementing the (Arab) protocol’ that Damascus agreed to on Monday.

GCC states urged ‘the Syrian government to implement all points of the Arab initiative and the protocol on sending Arab League observers’ to the restive country.

Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al-Maqdad signed the accord on Monday after weeks of prevarication in the hope that now the Arab League will lift sweeping sanctions imposed on the Damascus regime.

The plan, endorsed by Syria on November 2, also calls for a complete halt to the violence, releasing detainees and the complete withdrawal of the military from towns and residential districts.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal told reporters: "If there is goodwill when the protocol was signed then these steps must be immediately taken in order to implement the remaining steps of the protocol."

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