In a further step, the Arab League decided today to enforce economic sanctions against the Syrian regime due to its refusal to sign the protocol that would allow an Arab Observer Mission to enter Syria, as well as its refusal to implement the articles of the Arab League initiative that seeks to find a solution for the current crisis in Syria.

The Local Coordination Committees in Syria (LCC) welcome all Arab efforts to pressure the Syrian regime into halting its crimes against the Syrian people, who are demanding freedom.

We would like to bring to the attention of the Arab League Committee responsible for the Syrian crisis that any economic sanctions will have no impact on the Syrian regime unless there is a mechanism by which the implementation of sanctions can be strictly monitored and leave no opportunity for their circumvention.

The Government of Iraq, representing a nation that accounts for one-third of Arab trade with Syria, expressed its reservations about the sanctions, as did the Government of Lebanon.

The sanctions leave open the opportunity for the regime to commit fraud and strip the sanctions of any substance, thereby prolonging the suffering of the Syrian people at the hands of an oppressive and brutal regime, and due to the sanctions’ longer term impacts.

The LCC also emphasizes that economic sanctions, despite their effectiveness and impact, if applied seriously, will not be sufficient to stop the regime from continuing to commit its crimes, and will not protect civilians against the killing machine that has caused the deaths of more than 4,000 martyrs, one-third of whom fell after the Arab League announced its initiative. Therefore, the LCC calls on the Arab League to exert all necessary pressure and make every possible effort in response to the Syrian people’s choice to topple the regime and establish a civil, democratic, and accountable system of that holds the current regime responsible for their crimes against the Syrian people.
Glory to our martyrs and victory of the Revolution
The Local Coordination Committees of Syria