Ukraine's Zelenskyy Accuses Arab Nations of Turning [a] Blind [Eye] to [the] Russia[n] Invasion - BBC News

May 19, 2023 | Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused some Arab leaders of "turning a blind eye" to Russia's invasion of his country. Mr Zelensky made a surprise visit to the Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia on Friday. Of the Arab League nations, only Syria has openly supported Russia's invasion. Other member nations have sought to maintain good relations with Moscow.

Arab League Rejects Trump's Middle East Plan

The Arab League has rejected US President Donald Trump's Middle East plan. At an emergency meeting in Cairo, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas attacked the proposal, saying his people will never accept it. Al Jazeera's Nida Ibrahim reports from Ramallah, the occupied West Bank.

‘Turkey Gets Impunity for Whatever It Does’: Turkish Troops Deployed in N. Iraq

The Arab League has condemned deployment of Turkish troops in northern Iraq, saying it amounts to “an intervention.” Iraq has demanded that Ankara withdraws its troops, saying it will go to the UN Security Council if they remain.

Arab League: Only UN Can Stop Syria Crimes

Secretary general insists military action "is out of the question" unless United Nations gives green light.

Arab League Offers Bashar al-Assad 'Safe Exit' from Syria

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Arab League has offered President Bashar al-Assad a "safe exit" from Syria as rebels claimed the opposition was "at the gates of victory".

Nabil Elaraby, the Arab League's secretary general, called on Mr Assad to resign immediately, and offered his family safe passage out of Syria.

However, he gave no further details on his proposal at an Arab League foreign ministers' meeting in Doha, Qatar, on Monday morning.

The League also promised $100 million (£64 million) for Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries.

Tunisian President President Moncef Marzouki also offered Assad asylum in February if it would end the conflict.

Assad has shown little inclination to step down. On Sunday, his forces attacked remaining rebel pockets of resistance in the capital Damascus. » | Barney Henderson | Monday, July 23, 2012

Arab League Suspends Syria
CNN: Cairo -- The Arab League announced Saturday that it is suspending Syria's membership after its failure to stop the violence against its people.
The move takes effect Wednesday.

In an emergency session at its headquarters in Cairo, the league also called for sanctions against President Bashar al-Assad's regime but did not specify what those may be.

It called on member states to withdraw their ambassadors from Damascus, but that decision will be left up to each nation.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim read the league's decisions at a news conference after the meeting of the foreign ministers.

He said the league is urging the Syrian army to stop attacks on civilians and will hold a meeting with opposition groups in the next three days to discuss a transitional phase in Syria's future. » | CNN Wire Staff | Saturday, November 12, 2011

La Ligue arabe demande à Assad de mettre fin aux violences
REUTERS – FRANCE: LE CAIRE - Les ministres de la Ligue arabe ont adressé vendredi soir un message urgent au président syrien Bachar al Assad pour lui demander de mettre fin à sept mois de violences dans son pays.

Cet appel fait suite à la mort de 40 manifestants en faveur de la démocratie, abattus par les forces syriennes de sécurité. » | Marwa Awad; Pierre Sérisier pour le service français | samedi 29 octobre 2011

Arab League Chief Admits Second Thoughts about Libya Air Strikes

THE GUARDIAN: Amr Moussa, who played central role in securing Arab support for Nato strikes, calls for ceasefire and 'political solution'

The outgoing head of the Arab League and a frontrunner to become president of a democratic Egypt has voiced reservations about Nato's bombing campaign in Libya, calling for a ceasefire and talks on a political settlement while Muammar Gaddafi remains in power.

Amr Moussa, the veteran Egyptian diplomat who played a central role in securing Arab support for Nato air strikes, told the Guardian he now had second thoughts about a bombing mission that may not be working. "When I see children being killed, I must have misgivings. That's why I warned about the risk of civilian casualties," he said.

Nato admitted this week that it had blundered when a rogue missile killed nine civilians, including children, in Tripoli, while the Libyan regime has claimed another 15 civilians were killed in an attack on a compound west of Tripoli that Nato has confirmed it targeted.

Arab support, in the form of an endorsement from the Arab League, was essential to the Anglo-French-led bombing campaign launched in March following a UN security council resolution mandating the use of force to protect Libyan civilians.

But senior European officials say the Arab world is turning against the west over the Libya campaign. "The Arab League is telling us that we are losing the support of the Arab world," said one source involved in negotiations over Libya. » | Ian Traynor in Brussels | Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Egypt, Moussa Back Bahrain Steps to Restore Order, Mena Says
BLOOMBERG: Egypt signaled support for Bahraini government measures to restore order in the kingdom, and the Arab League stressed the importance of stability in a country gripped by protests for more than a month.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Nabil El-Arabi, who met his Bahraini counterpart Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa in Cairo today, said Egypt “supports what the government of Bahrain is doing politically and supports the steps that it has taken,” Egypt’s official Middle East News Agency said today.

Arab League Secretary-General Amre Moussa, who also met with Sheikh Khalid, said Arab countries stress the importance of preserving the stability and “Arabism” of Bahrain, Mena said. The League has communicated this position through contacts with countries including Iran, Moussa told reporters. » | Mariam Fam | Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Arab League’s Stance on Libya Air Strikes

LE POINT: Ligue arabe : "Nous respectons la résolution de l'ONU" – Lors d'une conférence de presse avec Ban Ki-moon, Amr Moussa a assuré qu'il n'y avait "aucun désaccord" avec la coalition internationale. » | LePoint.fr | Lundi 21 Mars 2011

Arab League Sour on Air Strikes

Arab League Condemns Bombing of Libya
Mar 20 - As western forces pounded Libya's air defenses and patrolled its skies on Sunday, their day-old intervention hit a serious diplomatic setback as Arab League chief Amr Moussa condemned the ''bombardment of civilians”. Jon Decker reports

Action in Libya Has Gone Too Far, Arab League and Russia Complain as Civilian Casualities Pile Up
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: As conflicting reports of civilian casualties continued to emerge from Libya, many leaders worldwide said that the intervention has gone too far[.]

The Arab League, which originally pledged support for the UN-approved no-fly zone, said that the resolution failed because it was supposed to protect civilians.

"What happened differs from the no-fly zone objectives," said Amr Moussa, the head of the Arab League. "What we want is civilians' protection, not shelling more civilians."

Moussa called for an emergency meeting of the Arab League to discuss the situation and requested a report into the coalition's intervention.

While media reports from the war-torn country are sketchy, Libyan television has reported that 64 civilians are dead and more than 150 are wounded. Whether the casualties were caused by air strikes, rebels or Khadafy forces is unclear.

Russia, which abstained from voting for the UN resolution, also criticized the attacks, saying they had gone beyond enforcing a no-fly zone. » | Nina Mandell | Daily News Staff Writer | Sunday, March 20, 2011

U.S. Backs Arab States' Call for Libya No-fly Zone
REUTERS: Washington said a call by the Arab League for a U.N. no-fly zone over Libya was an "important step," as government troops backed by tanks and warplanes fought to drive rebels from their strongholds.

Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said the League, meeting in Cairo on Saturday, had decided that "serious crimes and great violations" committed by the government of Muammar Gaddafi against his people had stripped it of legitimacy.

Washington, which would play a leading role in enforcing any no-fly zone, said the decision strengthened pressure on Gaddafi but it stopped short of commitment to military action and made no proposal for a swift meeting of the U.N. Security Council. >>> Michael Georgy and Tom Perry | RAS LANUF, Libya/CAIRO | Sunday, March 13, 2011

Libya Continues Air Attacks on Rebel Strongholds
Mar 12 - Libyan troops forced rebels to retreat overnight from the outskirts of the oil town of Ras Lanuf, pushing the front line of heavy fighting in Libya eastwards. Jon Decker reports

Libya: Arab League Calls for United Nations No-fly Zone
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Arab League called on the United Nations Security Council to impose a no-fly zone on Libya, increasing pressure on Europe and the US to embark on limited military action against the regime of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

As Colonel Gaddafi’s jets and tanks continued to gain ground against rebels in the east of the country, ministers from the 22-nation League agreed to call for action after emergency talks in Cairo. Officials said the body had already been in touch with the rebels about the situation on the ground.

Before the meeting, Amr Moussa, the secretary general of the Arab League and one of its most influential diplomats, had thrown his weight behind the air exclusion zone, saying it was the only way to protect Libyans from Gaddafi’s “disdainful” regime.

In a statement after a six-hour long meeting, he added: “The Arab League has officially requested the United Nations Security Council to impose a no-fly zone against any military action against the Libyan people.”

His comments came as the Gaddafi regime declared victory in the battle for the oil port of Ras Lanuf in eastern Libya, where it had fought with artillery, tanks, ships and planes to eject rebels for most of the last week[.] >>> Colin Freeman in Cairo, Nick Meo in Benghazi and Patrick Hennessy in London | Saturday, March 12, 2011

Analysis: Arab League Backs No-fly Zone in Libya
The Arab League's decision lays the groundwork for foreign powers to consider a no-fly zone over Libya. The league also reportedly decided to recognise a rebel council as the representative of the Libyan people. The decision, announced on Egyptian state television, ends weeks of debate among Arab nations, overcoming widespread resistance to the idea of foreign intervention in an Arab member state. Al Jazeera's James Bays, reporting from the capital Cairo, puts the decision into perspective


THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Libya: as Colonel Gaddafi's tanks roll eastwards, rebels are defiant but fear a bloody revenge – Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's planes, tanks and artillery are gradually taking their toll on the rebels. They are defiant, but fear a bloody revenge if the West does not intervene. >>> Nick Meo, in Benghazi and Richard Spencer in Tripoli | Saturday, March 12, 2011

THE GUARDIAN: Gaddafi's army will kill half a million, warn Libyan rebels: Rebels flee Ras Lanuf and call on UN to impose no-fly zone as Gaddafi's forces recapture strategically important towns >>> Chris McGreal in Benghazi | Saturday, March 12, 2011

Steven Spielberg Was Target of Arab League Boycott, WikiLeaks Cable Shows
THE GUARDIAN: Leaked dispatch reveals diplomats from 14 Arab states voted to ban the director's films in response to his donation to Israel

A WikiLeaks cable reveals that Steven Spielberg and his Righteous Persons Foundation were the target of an Arab League boycott. Photograph: The Guardian
Steven Spielberg was blacklisted by the Arab League's Central Boycott Office after making a $1m (£645m) donation to Isreal during the 2006 conflict in Lebanon.

A US embassy memo released by WikiLeaks reveals that during a meeting of the group in April 2007, diplomats or representatives from 14 Arab states voted to ban all films and other products related to Spielberg or his Righteous Persons Foundation.

At the confidential US briefing, the head of the Syrian regional office for the boycott of Israel, Muhammad al-Ajami, said that Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen had agreed to ban all Spielberg's works. >>> Amelia Hill | Friday, December 17, 2010

Colonies juives: les Arabes veulent saisir le Conseil de sécurité de l'ONU
LE POINT: La Ligue arabe va saisir le Conseil de sécurité de l'ONU pour tenter d'obtenir une résolution contre la colonisation israélienne, selon le communiqué final d'une réunion de l'organisation mercredi à laquelle a participé le président palestinien Mahmoud Abbas. >>> AFP | Mercredi 15 Décembre 2010

Mideast: Arab League Urges Dialogue with Iran
THE GLOBE AND MAIL: Summit leader addresses Ah[a]madinejad’s nuclear ambitions, cautions Israel against building more settlements

The head of the Arab League urged the 22-nation bloc to engage Iran directly over concerns about its growing influence in the region and its disputed nuclear program.

Amr Moussa also warned in his opening statement at a two-day Arab League summit in Sirte, Libya, that Israeli construction on land claimed by Palestinians could scuttle the Mideast peace process for good.

Mr. Moussa outlined his plan for closer ties with Iran, saying it would involve a forum for regional co-operation and conflict resolution that would include Iran and Turkey — both non-Arab nations.

But the proposal could undermine U.S. and Israeli efforts to isolate Tehran amid concerns that its nuclear program aims to develop atomic weapons. It also comes as the U.S. and other Western powers push for a fresh round of sanctions over Iran's nuclear defiance. Tehran insists its program is for peaceful purposes.

“I realize that some are worried about Iran, but that is precisely why we need the dialogue,” Mr. Moussa said.

The push to engage Tehran seems to be at least partly fuelled by Arab frustration over Washington's failure to get Israel to back down on plans for more Jewish settlements on land the Palestinians want for a future state.

It also suggests that Arab nations are increasingly less likely to align with the U.S. strategy on Iran if they feel they are getting nothing in return in Mideast peace efforts.

Arab countries have grown increasingly skeptical that U.S. President Barack Obama will be able to forge a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians to end a conflict that has fuelled anti-American sentiment in the region. >>> Khaled Al-Deeb | Saturday, March 27, 2010

Gaddafi Storms Out of Arab League
Gaddafi has angered leaders with sharp words at previous summits. Photo courtesy of Tribune de Genève.
BBC: Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi has stormed out of the Arab League summit in Qatar having denounced the Saudi king for his ties with the West.

He disrupted the opening session by criticising King Abdullah, calling him a British product and an American ally.

Col Gaddafi has angered Arab leaders in the past with sharp remarks at summits.

Meanwhile, leaders have been urged to reject an international arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for war crimes in Darfur.

Arrest first "those who have committed massacres and atrocities in Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon", Syria's President Bashar al-Assad said.

The summit is also expected to discuss Iran's influence in the Middle East.

A number of countries are particularly concerned about Iran's support for Hezbollah in Lebanon and for Hamas in the Gaza Strip. >>> | Monday, March 30, 2009

Arab Nations Condemn Hamas and Back Abbas
BBC: Arab nations have condemned the latest infighting in Gaza, pledging fresh support for the embattled Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

His Fatah faction has been ousted from Gaza by rival Hamas militants, ending a week of fierce feuding in which at least 100 people died.

After talks in Cairo, Arab League foreign ministers urged Hamas and Fatah to end their rivalry and co-operate.

A key Hamas leader earlier said he remained willing to work with Mr Abbas.

Khaled Meshaal, Hamas's political leader, who lives in exile in Syria, said Mr Abbas remained the "legitimate" president.

However, Hamas declared as illegal an earlier decree by Mr Abbas that replaced its Prime Minister, Ismail Haniya. Arab League condemns Gaza 'crime' (more)

WATCH BBC VIDEO:
Gaza: Arab nations back Abbas

Mark Alexander