The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) urged the international community on Saturday to intervene immediately to “rescue” the Syrian people. The appeal came as Arab foreign ministers flew off to Paris to hold talks Sunday with their Western counterparts on key regional issues.
The appeal was made by GCC Secretary-General Abdul Lateef Al-Zayani as the US and its allies weigh action against Syria. The Paris meeting was called to discuss Palestine, but Syria is likely to overshadow the session to be attended by US Secretary of State John Kerry and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.
Prince Saud Al-Faisal will represent the Kingdom at the meeting.
Referring to the genocide and human rights violations in Syria, Al-Zayani said: “The intervention aims to rescue the brotherly Syrian people from the oppression of its regime and bring their sufferings to an end.”
According to the UN, more than 100,000 people have been killed and six million, nearly a third of Syria’s population, rendered homeless. Two million people, half of them children, have fled Syria.
US President Barack Obama awaits a vote by the US Congress over his request to strike Syria over its use of chemical weapons. Nabil Elaraby, secretary-general of the Arab League, will also be at the Paris meeting, said a statement released by the Arab League.
Referring to the Paris meeting, the statement said Kerry, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliky and other Arab ministers would discuss the latest developments on the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations. Kerry will meet with Arab League foreign ministers on Sunday.
Kerry has urged Israel to “look hard” at a Saudi-backed peace initiative first proposed in 2002. The plan would offer full recognition of Israel, but only if it returned all land seized in the 1967 war.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmi, who left Cairo on Saturday, will also attend the meeting, his first European visit since he assumed office.
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