Syria calls for emergency summit after Arab League suspension

Damascus has called for an urgent summit of the Arab League, a day after the body voted to suspend Syria’s membership over its continuing crackdown against anti-government protesters. The proposed meeting would discuss the violence’s “negative repercussions on the Arab situation,” Syrian state television said on Sunday, according to al Jazeera. The league’s decision sparked pro-government rallies in Syria which saw attacks on diplomatic missions. The Damascus government said the suspension - which is not due to take effect until Wednesday - was “illegal.” Turkey condemned the attacks on its missions and began withdrawing non-essential diplomatic personnel. The Saudi and Qatari embassies were also attacked during the rallies on Saturday. Arab League head Nabil al-Arabi said the Cairo-based body was “studying mechanisms it could implement to protect civilians in Syria,” the BBC reported. Arabi said the League would meet with representatives of Syrian opposition groups on Tuesday but added that a formal recognition of these groups as Syria’s legitimate authority would be “a bit premature.” Meanwhile, four people were reportedly killed by security forces in the city of Hama on Sunday. Rights groups more than 3,500 people have been killed since protests again President Bashar al-Assad began in March.