ElBaradei proposed as special envoy to Syria

Arab League sources revealed that Secretary General Nabil Al-Arabi proposed former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency Mohamed ElBaradei as a special envoy to Syria, to implement the League's initiative to end the violence sweeping the nation. Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper quoted an "informed source" saying that ElBaradei told Al-Arabi he would consider taking the position, however, a source close to ElBaradei stated that he has not yet took a decision on the matter. The Arab League has formally requested a meeting with UN chief Ban Ki-moon to discuss its plan for resolving the Syria crisis and ask for the Security Council's support, a senior League official said Tuesday. The request was made jointly by Nabil Al-Arabi and Qatar's premier Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, who chairs a League panel on the crisis, Arab League official Ahmed Bin Helli told AFP. "A letter has been addressed to Ban Ki-moon requesting a meeting at the UN headquarters to inform him of the Arab plan and ask for the support of the Security Council for this plan," he said.