AL to hold emergency meeting Thursday on Syria crisis

The Arab League (AL) said on Sunday it will hold an emergency meeting of foreign ministers in Cairo on Thursday to discuss the Syrian crisis, Egypt's state media reported. A ministerial committee charged with handling the Syrian crisis will hold a meeting on Wednesday to prepare for the ministerial meeting, Deputy AL Secretary General Ahmed bin Helli was quoted saying. The ministerial commission chaired by Qatar comprises the foreign ministers of Egypt, Oman, Sudan and Algeria in addition to AL chief Nabil al-Arabi. The call for the urgent meeting came as the Arab League rejected Sunday Syria's proposed modifications on the mission of a 500-member delegation to visit the country. The Syrian proposals changed the nature of the mission's task that aims to solve the Syrian crisis and protect civilians, the Arab League said in a statement. The AL stressed that it was concerned with tackling the Syrian crisis within the Arab framework by working to end the violence and get the Syrian people aspirations in carrying out political, economic and social reforms. The AL issued Wednesday in Rabat, Morocco, a draft deal on the Arab mission of 500 observers to Syria and gave the Syrian government three days to sign it after the regional group suspended Syria's membership. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem suggested Thursday modifications on the AL's deal.