Syria faces Arab sanctions deadline over monitors

Syria faces a Friday deadline to sign an Arab deal allowing monitors into the country or incur sanctions over its crackdown on protests including halting flights, curbing trade and stopping deals with the central bank.

Arab foreign ministers warned in Cairo that unless Syria agreed to let the monitors in to assess progress of an Arab League plan to end eight months of bloodshed, officials would consider imposing sanctions on Saturday.

Under a November 2 Arab League initiative, Syria agreed to withdraw troops from urban centers, release political prisoners, start a dialogue with the opposition and allow monitors and international media into the country.

Since then hundreds of people, including civilians, security forces and army deserters, have been killed as the unrest which the United Nations says has claimed at least 3,500 lives since March continued unabated.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based opposition group, said at least 47 people were killed in Syria on Thursday, including 16 soldiers and 17 army deserters, mostly around the rebellious city of Homs and near the town of Rastan to the north.

The violence has prompted former ally Turkey to bluntly tell President Bashar al-Assad to step down and led France to propose "humanitarian corridors" in Syria to help transport medicines or other supplies to civilians in need.

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said he would discuss the idea with the Arab League but a source at the 22-member body said the proposal was not brought up at the Cairo meeting.

"In the case that Syria does not sign the protocol ... or that it later violates the commitments that it entails, and does not stop the killing or does not release the detainees ...  will meet on Saturday to consider sanctions on Syria," the Arab ministers said in a statement.

They said possible sanctions, which were not intended to affect ordinary Syrians, included suspending flights to Syria, stopping dealings with the central bank, freezing Syrian government bank accounts and halting financial dealings.

They could also decide to stop commercial trade with the Syrian government "with the exception of strategic commodities so as not to impact the Syrian people," the statement said.

Syria's economy is already reeling from the eight months of unrest, aggravated by U.S. and European sanctions on oil exports and several state businesses.

EU powers drop UN Syria sanctions call

European countries proposing a new UN resolution over Syria have dropped demands for immediate sanctions against President Bashar al-Assad's government.

The draft, proposed by the UK, France, Germany and Portugal and backed by the US, threatens sanctions only if the repression of protests does not end.

The scaled-back version is aimed at winning the support of China and Russia, which oppose sanctions.

Western diplomats say they are planning for a vote by the end of the week.

The draft resolution "demands an immediate end to all violence", according to copies obtained by news agencies.

It says the 15-nation Security Council "expresses its determination, in the event that Syria has not complied with this resolution, to adopt targeted measures, including sanctions".

Last month the US, Britain, France, Germany and Portugal put forward a draft resolution calling for sanctions against President Assad, members of his family and close associates.

But Russia and China have threatened to veto any sanctions resolution against Syria.

Others countries which oppose sanctions include a bloc of key emerging powers - India, South Africa, and Brazil.

The BBC's Barbara Plett at the UN in New York says some countries fear any outside involvement in Syria could trigger a much wider crisis.

Their position has been hardened by Nato's actions in Libya, which they say has overstepped a UN mandate to protect civilians there, she adds.

One European diplomat told that they wanted to send "a strong and unified message to ensure that the Assad regime does not remain deaf to the demands of the international community".

Meanwhile, Syrian forces are continuing efforts to suppress protests that began six months ago.

On Tuesday troops stormed the restive central town of Rastan after besieging it for two days, activists said.

The UN estimates that more than 2,700 people have been killed across Syria since the crackdown began earlier this year.

The Syrian government says it is battling "armed gangs" that have foreign backing.