The Arab League will offer Syrian President Bashar al-Assad “a safe exit” if he resigns quickly and leaves the country, a senior Arab League official said, marking the latest attempt to get Syria’s longtime ruler to step down and end more than a year of bloodshed.
The official provided no further details because the source is not authorized to speak to the media.
Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani did not discuss an exit plan when speaking with reporters after the Sunday meeting, but confirmed “there is an agreement on the need for the swift resignation” of Assad.
“We call on the opposition and the Free Syrian Army to form a government of national unity,” Sheikh Hamad said.
Despite the Arab League’s proposed offer, the brutal violence didn’t let up. At least 19 people were killed Monday, the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria said.