OIC appeals for Syrian solutions

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- A military solution isn't the desired outcome in Syria though Arab leaders are called to provide recommendations, the OIC secretary-general said.

The Arab League suspended Syria's membership because of the violent repression of dissent in Syria. Damascus is facing near-universal isolation in the international community in light of a U.N.-backed report describing events in Syria as crimes against humanity.

While the U.N. Security Council hasn't been able to get around a veto threat from Beijing and Moscow, other multilateral organizations have taken punitive action against Damascus.

Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary-general of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, in an address to member states, said the Arab bloc's charter had a principled commitment to avoid intervening in the internal affairs of member states, including Syria.

Nevertheless, he noted that a military response to peaceful demonstrations of civilians calling for deeper democracy is a "fruitless" approach to conflict resolution. He called on representatives of the OIC member states to come forward with recommendations to persuade Syria to stop the violence.

"We have used up all our mechanisms and powers in the various attempts to bridge the gaps, stop bloodshed, and search for the rights of all parties concerned," he said.

Ankara this week was the latest member of the international community to break away from Damascus. The Syrian government claims it's dealing with an armed insurgency. The BBC, in a Thursday broadcast, said signs of a civil war in Syria are on the horizon.