Syria has reacted angrily to the Arab League's decision to suspend its membership, calling the move “illegal” and warning that it was a “dangerous step” for the region.
Speaking on state television, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem reaffirmed his country’s strong stance towards the protesters, saying that it would “emerge stronger”, while warning that the Libyan uprising would “not be repeated”.
He also suggested that the League was doing the bidding of the US, calling Washington “an unofficial member”.
On Saturday, the League voted to suspend Syria’s membership, a move due to come into effect on Wednesday. Political and economic sanctions are expected to follow.
"Today there is a crisis in Syria which pays the price of its strong positions," Muallem told the assembled press. "Syria will not budge and will emerge stronger... and plots against Syria will fail."
He also used the address to apologise for the weekend’s attacks, which saw pro-government forces violate the embassies of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey in Damascus.
"It is important... that this does not repeat itself. The protection of the embassies is part of our responsibilities. For this reason, I apologise for what happened,” he said.
On the question of military intervention, the minister was equally forthright: "Syria is not Libya. The Libyan scenario will not be repeated; what is happening in Syria is different from what happened in Libya."
"The Syrian people should not worry," he added, saying that he was confident that Russia and China would veto any proposed intervention by the UN Security Council.
According to the Strategic Research and Communications Centre, a London-based research organisation on Syria, the Syrian foreign ministry has sent a letter to its counterparts in Russia, China, India, South Africa, Brazil, and Arab countries, stating that the US is involved in terrorist attacks in Syria.
It is also reporting that the Iraqi government has issued a new decree lifting the imports inspection of Syrian products to help to regime's crumbling economy.
In Europe, EU governments are reportedly close to an agreement to extend sanctions against Syria. The move, which will include limiting Syrian access to funds of the European Investment Bank, is designed to add further pressure on the Assad regime in the hope of ending its brutal crackdown.
Over the weekend, thousands of supporters of the beleaguered regime took to the streets to protest against the Arab League's decision.
In Damascus pro-government demonstrators attacked the embassies of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar, a direct violation of the Vienna Convention. According to reports, the security forces did nothing to stop the violence against the diplomatic missions.
The governments of Turkey and Syria were quick to condemn the violence, with Turkey hauling in the Syrian Ambassador to inform him that then violation was “unacceptable”.
The Arab League’s suspension of Syria, which officially starts on Wednesday, comes amid mounting violence, with the United Nations (UN) estimating that more than 3,500 Syrians have been killed since the unrest began in March.
Last week, a human rights group accused Syria of committing crimes against humanity, while armed opposition to the regime, under the banner of the Free Syrian Army, is reported to be inflicting an increasing number of injuries and fatalities on pro-government forces.
The Arab League tried to broker a peace between the regime and the protesters, including publication of a peace plans in early November, which stipulated an end to the violence in Homs and Hama, alongside an invitation to Syrian opposition groups to attend talks in Cairo.
Assad agreed to let League observers into Syria to watch the implementation of the peace plan, however, the regime’s brutal put-down of internal dissent has continued, leading some commentators to suggest Syria is descending into civil war. With more than 20 deaths reported daily, November could be the bloodiest month yet.
In response to the suspension of its membership, the Syrian government demanded an emergency meeting, whilst denouncing the League as doing America’s bidding.
Britain and the US have already withdrawn all but essential embassy staff.
On Sunday, Alistair Burt, the British foreign office minister, said: “by allowing these attacks to take place the Syrian regime is demonstrating yet again that its first response is repression and intimidation.”