The intransigence of the Syrian government is taking the country closer to serious civil unrest, as government violence and the killing of Syrians by Syrian forces continue unabated. The Syrian government has wrongly characterised the uprising as the work of "armed gangs and radicals", and over the weekend it pursued its military response to what is a political crisis. It sent tanks to shell positions held by army defectors near the central town of Rastan, and at least 30 people have been killed all over the country in clashes with security forces in the past two days.
Syria's failure to comply with the very modest first steps to a solution contained in the Arab League's plan is an outrage. But on Thursday, rather than precipitate the inevitable showdown with the Syrian government and order sanctions to be imposed, the League gave Syria yet another extension of its deadline which expired yesterday. The League requires the government to stop the violence and to allow 500 observers into the country, but finding an answer to the situation in Syria needs a lot more than the League has offered, and the international community is starting to move ahead without the League.
But in the first hint that some kind of international intervention might be considered, France has called for a "secured zone to protect civilians" in Syria, using a similar phrase to the one that was used to justify the Nato operation in Libya. Both France and the EU have described Syria's exiled opposition National Council as the legitimate partner with which they want to engage.
Syria needs more than continued repression, and the Arab world needs to take a lead to find a way forward. The League is not offering enough, but the answer should not be left to the European Union. Leading Arab nations should outline a clear plan which offers a political solution to Syria's crisis.
