22 January 2012
Last updated at 13:56 ET
Thousands have died in political violence in the past 10 months
Saudi Arabia has pulled out of the Arab League monitoring mission in Syria, criticising Damascus for failing to act to stop violence against protesters.
Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal called on the international community to put more pressure on the regime.
He was speaking at an Arab League meeting in Cairo, which is expected to extend the Syria mission for a month.
Critics have said the 165-strong mission has done nothing to stop a 10-month crackdown on protesters.
Activists say almost 1,000 people have been killed since the monitoring mission began.
The opposition Syrian National Council has formally asked the league to refer the crisis to the UN Security Council.
The league’s foreign ministers are meeting in Cairo to discuss the conclusions of Syria mission chief Gen Mohammed al-Dabi.
General Dabi is believed to favour extending the mission and boosting the number of observers.
The BBC’s
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