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King Abdullah of Jordan has called for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down. He is the first Arab leader to call for his resignation since the government began its bloody crackdown against demonstrators eight months ago.

AMMAN, JORDAN (Catholic Online) - King Abdallah said on Monday that if he were in Assad's position, he would step down and try to create a way for Syrians to begin "a new phase of political life."

Syria has reacted strongly to the Arab League's condemnation of the government crackdown on protesters in that country. They accuse the Arab League of taking a "dangerous step" by holding a vote to suspend Syria's membership in the League.

Syrian officials argue that the vote is "illegitimate" because it did not receive unanimous approval in the 22 member body. Meanwhile, 18 nations led by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, voted to sanction Syria, while Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen voted against the sanctions. Iraq abstained.

The motion passed, and holds that Syria's membership in the league will be suspended on Wednesday if the bloody crackdowns against demonstrators does not come to an immediate stop. The league will meet again on Wednesday and Morocco to review the situation.

Meanwhile, Russia and China continue to block Western efforts to impose new, tougher sanctions on Syria and the UN Security Council.

Existing European Union sanctions against Syria, will remain in place and have been extended to 18 individuals that European officials suspect are linked to the violent suppression of protests in that country.

Russia continues to repeat their support for al-Assad, and has stated that they oppose Syria's suspension from the Arab League. China, while remaining a staunch supporter of the Syrian government, has stated that Syria must take steps to implement the peace plan established by the Arab League.

On Sunday, the violent crackdown against protesters continued and activists reported that at least nine people were killed by security forces on that day. According to the UN, more than 3,500 people have been killed since the start of Arab spring protests in Syria. The Syrian government is blaming "terrorists and thugs" for the killings.

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King Abdullah says Assad should resign

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