Arab League calls for dialogue in Syria

CAIRO - The Arab League plans to bring together Syria's government and opposition groups to seek ways to end the violence in the country, Qatar's Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani said on Sunday.

Defying calls for Syria's suspension from the regional body over a worsening army crackdown on political unrest, the League decided to form a committee to forge dialogue between the government and opposition.

"We will call all of the parties of the opposition and government to hold a dialogue within 15 days," the League's Secretary General Nabil Elaraby said after an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo.