From the PBS NewsHour:
On Saturday, the 22-nation Arab League asked the U.N. Security Council to implement a no-fly zone in Libya to prevent Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's forces from more air attacks on the Libyan people.
Never noted for moving decisively, the League's swift action was surprising, as was the overwhelming vote. All but two League members -- Syria and Algeria-- backed the call. It had been foreshadowed by a statement last week from the Gulf states.
The Arab League, informal name of the League of Arab States, is a voluntary association of independent countries whose peoples are mainly Arabic speaking. Its stated purposes are to strengthen ties among the member states, coordinate their policies, and promote their common interests.
The Arab League was founded in Cairo in 1945 by Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Transjordan (Jordan, as of 1950), and Yemen.
Current members of the Arab League are as follows:
Algeria,Bahrain,Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.
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