Some countries, like Pakistan and Kazakhstan, have also argued that the final statement should allocate some blame on the opposition rebels for being part of the continued bloodshed in the war-torn country, the diplomat said. An OIC decision to suspend Syria would require a two-thirds majority. The final statement is due to be announced late Wednesday in Makkah. The draft statement says Syria should be suspended for "using the military option" to solve the crisis. It also notes the failure of a UN-Arab League six-point peace plan brokered by Kofi Annan.
"The draft final statement stresses the necessity of preserving Syria's unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity," said the London-based newspaper Al Hayat, quoting what it said was a copy of the draft. The paper said that a paragraph might be added to the final statement "legalising resistance" by rebels and "delegitimizing Bashar al-Assad's government."
Suspension from the OIC would further isolate Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The Arab League suspended Syria's membership in November in protest of its use of force against demonstrators, in an uprising that has since widened into civil war. Among those attending the summit of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) were Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad. Iran, a staunch ally of Syria, opposes any move to freeze Syrian membership.
The summit could also consider demands by Tunisia that Saudi Arabia extradite Tunisia's former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, whom the kingdom has sheltered since he fled a popular revolt in January 2011. Last month, a Tunisian military court sentenced Ben Ali in absentia to life imprisonment for killing demonstrators. The OIC summit is expected to continue until late in the evening.