Syria sanctioned, condemned for 'brutality'

Syria faced growing economic sanctions and condemnation over "gross human rights violations" on Monday, but President Bashar al-Assad showed no sign of buckling under international pressure to end his military crackdown on popular unrest.

State television broadcast pro-Assad rallies "supporting national unity and rejecting foreign interference", after the Arab League imposed sanctions on Sunday.

The European Union weighed in one day later, further tightening the financial screws on Damascus for its "brutality and unwillingness to change course". The EU and United States jointly urged Syria to end violence, permit peaceful democratic transition, and allow in human rights observers.

Assad's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem hit back, lambasting the Arab League for "a declaration of economic war" that he said had closed the door to resolving the crisis.

"Sanctions are a two-way street," Moualem told a televised news conference. "I am not warning here, but we will defend the interests of our people".

In Geneva, a United Nations commission of inquiry said Syrian military and security forces had committed crimes against humanity including murder, torture and rape, for which Assad and his government bore direct responsibility.

It demanded an end to "gross human rights violations" and the release of those rounded up in mass arrests since March by Syrian forces quashing pro-democracy demonstrations.

More than 3,500 people have been killed in eight months, according to the United Nations.

Syria's close trading partners Lebanon and Iraq rejected the Arab League measures, whose economic impact could be less severe than intended, analysts said.

"We do not agree with these sanctions and we will not go along with them," said Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour.

The Arab League meanwhile appealed once more to Damascus, offering "a review of all of the measures" if Syria dropped its opposition to an Arab plan to end the crackdown.

Anti-Assad activists said eight civilians were killed on Monday in the province of Homs, which has seen some of the worst violence this month.

In an apparent political concession, which protesters have been demanding for months, Moualem said Syria planned to drop a constitutional clause which designates Assad's Baath Party as the leading party.

The revised constitution foresees "multi-party" politics with "no place for discrimination between parties", he said.