For most of its 66-year history, the Arab League was a powerless organization, dominated by autocratic regimes that made sure it never criticized their lies and crimes. But suddenly, this year, it woke up and changed sides.
Last March the Arab League suspended Libya's membership because of dictator Moammar Gadhafi's brutal attempts to suppress the revolution, and voted to back a no-fly zone in Libya. That led directly to the United Nations resolution authorizing the use of force to protect civilians from Gadhafi's army, and ultimately to the tyrant's overthrow and death.
Last Saturday the Arab League acted again, suspending Syria's membership. It did so because President Bashar Assad has not carried out the commitments he gave the League about ending the violence against Syrian civilians (an estimated 3,500 killed so far), pulling the army off the streets of Syrian cities, releasing the thousands of recently imprisoned protesters, and opening a dialogue with the opposition within two weeks.