Qatar says sanctions on Syria must be lifted quickly

Qatar called for the quick removal of sanctions on Syria following the ousting of president Bashar al-Assad by Islamist-led rebels.

"We call for intensified efforts to expedite the lifting of international sanctions on Syria," foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari told a regular briefing.

 "Qatar's position is clear," Ansari said. "It's necessary to lift the sanctions quickly, given that what led to these sanctions is no longer there and that what led to these sanctions were the crimes of the former regime."