THE Arab League has voted to suspend Syria from its meetings if the regime in Damascus fails to implement a deal to end the brutal crackdown against protesters by Wednesday. On November 2nd, the 22-member body agreed with Syria that it would withdraw its army and security forces, open dialogue with the opposition and allow media and monitors into the country within the next two weeks.

Saturday's decision came in reaction to the rising death toll in Syria. Despite Syria's insistence that it is implementing the League's plan, Avaaz, a human-rights group, says it has documented 277 civilian deaths over the ten days since it was agreed. Over 100 people have died in the city of Homs, the centre of the uprising, where Human Rights Watch, a lobby group, accuses the regime of committing crimes against humanity—recorded in a trail of disturbing footage backed up by personal testimony.

The Arab League has looked divided and impotent in its response to the violence in Syria. It has been criticised for dilly-dallying during the eight months of largely peaceful protests in which over 3,500 civilians have been killed.

Its condemnation this weekend was unexpectedly strong. The group threatened to impose political and economic sanctions from Wednesday and asked members to withdraw their ambassadors from Damascus. In a sign it may recognise the Syrian National Council, an umbrella group of opposition groups that has struggled to get going since forming last month, the League invited members to talks at its headquarters in Cairo to help unify them in their vision for a “transitional period”.

The moves, even when implemented, may not change facts on the ground. But protesters say they hope that the League's decision will spark further international pressure on the regime. Western states, wary after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, are loth to intervene in the region without Arab backing similar to that received for the NATO mission in Libya. But protesters, more of whom are calling for international protection and a safe zone for defectors, hope that the League's announcement might encourage China and Russia to pass a UN Security Council resolution condemning Syria and start consideration of further measures.

The ratcheting up of external pressure, especially from its Arab counterparts, worries Bashar Assad's regime. After initial reports of resistance among some member states such as Sudan, only Yemen, struggling with its own protesters' efforts to oust President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and Lebanon, the tiny neighbour where Syria exerts control despite the conclusion of its 29-year occupation in 2005, voted against the move. Iraq abstained. Syria has long liked to boast of its Arab credentials and has often pointed out it is a founding member of the Arab League. It has tried retain support among regional governments by insisting it is battling terrorists and facing an internal conspiracy, while warning of repercussions for the region of instability in Syria.

The regime and its supporters denounced the move. Syria's envoy to the body, Youssef Ahmed, called the body a tool of the West. Shortly after the announcement, regime loyalists gathered to support Mr Assad, with some attacking the Qatari and Saudi embassies in Damascus. But anti-regime protests on Saturday evening chanted in favour of the Arab League, a rare occurence anywhere in the Middle East.

The regime in Damascus looks scared. Syria is calling for an emergency meeting of the Arab League and asking for a delegation to be sent before Wednesday. No one thinks they can or will implement the deal. Mr Assad and his allies are getting increased worried.

Update: Jordan's King Abdullah has called for Bashar Assad to step down.