Arab League chief calls his group 'impotent'

The Arab League's new chief is calling his grouping "impotent" in the face of uprisings in the region.

Nabil Elaraby took the helm of the 22-member Arab League in June.

He told Arab foreign ministers in Cairo on Tuesday that criticism of the organization is "harsh" but justified.

Elaraby said the Arab League has been ineffective in dealing with uprisings across the Mideast this year. He said, "It became impotent in the face of any crisis which strikes Arab states and threatens their people."

He pledged to restructure the organization and promote bilateral accords between its members. "This is the biggest challenge the Arab League is facing," he said.

The league is an umbrella group of Arab countries in the region and has observer status at the United Nations.

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