"The Syrian opposition lacks the means to defend itself, and the regime is getting weapons from everywhere," he said Sunday. "For a while now, we noticed that the regime has been trying to turn the crisis into a sectarian conflict."

He added that, while Syria had agreed to Annan's peace plan, the regime has not implemented it. "The regime just wants to buy time," Al Faisal said.

At a meeting of Arab League foreign ministers Saturday, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani said Annan's peace initiative should be placed under Chapter VII of the U.N. charter, Qatar's news agency reported Saturday. Such a move would allow the U.N. Security Council to take action that could include military force.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Sunday that he had taken note of the Arab League leaders' suggestions, including requests to increase the number of U.N. observers and to set a time limit for the effort.

"All these are very important recommendations, and I hope these will be discussed by the Security Council members. At this time, I would welcome the wider international discussions on the future course of action," Ban told reporters.

The crisis in Syria began nearly 15 months ago, when a tough government crackdown on protesters spiraled out of control and spawned a national anti-government uprising.

Al-Assad's family has ruled Syria for 42 years.

The United Nations for months has said more than 9,000 people have died in Syria. But death counts from opposition groups range from more than 12,000 to more than 14,000. Tens of thousands have been displaced.

CNN cannot independently confirm reports of casualties or violence from Syria because the government restricts access to foreign journalists.