The Syrian government has rejected an Arab League plan for President Bashar al-Assad to hand over powers to his deputy, accusing the League of trying to interfere in Syria's internal affairs.

Syrian state television quoted government officials Monday as roundly rejecting the proposed initiative as over-the-top interference.

A day earlier, Arab League foreign ministers called for the Syrian government to begin a national dialogue with the opposition within two weeks, and for the new government to be formed in two months. This would be a prelude to early parliamentary and presidential elections.

Qatar's Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani said the League plans to take its initiative to the United Nations Security Council and ask for its endorsement.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal announced his country is withdrawing its observers from Syria. He said the decision is in protest of what he called Syria's failure to respect an earlier Arab League plan to end the violent crackdown on a 10-month opposition uprising.

Prince Faisal urged the international community – including Syrian allies Russia and China – to use “all possible pressure” to persuade Mr. Assad's government to implement the earlier plan. That proposal calls for the withdrawal of government forces from residential areas, the release of political prisoners, free access for the media, and dialogue with government opponents.

Saudi Arabia has been one of the harshest Arab critics of Mr. Assad's crackdown on the rebellion against his 11-year autocratic rule.

The Arab League ministers have extended their much-criticized mission of 165 observers in Syria for another month, after its mandate expired on Thursday. The league said it would add more monitors and provide them with additional resources.

The mission has drawn heavy criticism from Syrian opposition activists who accuse Damascus of deceiving the observers and using them as a cover to intensify attacks on anti-government protesters and rebels.

A prominent Syrian opposition group, the Syrian National Council, has been lobbying the Arab League to abandon the observer mission and refer the Syrian crisis to the U.N. Security Council.

British-based rights activist Rami Abdul-Rahman said forces loyal to Mr. Assad fought with rebels in the Damascus suburb of Douma late Saturday. The area has been a frequent center of anti-Assad unrest.

The Syrian government accuses “armed terrorists” of driving the revolt. In a report Sunday, the Syrian state news agency SANA said terrorists shot and killed a brigadier general and another senior officer as the two men drove to work in the Damascus countryside.

The United Nations says violence linked to the uprising has killed more than 5,400 people. Syria says terrorists have killed about 2,000 security force members since the unrest began.