Clinton Says Call for Assad Departure Must Come from 'Around the World'
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, asked why Washington has not yet explicitly called for the Syrian president’s departure, said Thursday her country wanted such a call to come from “around the world,” not just from the White House.
“What we really need to do to put the pressure on Assad is to sanction the oil and gas industry. And we want to see Europe take more steps in that direction. And we want to see China take steps with us,” Clinton added in an interview with CBS News.
She also urged Russia to “cease selling arms to the Assad regime."
"The United States is looking to explicitly call for Assad to step down. The timing of that is still in question," a U.S. official earlier told Agence France Presse on the condition of anonymity, while another U.S. official said the call could come as early as Thursday.
Ignoring the international outrage, Assad pledged this week a relentless battle against "terrorist groups" Damascus says are fomenting a popular uprising across Syria.
Rights groups say more than 2,000 people have been killed in the crackdown on the protest movement, which first erupted in mid-March with calls for reform before demanding the fall of the regime over its bloody repression.
12 August 2011, 00:27
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They are working days and night to let others start saying it and then they will follow.... Don't you just love politics. Did you see Miss Rice at the UN, she pretty much said that they are working tirelessly with all their allies on that!
12 August 2011, 07:26
10
Sorry, losers! This is another GOLDEN nail in you coffin of dashed hopes and dreams, turning them into nightmares. One nightmare after another nightmare after another... YOU WILL NEVER LEARN. Why? Cause you are dumb idiots.
12 August 2011, 09:48
03
Bigdig, you have absolutely no knowledge of Syria whatsoever if you think that the only viable replacement to Bashar the terrorist is a wahhabi style government. Plus that's the same argument that hizb il da3s has been using for the past 5 decades....I guess you're just another victim of the system.
Syrian has a number of patriotic secular leaders and the world will get to know them once we get rid of the nazi bashar
12 August 2011, 10:01
02
Syrian: true. And once it happens, Syria will have joined the ranks of other middle eastern countries who have left Lebanon behind in the dirt. Everyone is advancing while the Lebanese allow their so-called leaders to take the country back to the middle ages. Bravo ya Lebnaniye! W kamen men chouf 7alna w mfakrin 7alna a7san men gheirna. 3a chou?
12 August 2011, 10:18
03
So refreshing to hear a comment from a syrian freedom fighter! The syrians are good people which image has been destroyed over the years by a bloodthirsty clique of profiteers who made us Lebanese suffer a lot from their mafioso actions. I can sympathise a lot with your comment Syrian. God bless you. Don't let the local lebanese puppets speak for you and control the media space!
12 August 2011, 12:59
02
undefined - the problem is that the nazi regime in damascus has based its strategy solely on divide and conquer and unfortunately that's what they did locally and regionally (especially lebanon and palestine). The world needs to wake up and realize that this terrorist regime is the cause of all problems in the region.
Locally, we have broken the barrier of fear and we will not relent until this regime is sent either to the pits of hell or to Iran where they belong with their masters.
Syria will re-establish itself as the model of democracy and progress in the region and will establish normal ties with all its neighbors based on respect and economic ties.
This 50 occupation has been the worst thing that has ever happened to us more so than the 800 year ottoman rule.
"Ya bashar ou ya mindas tedrab inte ou hizbil ba3s.... roo7 sale7 harfil S ....ou yalla ir7al ya bashar"....Allah yer7amak ya ibrahim ashoosh...the voice of our revolution.
