U.S. Threatens New International Measures against Syria

The United States on Wednesday warned of new international measures to halt Syria's bloody crackdown on protests after reports that more than 200 people had been "massacred" in two days.

The White House said if Damascus did not fully implement an Arab League plan to contain the violence, "the international community will take additional steps to pressure the Assad regime to stop its crackdown."

The Arab peace plan, endorsed by Syria on November 2, calls for a halt to violence, the withdrawal of security forces from urban areas, the release of detainees, and the entry of 500 Arab monitors.

But the opposition Syrian National Council said Wednesday that forces loyal to Assad had "massacred" more than 200 people in two days.

The White House said in its statement that Assad's regime had "flagrantly violated their commitment to end violence and withdraw security forces from residential areas.

"The United States is deeply disturbed by credible reports that the Assad regime continues to indiscriminately kill scores of civilians and army defectors, while destroying homes and shops and arresting protesters without due process," it said.

"Time and again, the Assad regime has demonstrated that it does not deserve to rule Syria. It's time for this suffering and killing to stop."

The White House went on to call for the "immediate and full implementation of the Arab League agreement" and urged Syria's remaining allies to urge Damascus to comply with it.

"Bashar al-Assad should have no doubt that the world is watching, and neither the international community nor the Syrian people accept his legitimacy," it said.

The United Nations estimates that more than 5,000 people, mainly opposition protesters, have been killed since mid-March, when Syrians began taking to the streets to demand the end of the Assad family's 40-year reign.

The protests were inspired by uprisings across the region that have led to the overthrow of long-ruling autocrats in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.

The United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on Assad's regime and the 22-member Arab League approved similar measures last month over Damascus's refusal to admit the observers.