White House Says Assad ‘Leading Nation to Dangerous Path’
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The White House significantly toughened its stance on Syria on Friday, calling for an "immediate end to brutality and violence" and warning President Bashar Assad was leading his nation on a "dangerous path."
White House spokesman Jay Carney issued a statement after Syrian forces killed at least 25 people in nationwide democracy protests and as security forces launched a long-feared crackdown on the northwestern flashpoint town of Jisr al-Shughur.
"The United States strongly condemns the Syrian government’s outrageous use of violence across Syria today and particularly in the northwestern region," Carney said.
"There must be an immediate end to the brutality and violence."
The statement contained a clear sign of Washington's growing impatience over Syria after top officials had repeatedly called for Assad to embrace reform or get out of the way -- but stopped short of demanding his departure.
"Earlier this week, we urged the Syrian government to exercise maximum restraint and not to respond to its own reported losses through additional civilian casualties," Carney said.
"The Syrian government is leading Syria on a dangerous path.
"For that reason, it is critical that all Syrians remain united, work to prevent sectarian conflict, and pursue their aspirations peacefully," he continued, raising the prospect of an even deeper abyss of violence and division in Syria.
"We stand by the Syrian people who have shown their courage in demanding dignity and the transition to democracy that they deserve."
He also cited the "appalling violence" of shootings, assaults and arrests of demonstrators at the hands of Syrian security forces in explaining why the United States has thrown its weight behind a U.N. Security Council resolution proposed by Britain and France that condemns Syria for its crackdown.
Earlier, as the situation in Syria deteriorated, officials at the United Nations said Assad was refusing to take telephone calls from Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
The U.S. ambassador in Damascus, Robert Ford, has also seen his requests for meetings with Syrian government officials repeatedly denied.
In Washington, as the latest drama in the Middle East and North Africa escalated after a spring of revolt, the State Department noted that international pressure was beginning to build on Assad.
"We will continue to look at ways we can up the pressure on him. What's important here is that we make it clear to him that there's growing pressure against his actions," said Mark Toner, a State Department spokesman.
Protesters poured into the streets of major cities and towns across Syria after Friday prayers, calling on Assad to step down and expressing solidarity with the residents of Jisr al-Shughur.
Syria has mounted a fierce response to weeks of protests modeled on the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia that ousted long-ruling dictators and inspired region-wide revolt.
On Thursday, Assad came under fire from Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a personal friend and longtime ally, who described the treatment of the bodies of women slain by Syrian security forces as an "atrocity."
Erdogan said the brutal crackdown was "unacceptable" and would "necessarily" lead the U.N. Security Council to step in.
But Russia, one of five veto-wielding members of the council, opposes any resolution on Syria.
11 June 2011, 14:15
21
... But not as dangerous as the one the United States of Assholes is leading itself before leading other nations. But what can you do with a bunch of Assholes?
11 June 2011, 18:42
10
The US needs to send in the CIA to get rid of Assad and his family, or give a few Syrian Generals 5 or 10 Million Dollars, to do the job. Much cheaper then Assad spilling more innocent Syrian blood and also easier and cheaper then military action. Pay the money, and let's get rid of this clown and his fucking family, once and for all....next on the list: Hassan Nasrallah and The Iranian....cleanup time, in the Middle East, and about time, too....
11 June 2011, 18:58
00
Latest news. from Syria.
Assad has guards at every parliamentary person in his cabinet. They were told if they deffect all their familie members will be massacred. Also his army will be splitting soon according to one big wig in his army.
11 June 2011, 19:08
21
US - SYRIA - LEBANON = Same war and same ennemy .
The Syrian President ASSAD , is fighting international terrorism that is composed mainly by Sunni Salafi Wahhaby Islamists fanatics that are equiped and financed by KSA all over the world .
President ASSAD will soon finish with these terrorists in his country , and will take care of the ones we have inside Lebanon , Tripoli , Akkar , Saïda and Beirut .. , with the help of the Lebanese army and the National resistance .
11 June 2011, 19:23
20
HYPOCRISY.. the ones supporting the muslim brotherhood are leading the entire middle east into a very very dengaerous path.
They did the same thing when they supported bin Laden and Qa3eeda to war with USSR, now they are the muslim brotherhood's new friends in order to fight Iran. Sad to say they are also backed by the arab gulf states who have just fallen in lust with israel. Just as KSA did with bin Laden back then too.
Christian, Lebanese, American
11 June 2011, 20:49
11
shiite bro finicien is the catholic pope pro wahhabi salafi? oh did the imam explain to u what is a catholic, he didn't! ok their r like the maronites u r pretending to be but in the west and they r a majority in fronce france where u r pretending to be the pope is like their grand ayatollah khamenei, anyway i'll tell u more about them when i see u at the husseiniya give my best to the hajjeh she makes a mean niffa
11 June 2011, 21:56
21
.. the problems in syria are all imported from saudi arabia sheiks, just ckeck on the internat their ugly languages commanding people to stir troubles.
most of the problems in syria are coming from muslim brotherhood terrorists who wants to turn syria into bin laden camp, just check their sheiks preaching or so called friday's prayers, they know nothing of prayers but know everything about voilence.
have every heard of mad friday.
Bashar turned syria into very nice country to live in, but God forbid muslim brothers hood comes to power because all blood sucking vampires and they will take syria into the stone age since they are stones worshippers.
11 June 2011, 22:33
10
All the imported from Saudi Arabia sheiks were imported into Syria by Bashar to send to Iraq, now he's being hoisted with his own petard. I wonder how much worst would a non Baath government be.. General Aoun: "By the way, I remind you here that the Syrian regime had said that it came to Lebanon to save its Christians from extermination. I want to ask this regime who, apart from it, in fact wanted to exterminate us?" humm, how much worst can a different Syrian regime be what's worst than extermination?
12 June 2011, 00:50
10
@April, Syria has been in the Stone Age, since 1963, you fool...ever since the Assad's took over the country.....
