Al-Assad & Obama International pressure is mounting on Bashar al-Assad, president of Syria, with the United States calling for his resignation and the United Nations claiming Syria's use of force against anti-government protests may constitute crimes against humanity.
The United States is certain that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is "on his way out," a senior U.S. official told reporters in a conference call on Thursday. A second U.S. official said that Washington was confident that U.S. sanctions on Syria announced earlier by the White House would be followed by similar actions by other countries.
In a written statement on Thursday, President Barack Obama said: "The future of Syria must be determined by its people, but President Bashar al-Assad is standing in their way ... For the sake of the Syrian people, the time has come for President Assad to step aside."
Obama said the US "cannot and will not impose this transition upon Syria" but will support "an effort to bring about a Syria that is democratic, just, and inclusive for all Syrians. We will support this outcome by pressuring President Assad to get out of the way of this transition".
Obama said Syrians "have spoken with their peaceful marches" and that the Syrian government "has responded with a sustained onslaught".
"I strongly condemn this brutality, including the disgraceful attacks on Syrian civilians in cities like Hama and Deir ez-Zor, and the arrests of opposition figures who have been denied justice and subjected to torture at the hands of the regime," the president's statement said.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton later addressed the worsening situation in Syria in a televised address, saying a new round on US sanctions, targeting Syria's energy sector, would "strike at the heart of the regime".
"These actions strike at the heart of the regime by banning American imports of Syrian petroleum and petroleum products and prohibiting Americans from dealing in these products," she said.
Clinton expressed hope other members of the international community would "amplify" the US action by stepping up their pressure on Syria's leadership "in word and action".
Canada has joined in with the calls from Barack Obama and European leaders for Assad to go. A statement from the prime minister Stephen Harper said the "Assad regime has lost all legitimacy by killing its own people to stay in power".
The European Union has also urged Assad to resign as Syrian leader amid the crackdown.
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement that "the EU notes the complete loss of Bashar al-Assad's legitimacy in the eyes of the Syrian people and the necessity for him to step aside".
Mr. Ban “emphasized that all military operations and mass arrests must cease immediately. President Assad said that the military and police operations had stopped.”
About 2,000 people have been killed in a government crackdown since protests started in mid-March, according to rights groups. President Assad has promised reforms but western governments say there are few signs of them being carried out.
“The secretary general reiterated his calls for an independent investigation into all reported killings and acts of violence, and for free access by the media.” Mr. Ban called on Syria to give full cooperation to the UN human rights commissioner, who is attempting to launch an inquiry into Mr. Assad’s deadly crackdown.
Mr. Ban also demanded that Mr. Assad launch “a credible and peaceful process of reform,” according to AFP.
The UN said President Assad “enumerated the reforms he will undertake in the next few months” including constitutional change and elections. The spokesman said Mr. Ban emphasized these must go ahead “without further military intervention.”
The UN leader welcomed an agreement by the Syrian government to receive a UN humanitarian mission. Mr. Ban said the mission must “be provided with independent and unhindered access to all areas affected by violence,” according to his spokesman.
President Assad stated “that the team would have access to different sites in Syria,” the spokesman said.
Also on Thursday, Britain, France and Germany called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down and said in a joint statement they supported imposing new European Union sanctions to help end bloodshed in Syria.
"We call on him to draw the consequences of the total rejection of his regime by the Syrian people and to leave power, for the greater interest of Syria and the unity of his people," the leaders of the three countries said in the statement.
Switzerland said earlier on Thursday it was recalling its ambassador to Syria in protest of the violence perpetrated by security forces against civilians.
"The actions of the Syrian security forces are not acceptable," the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Jordan's foreign minister said his country was "angered" and "extremely worried" by the killings of civilians in Syria. A day earlier, Tunisia recalled its ambassador from Syria, following the lead of several Gulf Arab states.
Assad's government has defied international calls for an end to the crackdown, saying it is battling "armed terrorist gangs", not a peaceful opposition.
In recent comments carried on the state-run news agency, Assad told members of the ruling Baath Party that Syria would not give up its "dignity and sovereignty".