Obama Calls on Assad to Step Aside
U.S. President Barack Obama demanded Thursday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "step aside" and imposed tough sanctions on Damascus including an asset freeze and ban on U.S. investments in Syria.
"We have consistently said that President Assad must lead a democratic transition or get out of the way. He has not led. For the sake of the Syrian people, the time has come for President Assad to step aside," Obama said.
It was the first explicit U.S. call for Assad to resign as global pressure increased on the Syrian leader to end a months-long crackdown on dissent that has killed more than 2,000 people, according to rights activists.
But Obama also emphasized that Washington "cannot and will not impose this transition upon Syria" and vowed to heed Syrians' "strong desire that there not be foreign intervention in their movement."
"It is time for the Syrian people to determine their own destiny, and we will continue to stand firmly on their side," Obama said in a stern statement quickly echoed by the European Union.
"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," foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement.
Earlier Thursday, the U.N. human rights chief said Syria may have committed crimes against humanity in its bloody crackdown on dissent and urged the U.N. Security Council to refer the matter to the International Criminal Court.
The U.N. Security Council was due to meet later Thursday to hear from that official, Navi Pillay.
The U.S. president imposed a wave of new economic sanctions on Syria that he said would "deepen the financial isolation of the Assad regime," already targeted for being a U.S.-designated “state sponsor of terrorism.”
Obama ordered Syrian government assets under U.S. jurisdiction frozen, blocked any U.S. person or business from doing business with Syria's government, prohibited U.S. imports of petroleum or petroleum products from Syria, and banned U.S. individuals or firms from "operating or investing in Syria."
"We expect today's actions to be amplified by others," said the U.S. president, who noted that any Syrian democratic transition "will take time" and warned the Syrian people faced "more struggle and sacrifice."
The United States had previously said Assad had lost his legitimacy to govern and said Syria would be better off without him but had not explicitly demanded he quit power.
But activists and some in Washington had criticized Obama for calling on Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi to step aside but stopping short of doing so with Assad, whose bloody crackdown on dissent has drawn global outrage.
U.S. officials have said for the past week that the administration was planning to call on Assad to step down but had not yet decided on the timing.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has indicated the United States did not want to go out on a limb and that it was essential that Syria's neighbors and the international community simultaneously increase pressure on Assad.
Clinton has said that Arab pressure on Syria was particularly important in the campaign against Assad. This week Tunisia recalled its ambassador from Damascus, following similar moves by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain.
The developments at the United Nations came after a special session of the U.N. human rights council which diplomats said was requested by not only the United States and EU but also all four Arab countries that are members of the council -- Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
On Thursday Clinton described the U.S. sanctions on Syrian oil as a "strike at the heart of" Assad's 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," Clinton said in a statement read out to reporters.
U.S. Senator Kirstin Gillibrand and other senators said energy sanctions would bite because about one-third of Syria's export revenue comes from oil.
However, Clinton has suggested that India, China and European companies impose sanctions on Syria's energy sector because they have a far larger stake there than the United States.
It was not immediately clear whether these countries would take such actions.
"And as we increase pressure on the Assad regime to disrupt its ability to finance its campaign of violence, we will take steps to mitigate any unintended effects of the sanctions on the Syrian people," Clinton said.
over 12 years
Well I guess thats everything he CAN do short of going into war. Well played though not sure about the timing.
over 12 years
Well done mr president, better late than never.
over 12 years
I didn't know that Obama was the long-awaited Messiah. Or is he? Not even the American people listen to this failure anymore. PATHETIC.
over 12 years
bye bye Assad
over 12 years
Finally.The 41 year old regime will be gone soon and peace will come to lebanon.The syrian regime was the cause of all the wars in the middle east.the only way to kill a snake is to cut its head. The lebanese gov will fall soon.there is a big danger of a civil war. but at the end the free lebanese people will rebuild the new Lebanon. Many important people have left lebanon or will be leaving soon. The one way ticket guy will try to leave but no country will take him. he will commit suicide . Hizbo have allready rockets lounchers all over lebanon. they are on high allert knowing well that the end is near. I hope what i am saying is wrong but i see it like cinemascope. Its a domino effect . Once the assad regime falls all his followers will follow.
over 12 years
Well done Mr. beloved criminal president!
You and Hillary Clingone are the most professional hypocrites of the world.
over 12 years
President suleiman left the country with his family just 30 minutes before obama asked assad to step aside. mmmmmmmmmm. ????? dakkat saaet el sefer.
over 12 years
bear lion....
may you rot in hell....
The noble martyrs (who u contributed do not want you any place close them....
Either way killing and torturing innocent children should go a long way in determining where u end up
over 12 years
what took u so long?
over 12 years
shout all you wish mr. the president, too bad you have fallen victim to your zionist congress, and you are obviously too naive to understand the real politics and the situation in the region, it seems you will never learn form your past mistakes and the mistakes of your predecessors, the problems in Syria are over, finished you lost, now you are barking empty words.
over 12 years
bigdig I shit on Gaddffi, Assad, Khomeni, Khameni and your Sayed
over 12 years
Obama said today he wants to step down too as a reason of his own war crimes and lies.
But he said he'll do it after Assad is gone.
over 12 years
It's about time that Mr. Obama had said what he was suposed to say 5-months ago. Good to know that he finally put on his eye-glasses and hearing aid..
over 12 years
@Bigdig: Qaddafi had the backing of Russia and China initially, until they dropped him cause they knew he would not survive. Russia is still whining about the NATO assault on Qaddafi almost daily.
over 12 years
None of Obama's or the EU's business. All the do is create instability and chaos; nothing more. Just look at Iraq and Afghanistan.
But, this could be a bright spot for the US. Maybe Obama can replace Assad.
over 12 years
None of you were bothered Obama called on Moubarak and Ben Ali to step aside, I bet it's because Moubarak and Ben Ali never murdered any Lebanese as Assad Sr and Jr did .
over 12 years
I agree Obama isn't a great president and came up empty on many promises thus I will not be voting for him come election time, but these talks about war crimes are outrageous. What are u people even talking about? Uk bush and Obama aren't the same person right? Or is every amewikkan politician a war criminal in ur eyes?
over 12 years
Not that all American politicians are criminals but sometime I think the Mafia is better behaved. The West is not what I would call a reliable ally. They destabalize countries and there experiments have been very harmful to many. They have created havoc and caused mayhem wherever they have gone. They are most likely funding and arming those radical elements that have infiltrated and tainted those who seek truth, justice and democracy. They are playing with millions of lives and do not care if they hand the people over to the very groups that seek the destruction of the US. The radical Moslem elements will infiltrate, as we have seen in Iraq and other countries, and utterly destroy the country; denying freedom for all but a few and forcing all to live under a strict Shiria-based society chocking off all rights of free thought and liberty.
If that's what people desire go for it! But I for one, although I am a second-generation American, believe that this is not best for Syria..
over 12 years
ithinkthere14iam is a moron...Obama is identical to Bush! Another loser who bought into his speeches....
over 12 years
What took the United States 5 months or "so long" like many here are wondering is that Bashar and his dad were the US boy. rhetoric aside, her is their boy..take a look at what happened in sinai today, do you now know why bashar is israel's favorite dictator?? the US is switching horses simply because they know that the people have the upper hand now and that Assad has become a liability rather than a key to "stability", when a dictator no longer ensures stability and is doing atrocities that have become too hard to swallow then it is time to let him go, if bashar was able to finish the people off the first two months everyone would have been ok.This is classic US doctrine: support the dictator till the end and if the people are winning switch horses and make it look like you were with the people all along. The first military coup that happened in Syria in the 50's was sponsored by the CIA. Nevertheless, Salute to the heroic Syrian people who are forcing the world to go their way!
over 12 years
The Syrian people have said it long before.
Obama and his administration could not believe that they were duped by Assad who pretended to react to their reopening of dialogue with his regime. This is why it took them long to admit that they were wrong and to declare Assad as a hopeless case.
Assad withe the help of iran and hezbollah will try to stir trouble to divert attention but the end game is in the hands of the syrian people.
" Al sha3b yoreed isqaat alnizaam " I bet that Assad cannot take thiese chants out of his head!
over 12 years
Let’s us admit it the Syrian Regime is tyrant and has committed many crimes. These are facts no one can deny. On the Other hand the Syrian regime maintained a secular system where Minorities (e.g Christians) enjoyed, to certain extent, religious freedom...
Now what is going on in Syria is not a peaceful transition of power or toward a democratic change let us face it what is happening in Syria might lead to a civil war...where every group will be a loser. As per Mr Obama's demand i frankly don't think it counts since Americans have lost credibility with their wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and their global involvements. On top of that we all know that the foreign interventions in Arab springs are not innocent..a good Example is Libya , Qadhafi or Mr Mad Dog was a good partner the Italians were reluctant to intervene, the Americans froze the Libyan assets...It’s no secret money and oil are the main reason for such intervention l ..Let the syrian themselves shape the future of Syria...
over 12 years
i love how my comment got deleted cuxz i saidobama step aside
Finally he said it!!! Get out ya Bashar. Leave the Hezz naked.