The Associated Press: US ramps up criticism of Assad regime in Syria

The Associated Press: US ramps up criticism of Assad regime in Syria

clipped from article: The Obama administration ramped up its criticism of the Syrian government Wednesday, accusing it of continuing to "mow down" its citizens despite promises to halt a brutal crackdown on reformers. The White House said President Bashar Assad cannot be trusted, does not deserve to rule and must leave power.

"The words of the Assad regime have no credibility when they continue to be followed by outrageous and deplorable actions," White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement that noted that the violence was getting worse just days after the government agreed to an Arab League initiative aimed at ending the crisis. "They have already flagrantly violated their commitment to end violence and withdraw security forces from residential areas," he said.

"The United States continues to believe that the only way to bring about the change that the Syrian people deserve is for Bashar al-Assad to leave power," Carney said.

He said the administration is deeply disturbed by continued reports of government-backed violence. Witnesses said more than 200 people have been in killed in two days this week. The violence came after Assad agreed to allow in foreign monitors under the Arab League plan, return troops to barracks and release political prisoners. On Wednesday, a witness and two activist groups said government forces surrounded residents of a Syrian village and killed more than 100 people in a barrage that lasted for hours.

"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," Carney said. He called on the international community to unite in warning Assad that Syria will face additional measures, including more punitive sanctions, unless the regime changes course.

At the State Department, spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the stepped-up violence signaled that Syria's acceptance of the Arab League is merely a "stalling tactic."

"This is not the behavior of a government that is getting ready to implement the Arab League proposals," she told reporters, adding later that: "We've got lots of promises as the government continues to mow down its own people."
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