Obama leads diplomatic push for Syrian Prez Assad's departure

Washington, Aug 19 (ANI): The international calls demanding embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's departure is being lead by US President Barack Obama, who issued a statement accusing Assad of 'imprisoning, torturing and slaughtering his own people.'

As Obama signed executive orders significantly extending sanctions against the ruling regime in Syria, Germany, France and Britain issued a joint statement of their own.

He was followed a short time later by a joint statement from UK PM David Cameron, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel condemning the regime's 'bloody repression of peaceful and courageous demonstrators'.

"President Assad has lost all legitimacy and can no longer claim to lead the country," their statement read.

"We call on him to face the reality of the complete rejection of his regime by the Syrian people," it added.

According to the Independent, the European governments are expected to extend their own sanctions soon.

Their statement was matched by similar denunciations from Canada and the EU foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, the paper said.

The UN's Human Rights Commissioner, Navi Pillay, was also expected to recommend the referral of the regime to the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, the paper said.

However, Obama and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stressed that no-one would impose transition in Syria, the paper said.

"We understand the strong desire of the Syrian people that no foreign country should intervene in their struggle, and we respect their wishes," Clinton said.

But soon after suggesting that an intervention by the US would be meaningless, Clinton stressed that 'it is time for Assad to get out of the way'. (ANI)