Opinion: Again, Obama sternly warns Syria

April 22, 2011 5:08 PM PT

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

President Obama’s statement on Syria, as provided by the White House
The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms the use of force by the Syrian government against demonstrators.

The outrageous use of violence to quell protests must come to an end now.

We regret the loss of life and our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of the victims, and with the Syrian people in this challenging time.

The Syrian government’s moves yesterday to repeal Syria’s decades-old Emergency Law and allow for peaceful demonstrations were not serious given the continued violent oppression against protesters today.

Over the course of two months since protests in Syria began, the United States has repeatedly encouraged President Assad and the Syrian government to implement meaningful reforms, but they refuse to respect the rights of the Syrian people or be responsive to their aspirations.

The Syrian people have called for the freedoms that all individuals around the world should enjoy: freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly and the ability to freely choose their leaders.

President Assad and the Syrian government have repeatedly rejected their calls and chosen the path of repression.

They have placed their personal interests ahead of the Syrian people, resorting to the use of force and outrageous human rights abuses to compound the already oppressive security measures in place before these demonstrations erupted.

Instead of listening to their people, President Assad is blaming outsiders while seeking Iranian assistance in repressing Syrian citizens through the same brutal tactics that have been used by his Iranian allies.

We call on President Assad to change course now and heed the calls of his own people.

We strongly oppose ther Syrian government’s treatment of its citizens and we continue to oppose its destabilizing behavior more generally, including support for terrorism and terrorist groups.

The United States will continue to stand up for democracy and the universal rights that all human beings deserve in Syria and around the world. ####

Related Obama administration warnings:

Now, Obama warns Syria about violence

Yemen president gets stern warning from Obama press secretary

Obama changes mind on causing regime change in Middle East

New Obama warning to Libya: Stop right now

Obama warns Libya and Bahrain

Obama re-warns Libya: ‘The violence must stop’

Enough with warnings, Obama finally sanctions Libya

Obama takes a day off from warnings to praise Algeria, Motown

Next, Obama warns Libya: ‘This violence must stop’

Now, Obama warns Bahrain, Yemen and Libya