US senators: Syria’s Assad has lost his legitimacy

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Many in the US Congress are getting impatient with what they see as a lack of concrete action by the Obama administration to condemn and punish the Syrian government for its brutal crackdown on civilian protesters. Today, 16 senators are co-sponsoring a resolution calling on the administration to get tough on the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) spearheaded the resolution (PDF) with Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and John McCain (R-AZ). The foursome held a press conference on Wednesday afternoon at the Capitol to announce their new effort and demand that the Obama administration expand its activities to sanction, condemn, and pressure the Syrian government to stop killing civilians in the streets.

“I know that there are some who had hoped when these protests first broke out that Bashar al- Assad would pursue the path of reform rather than the path of violence and brutality. But that has clearly not been his choice. He is not a reformer. He is a thug and a murderer who is pursuing the Qaddafi model, and hopes to get away with it,” said Lieberman.

“First and foremost, [the resolution] sends a clear message that Bashar al Assad — through his campaign of violence — has lost legitimacy, and puts the Senate squarely on record as standing with the aspirations of the Syrian people,” Lieberman added.

The resolution condemns the Syrian government for its crackdown on peaceful protesters, violating international human rights agreements, withholding food, water, and basic medical services to civilians, and torturing protesters in government custody. The resolution also mentions Iran’s assistance to Syria’s repressive government and Syrian meddling in Lebanon, which has included transferring weapons to Hezbollah.

The senators want the administration to expand the targeted sanctions it imposed last month on senior Syrian government officials, sanction Assad directly, expand the effort to combat media and information censorship in Syria, engage more with the Syrian opposition, and seek condemnation of Syria at the U.N. Security Council. The senators also want President Barack Obama to speak publicly about the crisis there.

“It’s time to indict the guy who is giving the orders,” said McCain. “And it’s time for the President of the United States to speak up.”

Two senior Senate aides said they expect the resolution to move to the Senate floor and be passed relatively soon.

Importantly, the Senate resolution declares that the Syrian government “has lost legitimacy” and expresses the belief that the Syrian people should determine their own political future. The State Department has resisted making that statement, knowing that once the administration declares Assad is no longer “legitimate,” all efforts to work with the Syrian government to encourage better behavior will become more difficult.

Pressed repeatedly on that very question at Tuesday’s briefing, State Department spokesman Mark Toner refused to say the Syrian government was no longer legitimate.

“We believe that he needs to take concrete steps to cease violence against innocent protesters and civilians, and he needs to address their legitimate aspirations,” he said.

But Syria’s main advocate in the Senate, SFRC Chairman John Kerry (D-MA), told The Cable on Tuesday that Assad’s chance to be a reformer had passed.

“I said we have to put him to the test. I’ve always said it’s a series of tests,” Kerry said. “The chance was lost and that’s the end of it.”

UPDATE: Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) is now also a co-sponsor of the resolution, bringing the total number of co-sponsors to 17.

FP

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25 responses to “US senators: Syria’s Assad has lost his legitimacy”

  1. #syria @syria @Assad#BBC#AC360
    US senators: Syria’s Assad has lost his legitimacy. . one step closer.

  2. #syria @syria @Assad#BBC#AC360
    US senators: Syria’s Assad has lost his legitimacy. . one step closer.

  3. 2160John Avatar
    2160John

    Assad had his people killed and all but it is the US that has no legitimacy in bossing around other nations Just because Syria is giving the IMF a hard time in regards to article 6, it doesn’t mean that you should promote war propaganda against them. Iraq and Afghanistan rejected the IMF and that’s why they were invaded. All about the Benjamins.

    1. ralphsrouji Avatar
      ralphsrouji

      Hahaha seriously? you’re right the US has no legitimacy… on Gamma Centauri.
      Another great conspiracy theorist, linking the revolution in the most corrupt Syria to the IMF and article 6 pfffffff
      Who gave you insight to this conspiracy? it must be otv, they’re the best at that.

      1. 2160John Avatar
        2160John

        Hey nutjob. If you don’t know how the world works then keep it to yourself. People like him try to portray people who expose the truth as conspiracy theorists, OTV followers, santa claus believers and all kinds of silly stuff. The reason we run run the world isbecause we have ignorant people like you, who claim our vary organizations are mere conspiracy. The Masonic based organizations are just as real as the Republic of Lebanon or the United States; in fact theyre predate them.

    2. ralphsrouji Avatar
      ralphsrouji

      Hahaha seriously? you’re right the US has no legitimacy… on Gamma Centauri.
      Another great conspiracy theorist, linking the revolution in the most corrupt Syria to the IMF and article 6 pfffffff
      Who gave you insight to this conspiracy? it must be otv, they’re the best at that.

  4.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    Assad had his people killed and all but it is the US that has no legitimacy in bossing around other nations Just because Syria is giving the IMF a hard time in regards to article 6, it doesn’t mean that you should promote war propaganda against them. Iraq and Afghanistan rejected the IMF and that’s why they were invaded. All about the Benjamins.

    1.  Avatar
      Anonymous

      Hahaha seriously? you’re right the US has no legitimacy… on Gamma Centauri.
      Another great conspiracy theorist, linking the revolution in the most corrupt Syria to the IMF and article 6 pfffffff
      Who gave you insight to this conspiracy? it must be otv, they’re the best at that.

      1.  Avatar
        Anonymous

        Hey nutjob. If you don’t know how the world works then keep it to yourself. People like him try to portray people who expose the truth as conspiracy theorists, OTV followers, santa claus believers and all kinds of silly stuff. The reason we run run the world isbecause we have ignorant people like you, who claim our vary organizations are mere conspiracy. The Masonic based organizations are just as real as the Republic of Lebanon or the United States; in fact theyre predate them.

  5. Ya Rami: Soon NATO and the US will get rid of Ghaddafi. Once that happens, they will be focusing on you and Bashar, Bushra, Rustom, Maher, Assef, and the rest of your gang. Get ready, ya ibn’il khalab, as it’s coming your way…..soon…

  6. Ya Rami: Soon NATO and the US will get rid of Ghaddafi. Once that happens, they will be focusing on you and Bashar, Bushra, Rustom, Maher, Assef, and the rest of your gang. Get ready, ya ibn’il khalab, as it’s coming your way…..soon…

  7. Ya Rami: Soon NATO and the US will get rid of Ghaddafi. Once that happens, they will be focusing on you and Bashar, Bushra, Rustom, Maher, Assef, and the rest of your gang. Get ready, ya ibn’il khalab, as it’s coming your way…..soon…

  8. Ya Rami: Soon NATO and the US will get rid of Ghaddafi. Once that happens, they will be focusing on you and Bashar, Bushra, Rustom, Maher, Assef, and the rest of your gang. Get ready, ya ibn’il khalab, as it’s coming your way…..soon…

  9. Leborigine Avatar
    Leborigine

    Haha, some of the comments here are hillarious, you guys made my day! No joke.
    On a serious matter, the shahatta on assads face is more of a humiliation on the protesters behalf, act and protest like real civilised men!
    A shahhata on a pic and flag burning is no way of getting the message accross, it only shows how immature and uneducated you are.

    1. antar2011 Avatar
      antar2011

      actualy the sha7ata has become a symbol that the americans are all too familiar with especially those who supported George W Bush Jr 

  10. Leborigine Avatar
    Leborigine

    Haha, some of the comments here are hillarious, you guys made my day! No joke.
    On a serious matter, the shahatta on assads face is more of a humiliation on the protesters behalf, act and protest like real civilised men!
    A shahhata on a pic and flag burning is no way of getting the message accross, it only shows how immature and uneducated you are.

    1. antar2011 Avatar
      antar2011

      actualy the sha7ata has become a symbol that the americans are all too familiar with especially those who supported George W Bush Jr 

  11.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    Haha, some of the comments here are hillarious, you guys made my day! No joke.
    On a serious matter, the shahatta on assads face is more of a humiliation on the protesters behalf, act and protest like real civilised men!
    A shahhata on a pic and flag burning is no way of getting the message accross, it only shows how immature and uneducated you are.

    1.  Avatar
      Anonymous

      actualy the sha7ata has become a symbol that the americans are all too familiar with especially those who supported George W Bush Jr 

  12. josephphdman Avatar
    josephphdman

    i think the obama administration may give asad some more chances and a litte more time before asking him to step down,
    president obama may try to make a deal with asad , if president asad willing  to do a few things quickly:
    1- make more democratic reforms ,and give the syrian people more freedom
    2-sign a peace treaty with israel now within 60 days
    3-disarm hezbollah in lebanon
    4-stop supporting terrossists
    versus his acceptance , and to give the incentive to help him become the reformer the us wants him to be:
     1-the us will help him stay in power
    2- the us will help unfreeze all the regeme assets
    3- the us will help him financially so he does,nt have to depend on iran.. that will encourage him to defy iran and sign a peace agreement with israel that he has been wanting to agree to it in the past 11 years and failed due to pressure from iran)
    4- the us will help him transform to democracy within 10 years
    that will be in the best interrest of the us and the region in my opinion
    also it will give more stability and security to israel and lebanon ,
    it will also help syria , so it will be  a win for all parties
    and the biggest loosers if this deal executed will be iran!!!
    i pray for peace in the world ,always

  13.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    i think the obama administration should give asad som e more chances and a litte mortime before asking him to step down,
    they should try to make a deal with him if he is willing  to accept few things
    1- make somemore reforms democratic and give the syrian people more freedom
    2-sign a peace treaty with israel now within 60 days
    3-disarm hezbollah in lebanon
    4-stop supporting terrossists
    versus his acceptance ;:,1-
     the us will help him stay in power
    2- the us will help unfreeze all the regeme assets
    3- the us will help him financially so he does,nt have to depend on iran..
    4- the us will help him transform to democracy within 10 years
    that will be in the best interrest of the us and the region in my opinion
    also it will give more stability and security to israel and lebanon ,
    it will also help syria , so it will be  a win for all parties
    and the biggest loosers if deal executed will be iran
    whaao!!!!! that will make the democracy lovers really happy .

  14. Ashley Ramos Avatar
    Ashley Ramos

    What really gets me is how politicians can sit and say that Assad still
    has a chance at reform. If I asked a handful of citizens how would they
    feel if their leader made reforms after killing nearly 1,000
    citizens….you know what the answer would be. Of course no one is going
    to have any respect for his authority, except those unfortunate
    citizens who have fallen prey to the Assad regimes brainwashing tactics.
    It’s a real mess and it breaks my heart as an American citizen that
    nothing can be done to stop these thugs.
    Pendant

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