AFP, Washington, 9 Feb 2012 – US President Barack Obama on Thursday decried the ‘outrageous bloodshed’ in Syria as government forces launched a deadly blitz on the protest city of Homs.
Government troops trying to crush opponents of President Bashar al-Assad have killed at least 400 people in a relentless six-day onslaught on Homs, opposition activists say. Rights groups estimate that more than 6,000 people have died in the nationwide crackdown since mid-March.
In comments after White House talks with Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, Obama also reiterated calls for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to leave power.
‘We both have a great interest in ending the outrageous bloodshed that we’ve seen and see a transition from the current government that has been assaulting its people,’ Obama said.