Syria: Reports Of Shelling, White House Condemns Violence
By KUNA
Responding to reports of shelling in Syria earlier in the day, White House press secretary Jay Carney on Wednesday said US officials “strongly condemn and oppose the violence in Syria.”
“We continue to work unilaterally and collectively with our allies to urge the government of Syria to cease the violence, to engage in political dialogue, ” he said during a briefing.
“One, it is abhorrent to use violence in any form against peaceful protesters and against unarmed citizens, your own citizens,” he said. “And two, if what they seek is stability, they are sowing the seeds of more instability by doing what they are doing, and we strongly condemn that.”
The United States has been increasing pressure against Syria with sanctions, he noted.
“It has been made abundantly clear to the Syrian government that a security crackdown will not restore stability and will not stop the demands for change in Syria,” Carney said.
“The Syrian government continues to follow the lead of its Iranian ally in resorting to brute force and flagrant violations of human rights and suppressing peaceful protests, and history is not on the side of this kind of action.”
“We believe that the government ought to listen to its people, refrain from violence and engage in political dialogue,” he added.
