Clinton says Syria defectors are voting with their feet.
- 12 years ago
STORY:
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says Russia and China must pay a price for impeding progress toward a democratic transition in Syria.
SOUNDBITE: U.S. Secretary of States Hillary Clinton saying (English):
"The entire world is looking to those few nations that still have influence in Damascus. They need to step up and use all their leverage to make sure Assad sees the writing on the wall. Sitting on the sidelines or even worse, enabling the regime's brutality would be a grievous mistake."
Clinton spoke at a news conference following a "Friends of Syria" summit in Paris. The meeting is an attempt by opposition groups and Western and Arab countries, to try to engineer President Bashar al-Assad's departure.
She says the reports of the defection of army general Manaf Tlas, a personal friend of Assad, is a signal of change.
SOUNDBITE: U.S. Secretary of States Hillary Clinton saying (English):
"If people like him, and like the generals and colonels and others who have recently defected to Turkey are any indication, regime insiders and the military establishment are starting to vote with their feet."
The Secretary of State's remarks are among Washington's toughest in the 16 months of revolt.
Sharon Reich, Reuters
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says Russia and China must pay a price for impeding progress toward a democratic transition in Syria.
SOUNDBITE: U.S. Secretary of States Hillary Clinton saying (English):
"The entire world is looking to those few nations that still have influence in Damascus. They need to step up and use all their leverage to make sure Assad sees the writing on the wall. Sitting on the sidelines or even worse, enabling the regime's brutality would be a grievous mistake."
Clinton spoke at a news conference following a "Friends of Syria" summit in Paris. The meeting is an attempt by opposition groups and Western and Arab countries, to try to engineer President Bashar al-Assad's departure.
She says the reports of the defection of army general Manaf Tlas, a personal friend of Assad, is a signal of change.
SOUNDBITE: U.S. Secretary of States Hillary Clinton saying (English):
"If people like him, and like the generals and colonels and others who have recently defected to Turkey are any indication, regime insiders and the military establishment are starting to vote with their feet."
The Secretary of State's remarks are among Washington's toughest in the 16 months of revolt.
Sharon Reich, Reuters