Leaders of United States ,Germany and France have pledged to consider new steps to punish Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and his government over "indiscriminate" attacks on civilians. The leaders condemned the Assad regime's continued use of indiscriminate violence against the Syrian people. US President Barack Obama spoke separately to France's President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel as Western nations cranked up pressure on Assad, on a day when another 14 people were killed in Ramadan protests in Syria.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has accused the Syrian government of killing more than 2,000 of its own citizens during its ongoing brutal crackdown against opposition protesters as the Obama administration moved to further isolate President Bashar Assad and his inner circle. "They welcomed the August 3 presidential statement by the UN Security Council condemning Syria's actions, but also agreed to consider additional steps to pressure the Assad regime and support the Syrian people." The telephone consultations come as Washington appears to be moving towards a direct call for Assad to leave, after saying this week his presence was now fomenting instability and leading the Middle East down a dangerous path. The Obama administration had also said in recent days that it will press its allies in Europe and the Arab world, which are seen as having more leverage over Assad than Washington,to do more to increase pressure.
The United States has urged US citizens to depart Syria "immediately," and noted that the Damascus government has placed "severe" constraints on the travel of US diplomats in the country. The travel warning, an update to an April 25 order for US embassy staff's family members and some non-emergency personnel to leave Syria, expressed growing concern over the violent crackdown by President Bashar al-Assad's security forces against pro-democracy protesters.
Earlier, activists said that Syrian security forces shot dead at least 14 people as thousands of people rallied in the streets against Assad on the first Friday of Ramadan to support the protest hub of Hama.