United States must stop soft-pedaling Bashar Assad and demand Syrian regime’s immediate departure

“Secretary Clinton and the Obama Administration need to abandon this naïve and subservient political tactic of giving Syrian President Bashar Assad another opportunity to redeem himself. It is incumbent on the United States as the leader of the Free World to state unequivocally that Assad must go. Secretary Clinton’s statement that Assad’s legitimacy is “nearly run out” is a direct slap in the face to those that have sacrificed their lives on the streets of Dara’a, Baniyas and other towns throughout Syria in order to have a glimmer of hope at ever realizing a free Syria.

Tallies of the dead and tortured have steadily increased over the past two months. It is unconscionable that President Obama has been weak in stating that a despot like Assad must be relegated to the dustbin of history. Hopefully President Obama is able to summon the moral courage and fortitude to defend the people of Syria against their oppressors. The United States may be able to reclaim a semblance of credibility with the Syrian people if we act now.

As Human Rights Watch made clear in a June 1 report, Bashar Assad’s security forces have committed atrocities that should be considered crimes against humanity. Specifically the report states that “We’ve never seen such horror” when referring to atrocities in Dara’a. How can anyone legitimately believe that Bashar Assad could “take meaningful steps to start a process of reform” as Secretary Clinton urged Assad to do?

There may not be unanimity on the Security Council, but we cannot allow hesitation by the Russians and the Chinese to dictate our position in standing up for the people of Syria. While we float trial resolutions people are being killed for asserting their inalienable human right to free speech.

The world needs steadfast leadership and moral clarity. We must condemn the evil that is being perpetrated on the people of Syria and do all within our power to remove the forces of evil that are perpetrating crimes against humanity on the people of Syria and stand up for their liberty. Anything less is un-American.”