U.S. urges Syrian president to ‘step down now’
The United States called for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to “step down now” following the assassination of a prominent Kurdish opposition figure amid continuing violence in the nation.
Assad should resign “before taking his country farther down this very dangerous path,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement Friday.
“It is also notable that these acts of violence took place just three days after the U.N. Security Council failed to pass a resolution calling for international human rights monitors in Syria in face of brutal repression,” he said, referring to a resolution vetoed by Russia and China.
Kurdish opposition leader Mashaal Tammo, a spokesman for the Kurdish Future Party and a member of the newly formed Syria National Council, was shot dead in an attack at a private residence in the northeastern city of Qamishli, one of the cities where protesters gathered Friday.
The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that he had been killed by “an armed terrorist group.” Local activists said he had been slain by members of a pro-government militia.
At least 14 other people died in Syria on Friday, according to the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria.
Another opposition leader Riad Saif was subjected to a “vicious and unprovoked assault,” the White House statement said.
The Kurdish opposition leader was killed by “an armed terrorist group,” state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported. Local activists said he was slain by members of a pro-government militia.
Tammo’s death was reported by three groups — the LCC, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Avaaz, an international activist organization. Tammo’s son and another activist, Zahida Rashkilo, were injured.
Avaaz said Tammo was meeting with activists at the time and that the attackers were members of the Shabiha, the pro-government militia.
“The Kurdish people are very angry as a result,” an activist told Avaaz.
The LCC said in a statement that Tammo survived another assassination attempt in August.
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