Mrs Clinton said she was "hurt" by reports of violence in Aleppo
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Fresh anti-Assad rallies in Syria
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has warned time is running out for Syria's government to usher in reforms.
She said President Bashar al-Assad would face more organised resistance to his rule unless the country saw "a genuine transition to democracy".
Her comments came as thousands of activists prepared to renew their protests following Friday's prayers.
Human rights groups estimate that about 1,700 people have been killed in three months of anti-government protests.
"We know what they have to do," Mrs Clinton said at a news conference during a visit to Lithuania.
"They must begin a genuine transition to democracy and allowing one meeting of the opposition in Damascus is not sufficient action toward achieving that goal."
Mrs Clinton said: ''It is absolutely clear that the Syrian government is running out of time. There isn't any question about that.
Protests have spread to Aleppo, Syria's second city, activists say "They are either going to allow a serious political process that will include peaceful protests to take place throughout Syria and engage in a productive dialogue with members of the opposition and civil society, or they're going to continue to see increasingly organised resistance."
Earlier in the week the government allowed a meeting of opposition activists to take place in the Syrian capital.
Britain's Guardian newspaper carried an unpublished draft document it said was circulated at the meeting, setting out a roadmap to reform.
It said the document called for "a secure and peaceful transition to civil democracy" and quoted opposition sources as saying the US was encouraging them to maintain dialogue with Mr Assad's government. But it also said Washington had denied backing the document.
Three more civilians were killed overnight in the north-western region of Jabal al-Zawiyah, activists said, two in the town of al-Bara and one in the nearby village of Brim.
Agence France-Presse also quoted activists as saying there had been explosions on Friday in the coastal city of Latakia.
Protests reportedly spread to Syria's second city of Aleppo on Thursday, with activists saying that baton-wielding security forces had clashed with hundreds of demonstrators.
Mrs Clinton said she was "hurt by recent reports of continuing violence on the border and in Aleppo, where demonstrators have been beaten, attacked with knives by government-organised groups and security forces".
The Syrian Revolution 2011 group has again called on protesters to turn out after Friday prayers, with the message to Mr Assad: "We don't love you... Go away, you and your party."
Reuters news agency said Friday's mass protests had already begun and were ranging from suburban Damascus to the Syrian borders with both Lebanon and Iraq.
Rights campaigners estimate that more than 1,350 civilians and 350 security personnel have been killed since mid-March as security forces try to stifle anti-government protests.
This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-middle-east-13988701
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