Pressure on al-Assad to step down

BEIRUT -- Pressure mounted on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad yesterday after King Abdullah of Jordan suggested he step down ahead of a crucial Arab meeting in Morocco on Wednesday to explore specific measures to sanction Syria for its continuing crackdown against protesters.

In an interview with the BBC, Abdullah offered the most explicit condemnation yet of Assad by an Arab leader. "If Bashar has the interest of his country, he would step down. But he would also create an ability to reach out and start a new phase of Syrian political life," he said.

The king said he would resign if he were in Assad's position, adding that he "would make sure whoever comes behind me has the ability to change the status quo that we're seeing."

The Arab League is meeting Wednesday to implement its decision to suspend Syria's membership.

Among the measures to be discussed are possible ways of providing protection for civilians in Syria, the Arab League's secretary general, Nabil Elaraby, told reporters in Tripoli.

He said the league may turn to the UN Security Council, a step that would echo the push toward military intervention against Libya this year. It suggests Arab leaders are serious about implementing the decision to suspend Syria's membership and seek ways to halt the violent crackdown against the protest movement.

In a further setback for Damascus, Turkey said Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu would meet with the Arab foreign ministers at the Morocco gathering, a sign that the region is closing ranks against Assad after he failed to implement an Arab League peace plan.

The surprise vote Saturday by 18 of the Arab League's 22 member states was to suspend Syria's membership and open talks with the opposition about a post-Assad transition. -- The Washington Post