TURKEY: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says international community working hard to help Syrian people

Record ID: 280538

  • Title: TURKEY: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says international community working hard to help Syrian people
  • Date: 2nd April 2012
  • Summary: ISTANBUL, TURKEY (APRIL 1, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF U.S SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON MEETING MEMBERS OF SYRIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON SAYING: "People have been working very hard to try to figure out ways to help those inside Syria who are bearing brunt of the brutality of the Assad regime. We are painfully a
  • Embargoed: 17th April 2012 13:00
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  • Location: Turkey, Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA4T7XDVEUFAHQQ3C6YFLYFWMPX
  • Story Text: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Sunday (April 1) the United States is painfully aware of the brutal actions of the Damascus regime and that Washington is committed to working with Syrian National Council to help people in Syria.
    "People have been working very hard to try to figure out ways to help those inside Syria who are bearing brunt of the brutality of the Assad regime," Clinton said at a meeting with members of the Syrian National Council. "We are painfully aware how brutal the actions by the regime had been. And the Syrian National Council has been working hard to organize different Syrians behind a unified approach. Because until recently, it was hard to know who to help. There was not the kind of organized effort", the US Secretary of State added.
    Clinton urged members of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government to halt operations targeting civilians, or face "serious consequences". The international community stands united behind the Syrian people, she said. "I think you'll see in the communiqué today that there are concrete steps that are being taken."
    Clinton added that the communiqué really is in "honour and memory of the sacrifices of those who have been fighting and dying for their freedom."
    But she also warned there there is still much work to be done. "But I really believe that the the announcements coming from the meeting today, there will be greater pressure on the regime, there will be more assistance of all kinds for the Syrian National Council," Clinton said, adding that there will be more humanitarian assistance, that the people inside Syria should know "they are not alone", she said.
    While the Obama administration has called on Assad to accept a new peace plan proposed by United Nations-Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan, the United States has so far shown little appetite for arming the rebels or intervening militarily along the lines of the NATO-led operation in Libya last year.
    Syrians trying to topple President Bashar al-Assad meet their Western backers on Sunday while fighting has continued despite the Syrian government saying the year-long revolt is over.
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