Euro News: 'EU increases Pressure On Bashar Al-Assad'

Source:Euro News- European Union Foreign Policy Catherine Ashton.

"Euronews is a pan-European pay television news network, headquartered in Lyon, France. The network began broadcasting on 1 January 1993 and aimed to cover world news from a pan-European perspective.

It is jointly owned by several European and North African public and state-owned broadcasting organizations, and is currently majority-owned (88%) by Media Globe Networks, led by Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris, who is the chairman of the supervisory board. It is also a provider of live streaming world news, which can be viewed via its website, on YouTube, and on various mobile devices and digital media players." 

From Wikipedia 

"The EU is gradually ratcheting up the pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with a raft of new sanctions. Foreign ministers of the 27 member states have agreed to ban imports of Syrian oil in response to the ongoing violent crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations in Syria. They have also extended sanctions against seven Syrian individuals and organisations. It is the first time measures have targeted the key oil sector. Euro News." 

From Euro News

It's clear that Assad Regime in Syria has lost all credibility as far as governing Syria except for some loyalists that remain in Syria to the Assad Regime. Thats what happens when your murder people as the Assad Security Forces have for holding protests and demonstrations in Syria. Fighting for their freedom and for the most part these demonstrators have been peaceful. 

It's also clear at least up till now that President Bashar Assad of Syria is not going to step down peacefully or go down quietly. That he'll probably have to be removed from power, whether it's looks like what happened to President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, When his Security Forces refused to take down the protestors there and he stepped down from power as a consequence. Or it looks like what happened Moammar Gaddhafi of Libya where he was forcefully removed from office. 

And the question is how does this come about. I believe the Arab League shouldn't step aside and let their fellow arabs be murdered. I also don't believe that the European Union an organization thats pro- democracy and fights for it, as well as the United States the same thing should sit aside and watch people get murdered and do nothing about it. 

So the question to me is how do we bring this about, how to we force President Assad out-of-power. There are several steps that can take place a four step plan, where hopefully all four steps don't have to come about. 

Hopefully President Assad would recognize that it's time for him to step down from power and turn his country over to the opposition. Or at least to an interim government that would run the country until Syria holds general elections which is what is happening in Egypt right now. Which is different from what's happening in Libya right now, where the Gaddafi Opposition is now running the country instead of Moammar Gaddafi. 

So in this four step process that I see it, first what I believe the United States, European Union, Arab League and United Nations should do jointly. 

One, call for President Assad to step down from power and hand the government over to the Syrian Opposition or an interim government. 

Two, put in economic sanctions on Syria, don't let money enter or leave Syria and only let in resources in or out of the country. That would be managed by Syrian Opposition: things like food, water, medical supplies, human resources, etc. As well as freeze all foreign assets that the Assad Regime has outside of Syria. 

Three, if necessary arm the Syrian rebels with money, resources and even weapons if they need them to defend themselves against the Assad Military Forces. Including things like bringing in any Assad defectors into the Syrian Opposition. 

Four, and hopefully it doesn't get to this, establish a no fly zone over Syria and this is where NATO would be needed. Turkey and Egypt could play a big role here, to protect the Syrian rebels and the Syrian people from their own government, essentially. As well as ground forces if necessary from Turkey, Egypt and the Arab League to protect the Syrian rebels and the Syrian people. 

This is not something that the United States can run or managed but we can help by sending in supplies and with sanctions. Because we are already overcommitted around the world. But where the Arab League, European Union, NATO can play a big role and lead the way. Back the Syrian rebels and knock another Middle Eastern authoritarian regime out-of-power.