BICOM

Jordan’s King Abdullah told the BBC yesterday that if he were Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, he would step down as president. ‘I would step down and make sure whoever comes behind me has the ability to change the status-quo that we’re seeing.’ On Saturday, the Arab League suspended Syria and called on its government to stop the violence against protesters. The League said that it will impose economic and political sanctions on the Syrian government and will also meet with opposition leaders in the country.

The White House added yesterday that President Assad was increasingly isolated, and said that he had lost his legitimacy to lead. ‘It is clear that the Assad regime is continuing to be isolated, that the political pressure on them is building,’ said White House spokesperson Josh Earnest.

In related news, 40 Syrians were reported to have been killed in fighting yesterday between forces loyal to President Assad and anti-government forces. The attack took place at Khirnet Ghazaleh, 20 kilometres north of the Jordanian border, along the main highway between Amman and Damascus.