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Freedom House Calls on Obama to Take Actions for Assad's Ouster

In response to the increasingly grave human rights situation in Syria, Freedom House today joined other human rights groups in sending a letter to President Barack Obama asking that he take a number of concrete actions against the Syrian government, including calling for President Bashar al-Assad's immediate ouster.

"The atrocities that the Syrian government has perpetrated against its own civilians are beyond the pale, and it is incumbent upon all members of the international community, especially democratic governments led by the United States, to do everything possible to bring an end to this brutality," said David J. Kramer, president of Freedom House. "Assad has proven to be irredeemable in the eyes of his own people and the international community; the only viable option is for him to go."

President Assad has ignored international calls for him to cease attacks on civilians in the cities of Hama, Deir Ezzor, Bokamel, Arben, and Madameya. Since the protests began in March, more than 2000 have been killed and many more injured and detained. President Obama recently announced a new "Presidential Study Directive on Mass Atrocities" which will create a new interagency Atrocities Prevention Board tasked with coordinating a comprehensive government approach to prevent mass atrocities and genocide.

"If President Obama is serious in his intention to make the prevention of mass atrocities a U.S. priority, Syria fits that bill," continued Kramer.

Printed below is the text of the letter:

August 10, 2011

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

We share your disgust with the Syrian government's violence and brutality against its own people, and we urge you to take stronger action in response to the ongoing assault against the Syrian people.

The last four and a half months of violence against peaceful protestors in Syria have already left an estimated 2,000 dead, and this violence has escalated with attacks by the Syrian army on the cities of Hama, Deir Ezzor, Bokamel, Arben, and Madameya. As you have said, this ongoing violence shows that President Assad is completely incapable and unwilling to respond to the legitimate grievances of the Syrian people.
We agree on your assessment of the situation in Syria and support your new Directive on Mass Atrocities, which states that the prevention of mass atrocities and genocide "is a core national security interest and a core moral responsibility of the United States of America." However, we are disappointed by the so far inadequate and uneven response of the U.S. government in regards to Syria and strongly urge that additional action from the United States not await the 100-day review of tools available to U.S. Policy Makers that was called for in the directive. We urge you to immediately call on President Assad to step down and lead a concerted international effort to raise the pressure on his regime.

Moreover, we recommend several steps to increase pressure on Assad's regime to end the violence: