WASHINGTON (TIP): With the opposition coalition gradually gaining ground in Syria and now being formally recognised by the United States, the White House has said the President Bashar al-Assad must go. “We certainly agree that Assad will not be a part of Syria’s future. We have noted, as the media has, the progress that the opposition has been making. We still believe that for the sake of the Syrian people, Assad ought to leave now,” the White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters at his daily news conference on Thursday.

Assad ought to remove himself from power now because it is terrible what damage he has inflicted on the Syrian people, the lives that have been lost because of his brutality, he asserted. Carney said the United States would consult with its allies and others and evaluate the situation regularly. “But we believe that providing continuous support to the Syrian people as well as non-lethal support to the opposition is the right approach,” he said. “We’ve been very engaged in assisting the opposition unify itself.

We recognised the Syrian opposition coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people, and we will continue to work with our partners to isolate Assad and to help bring about the day when the Syrian people can decide for themselves on a better future for their country,” Carney said. Explicitly condemning the use of missiles, Carney said it is just another demonstration of the “utter depravity” of the Assad regime and the lengths to which he will go to retain power.