US: Assad Either Disconnected or Crazy

State Dept. Demands Assad Immediately Step Down

Speaking today US State Department spokesman Mark Toner condemned Syrian President Bashar Assad, insisting that he is either “disconnected” or “crazy” and that he needs to resign his office immediately.

The comments came after Assad appeared on ABC News to deny allegations that his regime was attacking civilians, saying that he had no involvement in any of the attacks on civilian protesters in the country.

Assad insisted that there was a “big difference” between “a policy to crack down and having mistakes committed by some officials,” adding that he believes the majority of those slain were actually supporters of his, including 1,100 soldiers and police.

The numbers are certainly in question, but a large number of police and soldiers have been killed in recent weeks, mostly the result of defectors who, unhappy with orders to attack civilians, have joined various rebel factions.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.