US says it is trying to force Assad to step down

Moscow, Aug 1 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The US is continuing its efforts to make Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad resign, according to US State Department spokesperson Patrick Ventrell.

"The situation is grave, and we're witnessing the regime's continued assault on its own people," said Ventrell during a daily press briefing Tuesday.

"We are continuing and accelerating all the efforts we have had in place to get Assad to step aside as soon as possible."

The US is not only, of course, continuing to work with like-minded nations on sanctions, he said, "we're working to provide our support to the opposition, we're working to provide millions of dollars of humanitarian support to help Syrians both inside Syria and those who have fled to the outside".

Meanwhile, the Syrian army continued its crackdown on opposition forces in Aleppo, the country's industrial and financial centre, Syria's state TV reported Tuesday.

Aleppo, a city of 2.5 million people, has remained the hotspot of Syria's civil conflict since last week, when pro-government forces launched a massive assault on the city in a colossal push to regain control of key territories across the country.

Russia and China have three times vetoed western draft resolutions on Syria, fearing the repetition of "the Libyan scenario" in Syria.

--IANS/RIA Novosti

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