Clinton: Assad’s regime must realize that its days are numbered

US secretary of state says official acknowledgement that UN peace plan is failing ‘should be a wake-up call for everyone’

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, left, and Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba stand before a meeting in Tokyo on Sunday, July 8 (photo credit: AP/Brendan Smialowski)
US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, left, and Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba stand before a meeting in Tokyo on Sunday, July 8 (photo credit: AP/Brendan Smialowski)

TOKYO (AP) — US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says time’s running out on Syrian peace hopes and warns that the Syrian state could collapse.

Speaking in Japan, Clinton said Sunday that UN mediator Kofi Annan’s acknowledgement that his peace plan is failing “should be a wake-up call for everyone.”

She says last month was the deadliest for the Syrian people in the 16-month revolt against President Bashar Assad. Clinton adds that the opposition “is getting more effective in defense of themselves and going on the offensive against the Syrian military.”

Clinton says Assad’s regime must acknowledge that its days are numbered.

She says there’s “still a chance to save the Syrian state from a catastrophic assault that would be very dangerous not only to Syria, but to the region.”

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Most Popular
read more:
If you’d like to comment, join
The Times of Israel Community.
Join The Times of Israel Community
Commenting is available for paying members of The Times of Israel Community only. Please join our Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits.
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Confirm Mail
Thank you! Now check your email
You are now a member of The Times of Israel Community! We sent you an email with a login link to . Once you're set up, you can start enjoying Community benefits and commenting.