seems like there's a new "bush" in town... so how do you like him now?



WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama on Thursday called for Syrian President Bashar Assad to lead his country to democracy or "get out of the way," his most direct warning to the leader of a nation embroiled in violence. In a wide-ranging speech on the Arab revolt across the Middle East and North Africa, Obama said the United States has a historic opportunity and the responsibility to support the rights of people clamoring for freedoms.

On Syria, Obama said the government "has chosen the path of murder and the mass arrests of its citizens." He praised the Syrian people for their courage in standing up to repression in a bloody crackdown that has killed hundreds.

Obama said the region's revolutions speak to a "longing for freedom" that has built up for years and has led to the overturning of tyrants — with perhaps more to fall. He embraced the call for change and compared it to signature moments of U.S. history such as the American revolution and the civil rights movement.

The president spoke at the State Department in his first comprehensive remarks on the astonishing ripples of change in the Middle East. He hailed the killing of al-Qaida terrorist leader Osama bin Laden and declared that bin Laden's vision of destruction was fading even before U.S. forces shot him dead.

Obama said the "shouts of human dignity are being heard across the region."

The president noted that some "true leaders" had stepped down and that "more may follow." He quoted civilian protesters who have pushed for change in Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen but noted that among those countries, only Egypt had seen the departure of a long-ruling autocratic leader.

Obama said that while there will be setbacks that accompany progress with political transitions, the movements present a valuable opportunity for the U.S. to show which side it is on. "We have a chance to show that America values the dignity of the street vendor in Tunisia more than the raw power of a dictator," he said, referring to the fruit vendor who killed himself in despair and sparked a chain of events that unleashed uprisings around the Arab world.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110519/ap_on_re_us/us_obama_mideast_17

Ooooo sounds like someone pissed off the president..right on! Ok which one of you did it? Jk

This one took me by surprise. We don't know all the details yet so im still skepticle.

Although I think we need to do a forced regime change in that country also with all the recent human rights crimes.

If it were President Bush he would have pushed for a forced regime change in Libya, Syria and Iran, not just sanctions or a couple bombs like Obama's doing.

I could have sworn obama promised to end all the mideast wars and military actions... this will be number two in in 2 years... he's on pace to beat bushes record with wars... nice for someone who wanted to end all this crap...

I find it funny that we only get militarily involved in oil rich countries. The same thing that's happening in Syria, Libya, Egypt etc happens every day and has happened every day for decades in oil void countries like Somalia, Sudan, Mogadishu etc and we do nothing.

I bet Code Pink is happy with him............

Personaly I think Bush would have sent in the marines to support the right wing regimes. When did Bush or any neo-con support democracy?

Hell yea send in the Marines..........

Iraq, Afganistan just to name a couple.

one thing that bugs me about a Syrian conflict is that the fall of Damascus is one of the bibles triggers for the end of times... just a thought...

Oh well.