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Chairman Kerry Urges President Assad Not To Respond To Protests With Violence

Washington, DC – With the possibility of widespread protests tomorrow in Syria, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) issued the following statement:

“Major protests are planned tomorrow in Syria and the world will be watching very closely.  President Assad should insist that his police and military refrain from using violence against peaceful demonstrators and instead he should seize the opportunity to open a process of real discussion to address the aspirations of the Syrian people.  I have been particularly disturbed by the violence in Syria, given my visits there, and the private statements of President Assad that he wants to bring Syria into modernity and begin a new relationship with the community of nations.  None of that will ever be possible unless President Assad’s government immediately ceases using violence against its own people and instead acts to address their concerns.”

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