West must retain credibility

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad continues to bank on the West viewing him as an indispensable stability factor in the region, writes the liberal-conservative daily Jyllands-Posten: "Assad acts as if he wanted to prove that his departure would necessarily involve a long and bloody civil war. He believes that the West fears this most of all, and that consequently it will look on helplessly from a distance while Assad continues to oppress his people. It is high time that the leaders of the Western world let the Syrian president know he can forget becoming a member of the international community of states if he continues to use violence against demonstrators. Otherwise the West will lose its credibility in that part of the Arab World that firmly believes in democracy."

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