Assad must go

The Arab League suspended its observer mission in Syria on Saturday, after which the Syrian military cracked down harder on the opposition on Sunday. The UK and its allies must now persuade China and Russia to introduce sanctions, the liberal-conservative daily The Times demands: "A regime that murders civilians by the thousand loses its presumption of sovereignty. The genocide committed by Saddam Hussein against the Iraqi Kurds and attempted by Slobodan Milosevic against Kosovan Albanians ought to have demonstrated that lesson. Britain and its allies on the Security Council should impress on Russia and China, who have thus far been averse to sanctions against Syria, that Mr Assad must stand down. The Arab League, having inadvertently provided cover for the repression, should be at the forefront of that diplomatic effort. The longer Mr Assad remains, the greater the risk that the eventual reckoning for his regime will be terrible."

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