Obama: Important not to be bystanders on Syria

US President Barack Obama stressed here Friday the importance of not being "bystanders during these extraordinary events," taking placing in Syria. Obama told reporters following his bilateral meeting with Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt in the Oval Office that "all of us who have been seeing the terrible pictures coming out of Syria and Homs recently, recognize it is absolutely imperative for the international community to rally and send a clear message to President Assad that it is time for a transition." He added that "it is time for that regime to move on and it is time to stop the killing of Syrian citizens by their own government." Obama affirmed that he was encouraged by the "international unity" that is developing and would continue to keep the pressure up and "look for every tool available to prevent the slaughter of innocents in Syria." "It is important that we not be bystanders during these extraordinary events," he stressed. For her part, the Danish Premier said that what is happening in Syria "horrendous." She added that "under the leadership of the League of Arab States, there has been a step forward in trying to put pressure on Syria, which is very, very important".