U.S. accuses Syria of flouting will of international community

The United States on Tuesday accused the Syrian government of flouting the will of the international community, calling it "dangerous and worrying." "The degree to which the Assad regime has completely flouted the will of the international community, of the Arab League, claimed to be agreeing even as the violence continues, is, you know, very, very dangerous and worrying," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said at a regular press briefing. Last week, the Syrian government accepted a peace plan put forward by the Arab League to end the crisis in the country without any reservation, but violence continues unabated, prompting the regional bloc to call an emergency ministerial meeting for Saturday. Nuland said the U.S. is gratified that the Arab League will be meeting again over the situation in Syria, adding that "Our interest is in staying in touch with them, and we'll see what they decide to do when they meet on Saturday." Anti-government protests have continued across Syria since mid- March, with mounting calls for President Bashar Assad to step down, while the death toll has hit more than 3,000. The U.S. and its European allies have imposed a set of sanctions on senior Syrian government officials and entities, and called for Assad to step down. Nuland said that the U.S. has been pushing for "a robust cadre of international monitors," including those from the region, to be able to go in and bear witness to the human rights situation in Syria. "And frankly, if the Assad regime had nothing to fear, it would open its doors and it would allow international monitors in and it would allow the press back in," she said. "So we are very concerned, and we think that that would be the best protection for civilians, if there were more international and press eyes on their streets to make clear what is happening there," she added.