US President Barack Obama must declare that his Syrian counterpart, Bashar al-Assad, has squandered his legitimacy and must step down, three key senators urged Thursday.

“We urge President Obama to state unequivocally — as he did in the case of (Libyan leader Moamer) Kadhafi and (Egyptian President Hosni) Mubarak — that it is time for Assad to go,” Republican Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham and independent Senator Joe Lieberman said in a joint statement.

They also urged Obama to “take tangible diplomatic and economic measures to isolate and pressure the Assad regime,” targeting the Syrian leader himself and his top aides, and warned the situation had reached “a decisive point.” For more info read AFP