Jordan’s king urges Assad to step down

A file photo of King Abdullah II of Jordan.

Jordan’s King Abdullah has told the BBC that Syrian President Bashar Assad should step down, becoming the first Arab ruler to make such a call.

“I would step down and make sure whoever comes behind me has the ability to change the status quo that we’re seeing,” the king said of Syria’s President.

Jordan has been critical of Syria’s violent crackdown on anti-government protesters in recent months.

The king added that the Syrian leader should initiate political dialogue, the

BBC said on its website on Monday.

“If Bashar (Assad) has the interest of his country, he would step down, but he would also create an ability to reach out and start a new phase of Syrian political life,” King Abdullah said.

The European Union on Monday decided to impose more sanctions on Syria to get Assad to halt his bloody crackdown on the eight-month uprising. The Arab League has also suspended Syria.