PRESSURE INCREASES ON SYRIA

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President Obama has called for the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, to step down, and called for additional sanctions. It's the first time the United States has explicitly called for Mr. Assad’s departure from power.

The actions come in response to the deadly crackdown Syrian forces have been waging against pro-democracy protesters across the country.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hailed the sanctions, which are much sterner than previous measures.