President Obama defended his administration's role in Syria in an Arabic-language Internet address aimed directly at the Syrian people on Tuesday.
The unprecedented outreach effort comes amid reports of growing frustration with the limited U.S. and western role in the effort to end Bashar Assad's regime. Opposition members who met in Paris on Monday gave the international community an earful and are expected to do so again during a donor conference in Kuwait on Wednesday.
In the video posted on the White House website, Obama said his administration has played a key role in imposing sanctions on Assad's regime and calling for his ouster.
“Today, we’re taking another step,” Obama said in the video, which was subtitled in Arabic. “I’ve approved an additional $155 million in humanitarian aid for people in Syria and refugees fleeing the violence.
“Here, I want to speak directly to the people of Syria. This new aid will mean more warm clothing for children and medicine for the elderly; flour and wheat for your families and blankets, boots and stoves for those huddled in damaged buildings. It will mean health care for victims of sexual violence and field hospitals for the wounded. Even as we work to end the violence against you, this aid will help address some of the immediate needs you face each day.”
Obama went on to call on other donors to step up to the plate.
“This new commitment will bring America’s total humanitarian aid to Syria to $365 million — making us the largest single donor of humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people,” he said. “Today, I also call on the international community to do more to help these Syrians in need, and to contribute to the latest U.N. humanitarian appeal.”
More than 60,000 people have died since the uprising began 22 months ago. A number of Senate hawks, led by Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), have called for a more forceful U.S. intervention and several Democrats joined them last week in requesting that humanitarian aid be funneled directly through the opposition council instead of non-governmental associations.
