U.S. slams Syrian authorities, demands reforms

PanARMENIAN.Net - Syria is running out of time to reform and will face more organized resistance if it does not, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Friday, July 1.

Speaking at a news conference in Lithuania, she also said she was disheartened by reports of fresh violence in recent days and that the Syrian government's decision to allow one opposition meeting in Damascus was not sufficient.

Asked about the apparent contradiction between permitting the meeting while pursuing a tank offensive in the north, Clinton said: "It doesn't appear that there's a coherent and consistent message coming from Syria.

"They must begin a genuine transition to democracy and allowing one meeting of the opposition in Damascus is not sufficient action toward achieving that goal," Clinton, standing beside Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, told reporters, according to Reuters.