US, allies want transitional govt in Syria to end crisis

AMMAN - The foreign ministers of "Friends of Syria" nations said Wednesday that they want a transitional government in Syria that does not include current Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

At a meeting held in the Jordanian capital Amman, the foreign ministers said that Syrian President Assad should hand over power to a transitional government as a way of ending the cycle of violence in the country.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that "We do not need more evidence to know that this is the right time to intervene. We want a transitional government without Assad, and we agree to increase support to the Syrian opposition."

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani said Assad had violated all international norms by using internationally prohibited weapons against the Syrian people. The Qatari official also urged the Syrian opposition to unite.

At the meeting, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius also said that Assad should hand over power, stressing France's support for a transitional government in Syria.

The participants of the "Friends of Syria" meeting pledged that they would continue to support the Syrian opposition.