
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's intransigence and brutality mean there is a serious risk violence in Syria will worsen, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Thursday.
``If a violence scenerio is expected, then the international community must ``step up" its response,''Hugue added. ``President Assad's speech last week urged the Syrian people to unite in a war against his opponents.
``Given the regime's intransigence and brutality, there is a serious risk that the violence will indeed worsen in the coming months," Hague told parliament.
``If that happens the international community's response will have to be stepped up. So we will not rule out options to save lives and protect civilians," he added. (Reuters/NAN)