Jordan's King Abdullah calls on Assad to step down

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King Abdullah of Jordan: "If Bashar had an interest in his country he would step down"
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Jordan's king has become the first Arab leader to openly say Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should stand down.

"If I were in his shoes, I would step down," King Abdullah told BBC World News TV in an exclusive interview.

He urged President Assad to launch dialogue with the opposition, to effect an orderly transition and ensure that his successors can bring about change.

There have been increasing criticism from Arab leaders over the crackdown on months of dissent in Syria.

Both the Saudi and Qatari ambassadors left Damascus in recent months in protest at the repression. The Arab League voted on Saturday to suspend Syria's membership.

However King Abdullah went further than other Arab leaders in his BBC interview.

"If Bashar has the interest of his country, he would step down, but he would also create an ability to reach out and start a new phase of Syrian political life," he said.

Neighbouring Jordan has been increasingly critical of Syria's crackdown on anti-government protesters in recent months.

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