Obama administration condemns Syria crackdown

Washington: The United States condemned on Thursday a "brutal" crackdown on demonstrators by Syria's government, the White House said.

"The United States strongly condemns the Syrian government's brutal repression of demonstrations, in particular the violence and killings of civilians at the hands of security forces," White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement.

He said those responsible for the violence must be held accountable and said Washington calls on Syria's government to exercise restraint and respect the rights of its people.