Jordan's King called for Syrian President to step down

Jordan's King Abdullah has called for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down. He is the first Arab leader to do so since the Syrian government started its deadly crackdown on an eight-month-long uprising.

King Abdullah became the first Arab leader to openly urge Mr Assad to quit.

He told the BBC that if he were in Mr Assad's position, he would start talks to ensure an orderly transition.

"I would step down and make sure whoever comes behind me has the ability to change the status quo that we're seeing," King Abdullah stated in an exclusive interview with BBC World News television.

He said: "If Bashar [al-Assad] has the interest of his country [at heart] he would step down, but he would also create an ability to reach out and start a new phase of Syrian political life, the BBC reports.