White House Reaffirms Stand that Syria's Assad Must Step Down

The White House says Syria’s acceptance of a United Nations-backed plan to end violence in the country does not change the U.S. view that Syrian President Bashar Assad must leave power.White House spokesman Josh Earnest says the U.S. has heard promises from Assad before. He says the U.S. will view the Assad regime on its actions, not its words.Assad said Monday that he was accepting the six-point plan first introduced by U.N. envoy Kofi Annan. The plan calls for a cease-fire and the beginning of a political dialogue that can lead to a democracy.The Syrian opposition is deeply skeptical that Assad will carry out the plan. Assad’s previous promises to meet the opposition’s demands were never enacted.