Sarkozy demands al-Assad quit over ‘disgusting’ killings

FRENCH president Nicolas Sarkozy demanded Syria’s Bashar al-Assad step down for overseeing “disgusting” massacres against his own people, as an Arab observer mission came in for more criticism.

The mission has been mired in controversy since a first team of observers arrived on December 26, with activists accusing Assad’s regime of keeping the monitors on a short leash as it presses on with a lethal crackdown on dissent.

Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi, in his first remarks since the observers were deployed, defended the mission, saying it had secured the release of political prisoners and the withdrawal of tanks from cities.