Mullen rules out direct US approach

The top US military officer called yesterday for a swift end to violence in Syria but said direct US involvement was unlikely beyond diplomatic pressure on President Bashar Al Assad to implement reforms. "With respect to Syria we decry the violence and the violence needs to stop as quickly as possible," Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at the end of a visit to Iraq. "There's no indication whatsoever that the Americans...would get involved directly with respect to this." Britain too indicated it wants stronger international pressure on Syria but has ruled out military intervention. US secretary of state Hillary Clinton was yesterday due to meet expatriate Syrian political activists. US President Barack Obama said on Sunday he would work with allies to isolate Al Assad. France yesterday said the international community did not propose a Libya-style military intervention to halt the bloodshed. "The situations in Libya and Syria are not similar" and "no option of a military nature is planned," foreign ministry spokeswoman Christine Fages told reporters, without elaborating on how the situations differed.