With the US labeling the Syrian President as a "war criminal" and France calling for his prosecution in the International Criminal Court, the West appears to be ratcheting up its rhetoric against the Syrian government.

­On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified before a Senate subcommittee on the State Department's budget. Pressured by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) into answering whether she thinks Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad fits the definition of a war criminal, Clinton said: "Based on definitions of war criminal and crimes against humanity, there would be an argument to be made that he would fit into that category."

Lode Vanoost, international consultant and former Belgian MP says the aggressive rhetoric coming from the West would only make Assad want to stay in power for as long as possible, and by any means necessary.

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