Egyptian President calls on Assad to step down

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi told Arab League ministers Wednesday that it is time for Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to step down. He added that a resolution to the conflict in Syria was an "Arab responsibility."

The meeting was the first ministerial-level Arab League meeting in years to be addressed by the President of Egypt, Ahram Online reports. Morsi led the meeting with Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour. Morsi warned President Assad that "your time won't be long," The NY Times reports. "I tell the Syrian regime 'there is still a chance to end the bloodshed.' Now is the time for change...no time to be wasted talking about reform," Morsi said according to the AFP. "Don't take the right step at the wrong time because that would be the wrong step," he added. "Do something and we'll support you," Morsi told the Arab diplomats, Ahram Online reports. "The Syrian blood that is being shed day and night, we are responsible for this," Morsi said, the AFP reports. "We cannot sleep while blood is being shed." Also on Wednesday, Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a meeting in Ankara that Mr. Assad has made Syria a "terrorist state," The NY Times reports. Last week, President Morsi criticized the Syrian regime during his speech at the summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Tehran. Our solidarity with the struggle of the Syrian people against an oppressive regime is an ethical and a political and strategic necessity," Morsi said. As Morsi spoke, Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem walked out, The Telegraph reports. Muallem said Morsi's speech "incited continued bloodshed." According to Al-Jazeera, President Morsi's visit to Iran was the first by an Egyptian leader since 1979.