White House Says Assad Has No Place in Transitional Syrian Government

Obama administration spokesman says the administration's priority is to have Assad removed from power

The White House said Friday it does not see any role for Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in a prospective political transition in Syria.

"I'd be hard pressed to make the case to you that he should have a role in a transitional government," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said, adding that Assad was responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of his own people.