Window closing for Syria, U.S. says

WASHINGTON, May 12 (UPI) -- With international sanctions tightening on Damascus, the window of opportunity is quickly closing, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department said.

Syria blames outsiders, thugs and terrorists for fomenting violence in the country. Student demonstrators called Thursday for an end to attacks by security forces on protesters in Homs, Daraa and Banias, the center of much of the anti-regime movement.

Tanks shelled Homs, Syria's third-largest city.

Mark Toner, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, said international pressure is increasing on Syrian President Bashar Assad and his regime.

Toner said Washington has taken a number of steps aimed at curbing the violence, including raising the issue with the regime itself.

"We're going to continue to do that, and other options remain on the table," he said during a news briefing. "And I think I said earlier there's a window here and that window is narrowing."

EU sanctions targeting members of the Syrian government went into force Tuesday, though Assad was spared.

Toner implied there was always the option for more sanctions.

"There's a lot of options out there that remain open, and we're going to continue to monitor these events very, very closely," he said.