Will President Obama ask Bashar Al-Assad to Step Down?

Reports are abounding that the Obama administration will soon demand the departure of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad (see this one on Fox News’ website).  Whether or not Al-Assad budges is another story.  Heir to the dynasty established by his father over 40 years ago, Bashar Al-Assad has so far shown an unwillingness to directly respond to growing international outcry over his handling of the political crisis in Syria.

How would a change in government in Syria impact the rest of the Middle East/North African region?  In addition to knocking down yet another local dictatorship, the overthrow of this regime threatens to lead to a significant domino effect in the immediate area.  It could be  much more influential than what happened in Egypt and Tunisia earlier this year. Perhaps this may be one of the reasons the Iranian government has not withdrawn its support for its longtime ally.  With the recent proclamations such as those by Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, the longevity of the current regime in Syria is questionable at best.