Europe indicated Wednesday it was coming closer to international intervention against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as Syrian forces reportedly gunned down another four civilians in a new round of violence.

Both France and the European Union said they were ready to work together with the exiled opposition Syrian National Council (SNC) to seek a resolution to eight months of violent crackdowns in the country.

Speaking out

France on Wednesday became the first major Western power to suggest international intervention on Syrian ground, advocating a mission to carve out humanitarian corridors in the country.

France, which played an instrumental role in the military action that helped topple Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, called on the international community to implement a "secured zone to protect civilians."

Foreign Minister Alain Juppe named Syria's exiled opposition Syrian National Council (SNC) as "the legitimate partner with which we want to work," giving the SNC the greatest legitimization it has yet received from a major Western power.

"If it is possible to have a humanitarian dimension for a secured zone to protect civilians, that then is a question which has to be studied by the European Union on the one side and the Arab League on the other side," Juppe said at a news conference Wednesday after meeting the SNC president.

Juppe ruled out military intervention to create a buffer zone in northern Syria, although few details of the proposal were revealed. Until now, Western countries have hit Syria with economic sanctions but, like the Arab League, have shown little desire for military action.

Talks with opposition

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the EU's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton told reporters that Ashton had met with SNC leaders Tuesday.

"During the meeting she stressed the importance of the opposition maintaining a clear commitment to a peaceful and non-sectarian approach," he added.

"The EU stands ready to engage with the Syrian National Council and other representative members of the opposition who adhere to non-violence and democratic values," the spokesman said. "Protection of civilians in Syria is an increasingly urgent and important aspect of responding to the events in the country."

Britain said it welcomed the chance to discuss France's proposal and reiterated its call for Syria to end its human rights offenses.

Neighbors' ire

Turkey, meanwhile, has blasted the leadership of its southern neighbor, with Turkish President Abdullah Gul likening Assad's fate to that of despots the likes of Hitler, Mussolini and Gadhafi and saying Syrian violence could plunge the Muslim world into "the darkness of the Middle Ages."

On Wednesday, security forces killed two people in Hayalin, in central Hama province, and another two in the besieged city of Homs, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The deaths came on the eve of Thursday talks by the Arab League aiming to put an end to Syrian violence. Last week the 22-country bloc suspended Syria's membership.

According to the United Nations, some 3,500 people have been killed in the uprising.

Author: David Levitz (AFP, dpa, Reuters)

Editor: Martin Kuebler