Syrian security forces have arrested some 500 pro-democracy activists after the Syrian government sent in tanks to try to crush protests in the city of Daraa. At least 23 civilians were killed Monday when tanks shelled the coastal city. Security forces have now killed more than 400 civilians since protests erupted last month. While Syrian President Bashar Assad is coming under increasing international criticism, the White House has not declared that Assad has lost the legitimacy to rule as Obama declared in the case of Col. Muammar Gaddafi in Libya and Hosni Mubarak in Egypt. On Monday, White House spokesperson Jay Carney said sanctions are being considered.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney: “We are pursuing a range of possible options, including targeted sanctions. I should note for those who don’t know that we have had a fairly aggressive regime of sanctions in place, unilateral sanctions, since, I believe, 2003, and this would be in addition to that, if we were to pursue that course of action. But we’re certainly looking at different ways to make clear to the Syrian government how appalling we find this behavior to be and to encourage them both, as we have, by speaking out against it, but in other means to stop the violence and to move towards serious reform.”