Clinton calls on al-Shabaab to allow Somalia food aid

Following a meeting with the Canadian Foreign Minister, Hillary Clinton called on Somalias al-Shabaab militants to allow food aid to move unfettered into famine-hit areas so that as many lives as possible can be saved.It is particularly tragic that during the holy month of Ramadan, al-Shabaab are preventing assistance to the most vulnerable populations in Somalia, namely children including infants and girls and women who are attempting to bring themselves and those children to safety and the potential of being fed before more deaths occur, Clinton said during a news conference with Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird.Clinton also announced that a senior US team including Jill Biden, the wife of Vice President Joe Biden, and US Agency for International Development chief Rajiv Shah would travel to Kenya this weekend to assess the situation.Both Clinton and Baird condemned the violence in Syria, and Baird told reporters that they see eye-to-eye on the evolving situations in Syria and Libya.In Syria, we stand united in condemning the actions of the Assad regime and backing calls of the Syrian people for true and meaningful reform, said Baird.Clinton strongly condemned the Assad regimes continued violence against its own people -- particularly the recent shooting of a one-year-old child.We think to date, the government is responsible for the deaths of more than 2,000 people of all ages, and the United States has worked very hard to corral and focus international opinion to take steps toward a unified response to the atrocities that are occurring, Clinton told reporters.She said moves such as the U.N. Security Council statement condemning Syrian government violence, as well as further international sanctions, could put pressure on the regime, but that it was time for the international community to send a clear message.Baird agreed, and pointed out that the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom have toughened up sanctions against Syria.