Amid escalating protests in Syria after Muammar Qadfafi?s death, the United States pulled Ambassador Robert Ford out of Syria over the weekend due to concerns for his personal safety and accused the government of incitement against him, the State Department said Monday.
?Ambassador Robert Ford was brought back to Washington as a result of credible threats against his personal safety in Syria,? State Department Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner said in a statement.
Continue Reading?At this point, we can?t say when he will return to Syria. It will depend on our assessment of Syrian regime-led incitement and the security situation on the ground. We hope that the Syrian regime will end its incitement campaign against Ambassador Ford,? Toner added.
The withdrawal of the American ambassador, which according to Reuters occurred over the weekend, comes during the seventh month of an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.
Demonstrations in Syria escalated over the weekend after the death of Libyan dictator Muammar Qadhafi.
?Gadhafi is gone, and you?re next, oh butcher,? Syrian protesters chanted Friday in protests, according to the AP, adding, ?Your turn is coming, Bashar.?
Assad has responded to demonstrations against his government with violence, leading to an increasingly hostile American response. The weekend?s demonstrations led to the deaths of 24 people nationwide, according to activists.
The decision to yank Ford comes after multiple incidents in which the ambassador and the U.S. embassy were attacked and harassed.
In late September, Ford was pelted with tomatoes by Assad supporters as he met with a Syrian opposition leader. About 100 protesters tried to storm the office building where the meeting was being held, but they were prevented from entering.
In August, Ford was harassed by another group of protesters, one of which tried to wrap him in a poster of the Syrian president. Ford?s security team was able to rush the ambassador into a waiting car.|
Ford had also been making surprise and unauthorized visits to areas where anti-Assad opposition is strongest. The ambassador made earlier visits to Jassem and Hama, which have been flashpoints of anti-government sentiment.
The State Department said Monday that they were pleased with Ford?s efforts in Syria.
?Ambassador Ford?s presence is a benefit to our mission in Syria as he has worked diligently to deliver our message and be our eyes on the ground. This decision was based solely on the need to ensure his safety, a matter we take extremely seriously,? said Toner.
The U.S. has aggressively called for the Syrian president to step down, and has tightened sanctions against the Middle Eastern country over the past few months.
?His calls for dialogue and reform have rung hollow while he is imprisoning, torturing and slaughtering his own people,? President Obama said in August. ?For the sake of the Syrian people, the time has come for President Assad to step aside.?
Meanwhile, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) suggested on Sunday that the United States should consider a military intervention in Syria.
?Now that military operations in Libya are ending, there will be renewed focus on what practical military operations might be considered to protect civilian lives in Syria,? McCain said at the World Economic Forum in Jordan. ?The Assad regime should not consider that it can get away with mass murder. Qadhafi made that mistake and it cost him everything.?
Speaking just days after the death of Muammar Qadhafi, the Arizona senator said that Bashar al-Assad has ?spilled too much blood to stay in power,? and suggested that the Syrian leader will continue to murder more of his people.
The Obama administration has denounced Assad as having lost his legitimacy but has made no indication of taking military action in Syria by drawing clear distinctions between Libya and Syria.
?I understand the desire to make analogies and comparisons. One thing that we have said from the beginning, this whole year, is that circumstances in each country is different,? White House press secretary Jay Carney said last week. ?Every country is different, and I think we have been absolutely clear about our position with regards to Syria, with regard to the Syrian regime.?
MJ Lee contributed to this article.
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