US envoy leaves Syria over security fears

The United States ambassador to Syria has left the country over security concerns, with Washington blaming Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government for what it called "credible threats against his personal safety".

Mark Toner, the US State Department spokesman, said on Monday that Robert Ford, who has visited several hubs of anti-government protest during the seven months of protests against Assad's rule, had returned to Washington this weekend.

Toner said the US embassy will remain open in Damascus and that the threats were specifically directed toward Ford. He added that Ford's return to Damascus would depend on a US "assessment of Syrian regime-led incitement and the security situation on the ground".
Ford has come in for heavy criticism in Damascus by pro-government supporters who have accused him of helping incite violence in the country.

The latest diplomatic crisis between Damascus and Washington came as 16 people were reportedly killed in new violence, including eight civilians in the central city of Homs, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights .

Deadly crackdown
Within hours of the news of Ford's departure, Syria recalled its ambassador to Washington, an official television station reported.

"Syria's ambassador to the United States, Imad Mustapha, will leave Washington for Damascus to hold consultations with Syrian leaders," Al-Ikhbariya television reported.

A US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, noted Ford was not officially "withdrawn" from Syria but rather was
called back for consultations because of security concerns.

During months-long anti-government uprising, Ford has courted the opposition and denounced Assad on Facebook. As the government instituted a deadly crackdown on protests, Ford defied a travel ban on Western diplomats by going to hotspots and meeting with anti-government demonstrators.

Last month pro-government demonstrators threw rocks, concrete blocks and tomatoes at Ford and his aides, as well as
attacking their cars with metal bars, during their visit with an opposition figure in Damascus.

Western diplomats told Reuters that Ford left Syria on Saturday.

"Articles, more inciting against Ford than usual, have appeared in state media recently," said a diplomat who asked not to be identified.
Diplomatic pressure

The US administration of President Barack Obama decided to return an ambassador to Syria earlier this year in an effort to persuade Syria to change its policies regarding Israel, Lebanon, Iraq and support for extremist groups. Syria is designated a "state sponsor of terrorism'' by the State Department.
The US Senate earlier this month unanimously confirmed Ford's appointment as ambassador to Syria, calling it "a tough message" to Assad and a sign of US "solidarity with the Syrian people".
"Despite even being physically attacked and assaulted by the regime's goons, Ford continues courageously to visit cities under military siege and speak truth to power," John Kerry, a US senator, said at the time.
Washington has called on the UN Security Council and the international community to "dramatically" increase pressure on Syria over its bloody response to opposition to the government in Damascus.
According to the United Nations, more than 3,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the crackdown on the protests since the uprising against Assad’s government started in March.