US ambassador Robert Ford pulled out of Syria (BBC)

[Eugene]

Source: BBC

24 October 2011 Last updated at 12:05 GMT

US ambassador Robert Ford pulled out of Syria

The US has pulled out its ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, because of concerns for his safety, officials say.

Mr Ford angered Syrian authorities by showing solidarity with activists involved in an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's rule.

A US spokesman said Mr Ford had left Damascus at the weekend after "credible threats against his personal safety".

Last month, Mr Ford and colleagues were pelted with eggs and tomatoes when visiting an opposition figure.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15431926

[Scuba]

1. Ford's open support for "opposing" in Syria is admirable. But if we get ...

... in another damned war ANYWHERE I'm going to be even more pissed off than I am now.


If we can't afford education and healthcare for our own citizens, we can't afford to be the "policeman to the world".

[malaise]

2. So you think the Iranian Ambassador in New York could egg on the

OWS without warnings from the State Department?
The US Ambassador was violating international law.

[Scuba]

3. I don't know about the int'l laws (can you elaborate?), but...

... it appears the Syrian regime is oppressive. Support for the opposition would appear to be the "moral high ground".


If the Syrian ambassador to the US went to OWS and offered support I'd be amazed, and have little insight into how that would be received by the American public. But he'd be right.

[geek tragedy]

4. Lame pro-Assad spin. nt

[FarCenter]

5. Regime change in Syria isn't going to happen

China and Russia will veto any resolution authorizing it in the UN.

Europe has problems that preoccupy it at the moment, and things didn't go as quickly or as smoothly in Libya as they first might have thought. Besides, Syria doesn't have any oil.

Turkey wouldn't let us use bases in Turkey to bomb Syria.

The Arab League isn't going to pass a resolution authorizing the US to attack Syria.

So there will be no outside force applied in Syria's case. Without that, the chance of regime change suceeding are very small.

[Scuba]

6. I was convinced at "Syria doesn't have any oil". n/t