Monday, February 6, 2012

U.S. Embassy in Syria Closed, Diplomats Evacuated

Another Obama foreign policy FAIL.
WASHINGTON (ABC) - The United States has whisked its remaining diplomats out of Syria and suspended operations at its embassy in Damascus as violence there continues to increase, U.S. officials told ABC News.

The skeletal staff, including Ambassador Robert Ford, departed quietly despite being denied exit visas by Syrian authorities in some cases, officials said.

The embassy had already pared down its staff over the past several months amid concerns about their security. After the latest round of reductions in January, a core group of 17 staff members remained in the country. Some departed overland to Jordan while others flew out of the airport in the capital.

The shuttering of the embassy follows similar steps by other Western countries in recent weeks. A U.S. official said that talks are ongoing with Poland to serve as the American protecting power in Syria while the U.S. embassy is closed.

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