U.S. Pulls Out Of Syria

As civil unrest intensifies, the United States has closed its Syrian embassy and ordered diplomats to leave the country.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said President Bashar al-Assad has chosen a “dangerous path” in dealing with the 11-month-old uprising, adding that the United States remains “gravely concerned over the escalation of violence.” On Saturday, Russia and China vetoed a U.N. security council resolution condemning Syria that had been strongly supported by Western countries and the Arab League. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton denounced the vetoes as a “travesty.” The United States wants Assad to cede power and make way for a democratically elected government.

In August last year the State Department ordered all civilians to leave Syria.