The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative
Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other
shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org.
October 24, 2011

U.S. Recalls Syria Ambassador Over Alleged Threats 
---------------------------------------------------



The United States has pulled out its ambassador to Syria, citing
security concerns. The U.S. State Department says Robert Ford has
returned to Washington following threats on his personal safety. The
U.S. embassy in Damascus has confirmed Ford is no longer in the country,
but says he was not formally recalled. Ford has angered the regime of
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for backing Syria's protest movement.
At least 3,000 civilians have been killed and numerous human rights
abuses have been reported in the Assad regime's crackdown so far this
year.



.