US envoy quits Syria for security reasons

DAMASCUS: US envoy to Syria Robert Ford, an open critic of President Bashar al-Assad's crackdown on political dissent, has gone on indefinite leave for security reasons, an embassy official said on Monday.

"Ambassador Robert Ford is on leave indefinitely. Washington decided to give him the leave out of concerns about his personal safety," the official told, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Ford has come in for heavy criticism by regime supporters in Damascus who have accused him of helping incite violence in the country.

The ambassador has also angered the regime by visiting protest hubs outside the capital in a show of solidarity with pro-democracy demonstrators.

The US State Department said Ford was brought back to Washington because of "credible threats against his personal safety in Syria." "At this point, we can't say when he will return to Syria," deputy spokesman Mark Toner said in Washington. "It will depend on our assessment of Syrian regime-led incitement and the security situation on the ground."

The spokesman said Washington hoped the Syrian government would end its "incitement campaign" against the ambassador. "Ambassador Ford's presence is a benefit to our mission in Syria as he has worked diligently to deliver our message and be our eyes on the ground," Toner said. "This decision was based solely on the need to ensure his safety, a matter we take extremely seriously."

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." (AFP)