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State Department asks American citizens to leave Syria
by Joseph Ernest April 26, 2011
Newscast Media DAMASCUS, Syria -- Usually before something big happens in a chaotic nation, the US government asks its citizens to leave as it has just done in Syria. The US State Department also said some non-essential embassy staff and all embassy dependants would be leaving, in addition, the Obama administration is contemplating sanctions against Syria.
Several media outlets have reported violence, crackdowns and arrests in Syria despite the lifting of an emergency law last week. More than 350 people are reported to have been killed in the violence since the protests started in March. In a statement carried by the official news agency, the Syrian government said it had sent troops to several cities on the request of citizens who were worried about "armed extremists".
Arrests were made and those people would be processed through the civil courts, the government statement added, following the lifting of emergency laws last week.
"The bullets continue against the people, but we are resisting," local activist Abazid Abdullah told AFP news agency.
The British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, has called for an end to the "violent repression" of protests in Syria, and said London was working to send a "strong signal" to Damascus.
"This includes working with our partners on the United Nations Security Council to send a strong signal to the Syrian authorities that the eyes of the international community are on Syria, and with our partners in the European Union and the region on possible further measures."
According to a UN Security Council diplomat, the UK and other European states are circulating a draft statement condemning the violence in Syria.
The Obama administration is considering sanctions to put pressure on the government of President Bashar al-Assad to stop its crackdown, US officials say. The steps could include a freeze on the assets of Syrian leaders and a ban on business dealings in the US, but no time scale has been given for the measures. Add Comments>>
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