208 days ago
208 days ago
Ambassador Ford had antagonized Syria's government with his high-profile support for the demonstrators trying to end 41 years of Assad family rule. Assad supporters attacked the U.S. Embassy and Ford's convoy in recent months.
Mass demonstrations in Syria have triggered a brutal crackdown, with security forces opening fire on protesters, killing about 3,000, according to the United Nations. International pressure on Assad to stop the killing has been increasing, but the Syrian leader says terrorists are behind the unrest — not true reform-seekers.
The United States has called for Assad to step down and, along with its European allies, has intensified sanctions on Syria, including against its small but significant oil sector, a central source of foreign currency for the government.
