The U.S. State Department shuttered its embassy in Syria and pulled out its remaining staff Monday after the government refused to address its security concerns, senior State Department officials tell CNN.
The officials said 17 employees, including Ambassador Robert Ford, left the country. Two employees flew out of the Syria last week by commercial air, with the rest of them, including Ford, traveling by convoy Monday morning to Jordan. Most of the staff were evacuated earlier in the year, and the diplomatic team was further reduced in December.
The Syrians were notified about the decision to pull the staff and shutter the embassy after the employees were out of the country, the officials said.
The officials said the deterioration of the situation in the country made it impossible for the embassy to continue operations and for the staff to remain.
"The government is getting stretched beyond its ability to control the various elements of violence in the country," one senior official said.
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Good thinking...best not to be in town when the armed jets show up. Very noisy and rather dangerous...
now how are we gonna help destabilize the regime?
The world is about to turn into huge riot get ready folks its only gonna get worse
lol mary i told you. And banasy, that wasnt the S word i meant but its ok.
Chrissy...it starts with s and ends with my.
You're right. Let's start using that word instead of sarcasm....lmfao!!!
lmao lets not banasy! Creepy! Yuk!