US recalls ambassador to Syria

2005-02-15 21:10

Washington - The United States has recalled its ambassador to Syria amid rising tensions over the assassination of Lebanon's former prime minister, Rafig Hariri of Lebanon.

Before leaving, ambassador Margaret Scobey delivered a stern note, called a demarche in diplomatic parlance, to the Syrian government, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

State department spokesperson Richard Boucher, announcing the US move, said that it the Bush administration's "profound outrage" over Hariri's assassination.

The administration had earlier condemned Monday's killing in Beirut of Hariri, the billionaire construction magnate who masterminded the recovery of his country and insisted that Syria comply with a UN resolution calling for the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon.

Hariri, like most Lebanese politicians, walked a thin line between criticising Damascus and deferring to the country that plays a dominant role in Lebanon's affairs.

He resigned four months ago in light of tensions with Syria, but was weighing a political comeback.

A Sunni Muslim with close ties to Saudi Arabia, Hariri was on good terms with Lebanese Christians and was especially close to French President Jacques Chirac, who has called for an international investigation into the assassination.

The Bush administration did not directly support Chirac on his call for an international inquiry, but the White House on Monday said those responsible for the bombing of Hariri's motorcade must be punished.

- AP