Gulf Nations Pull Ambassadors From Syria

An alliance of Arab countries and several European nations announced Tuesday they are calling their ambassadors home from Damascus, big steps in a broad international effort aimed at sending a blunt message to Syria.

Three days after Russia and China vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution that would have demanded Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stop the violence against the opposition in his country; world leaders were finding other ways of trying to pressure the regime.
The Gulf Cooperation Council announced its member states are pulling their ambassadors. The GCC includes the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and Kuwait.
Spain, France, and Italy called home their ambassadors as well. Britain did so on Monday, the same day the United States closed its embassy in Damascus, saying the Syrian government was refusing to address its security concerns.
Syria’s state-run TV announced the GCC’s decision Tuesday.
The moves came as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with al-Assad in Damascus — and was greeted by what Syria described as a “massive popular reception.” State TV showed throngs of people waving Russian and Syrian flags.