U.S.A plans to send its ambassador back to SyriaNovember 15, 2011 - 09:51 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The United States will send its ambassador back to Syria soon at a time when the Arab League has called its member states to withdraw their envoys from the crisis- plagued nation, the State Department said on Monday, Nov 14. “That remains our belief, yes, that he will be returning shortly,” department spokesman Mark Toner said, in reply to a question about whether Ambassador Robert Ford will return to Damascus as planned to have Thanksgiving with his staff at the embassy, a holiday that is only days away. “We’ve been very clear why we believe Ambassador Ford needs to be on the ground — that he is, in fact, providing that kind of witness to what the regime’s carrying out,” he added. He argued that what the Arab League is talking about would send “a very strong signal” of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s isolation, but “it’s each country’s sovereign decision whether they’re going to recall their ambassador or not.” Ford left Syria last month, and the State Department insisted that he was asked to go home for consultations but not withdrawn or recalled. The envoy had paid controversial visits to many restive areas in Syria in a show of support to anti-government protesters, as the Arab nation has been plagued by unrest since mid-March when protests erupted against Assad’s government. He was hit several times with eggs and tomatoes. The Arab league decided on November 12 to suspend Syria’s membership, to be effective on Wednesday, and then called on its members to withdraw ambassadors and impose sanctions on Damascus until it implements a peace plan brokered by the regional body, under which Syria would have stopped violence and withdrawn military vehicles from cities, released detainees and held dialogue with the opposition. The European Union agreed on Monday, Nov. 14, to extend sanctions against Syria to 18 more individuals linked with violent crackdown on protesters, siamdailynews reported. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Putin congratulates Pashinyan’s birthday Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on his birthday on June 1. Opposition motorcade en route to Gyumri for large rally A motorcade of protesters headed by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan is heading to the city of Gyumri. Ruling MPs, Foreign Minister talk Armenia-Azerbaijan processes MOs from the ruling Civil Contract party met with the Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in the Armenian parliament. Russia: Armenia’s frozen membership weakens CSTO position in Caucasus A Russian envoy said any step that could alienate the CSTO member states from each other is “deeply wrong”. |