Crowds in Syria Attack U.S. and French Embassies

Gerald · 07-11-11, 01:43 PM

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Pro-government demonstrators attacked the American and French embassy compounds in Damascus on Monday and tried to break into their buildings. The crowd expressed anger over visits by the French and American ambassadors to a central Syrian city that has emerged as a flashpoint of the popular uprising against the Syrian government, now nearly four-months old.

The demonstrators threw rocks, eggs and tomatoes at the two buildings and tried to storm both compounds. But American Marine guards blocked their way at the United States embassy, and French guards at one point fired live ammunition in the air to drive the attackers away, according to witnesses and activists. There were no reports of casualties. French guards briefly detained one of the protesters, according to witnesses.

The attack on the embassies is the second since Robert Ford, the American ambassador, and his French counterpart, Eric Chevallier, visited Hama, which has become a hub for demonstrations against the government of President Bashar al-Assad. On Monday, protesters also attacked Mr. Ford’s residence several blocks from the embassy.

A State Department spokeswoman, Victoria Nuland, rejected the suggestion by some in Syria that Mr. Ford provoked the attacks by visiting Hama. “Ambassador Ford is doing his job as a witness, as an observer,” she said. “Our main concern here is that the Syrian government, rather than dealing with its own problems, and rather than addressing the grievances of its own people, is seeking to make distractions around our embassy.”

The diplomats went to Hama, Syria’s fourth-largest city, last Thursday and stayed until Friday afternoon, in a show of support for the tens of thousands of antigovernment protesters who took to the streets there. The Hama demonstrations were among the largest since the popular uprising started in mid-March, and the diplomats were warmly received there. Scenes from last Friday evoked memories of demonstrations earlier this year in Tunisia and Egypt that brought down the authoritarian regimes there.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry summoned both diplomats on Sunday to condemn the visit to Hama.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/12/wo...html?ref=world

Note: July 11, 2011

07-11-11, 01:43 PM	#1
Gerald SUBSIM Newsman Join Date: May 2008 Location: Close to sea Posts: 24,254 Downloads: 553 Uploads: 0	Crowds in Syria Attack U.S. and French Embassies BEIRUT, Lebanon — Pro-government demonstrators attacked the American and French embassy compounds in Damascus on Monday and tried to break into their buildings. The crowd expressed anger over visits by the French and American ambassadors to a central Syrian city that has emerged as a flashpoint of the popular uprising against the Syrian government, now nearly four-months old. The demonstrators threw rocks, eggs and tomatoes at the two buildings and tried to storm both compounds. But American Marine guards blocked their way at the United States embassy, and French guards at one point fired live ammunition in the air to drive the attackers away, according to witnesses and activists. There were no reports of casualties. French guards briefly detained one of the protesters, according to witnesses. The attack on the embassies is the second since Robert Ford, the American ambassador, and his French counterpart, Eric Chevallier, visited Hama, which has become a hub for demonstrations against the government of President Bashar al-Assad. On Monday, protesters also attacked Mr. Ford’s residence several blocks from the embassy. A State Department spokeswoman, Victoria Nuland, rejected the suggestion by some in Syria that Mr. Ford provoked the attacks by visiting Hama. “Ambassador Ford is doing his job as a witness, as an observer,” she said. “Our main concern here is that the Syrian government, rather than dealing with its own problems, and rather than addressing the grievances of its own people, is seeking to make distractions around our embassy.” The diplomats went to Hama, Syria’s fourth-largest city, last Thursday and stayed until Friday afternoon, in a show of support for the tens of thousands of antigovernment protesters who took to the streets there. The Hama demonstrations were among the largest since the popular uprising started in mid-March, and the diplomats were warmly received there. Scenes from last Friday evoked memories of demonstrations earlier this year in Tunisia and Egypt that brought down the authoritarian regimes there. The Syrian Foreign Ministry summoned both diplomats on Sunday to condemn the visit to Hama. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/12/wo...html?ref=world Note: July 11, 2011 __________________ Nothing in life is to be feard,it is only to be understood. Marie Curie