Written by
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON - The Obama administration has closed the U.S. Embassy in Damascus and pulled all American diplomats out of Syria.
Officials say Ambassador Robert Ford and other diplomats left Syria on Monday. It's the most dramatic U.S. move so far after 11 months of a violent crackdown on dissent by President Bashar Assad's regime.
The State Department warned last month it would close the embassy unless Assad's government stepped up its protection. It cited concerns about the safety of personnel and recent car bombs.
The U.N. says Assad's crackdown has killed more than 5,400 people since March. The revolt began with mostly peaceful protests, but armed rebels are now increasingly fighting the regime.
The Obama administration has long demanded that Assad step down. Officials insist his regime's demise is inevitable.
Meanwhile, President Obama says it is important to resolve the ongoing conflict in Syria without outside military intervention.
Obama says not every situation allows for the type of military action the U.S. and allies took in Libya, which led to the removal of Moammar Gadhafi.
The president says a negotiated solution in Syria is possible. He defended his administration's handling of the violence there, saying the U.S. has been "relentless" in demanding that President Bashar Assad leave power.
However, an Obama-supported resolution at the U.N. Security Council was vetoed this weekend by Russia and China. The resolution would have backed Arab League plan aimed at moving Assad in the direction of a peaceful transition to democracy in his violence-wracked country.
Obama spoke during an interview on NBC's "Today" show.
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