US and Britain increase pressure on Syria

The US closed its Syrian embassy and Britain recalled its ambassador to Damascus in a dramatic escalation of Western pressure on President Bashar Assad to give up power, just days after diplomatic efforts at the United Nations to end the crisis collapsed.

The US evacuated all its diplomats from the country as Syrian forces intensified a shelling assault on the restive city of Homs. The offensive began on Saturday, the same day that Russia and China vetoed a Western and Arab-backed resolution aimed at trying to end the brutal crackdown on dissenters.

“We have been relentless in sending a message that it is time for Assad to go,” US President Barack Obama said last night. “This is not going to be a matter of if, it’s going to be a matter of when.”