US reads 'riot act' on envoy attack

The Obama administration says it has read the “riot act” to Syria’s ambassador to the United States over an attack on the top American envoy to Syria.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the Syrian ambassador was summoned to the department after yesterday’s assault on American ambassador Robert Ford.

Ms Nuland said the Syrian official was reminded in unusually blunt terms that Mr Ford is President Barack Obama’s personal representative in Syria and that the assault on Mr Ford was an attack on the United States.

Mr Ford was not injured in the incident outside the office of a Syrian opposition figure he was meeting, but several armoured embassy vehicles were damaged.

Ms Nuland said the US is demanding compensation.