Diplomacy in Damascus continues without US Ambassador Ford
(Read article summary)While US Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford has been brought back to Washington, Arab leaders and China are still trying to bring the government and the opposition to an agreement.
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The Syrian National Council, representing Syria's various opposition groups, has called for regional and international observers to be allowed into the country immediately, the Associated Press reports.
The request comes a day ahead of a visit by senior Arab officials, led by the prime minister of Qatar, in order to attempt starting a national dialogue between the opposition and President Bashar al-Assad's regime. However, a statement by the council released Tuesday says no dialogue is possible while the regime crackdown on protesters, which according to the United Nations has already killed 3,000 people, continues.
With the removal this weekend of US Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford, the regime's diplomatic isolation is growing. Syria brought home its own ambassador to Washington after Mr. Ford's removal, the Guardian reports.
