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U.S. ambassador leaves Syria in protest at ‘media incitement’ – Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News.

Ambassador Robert Ford expresses fears for his personal safety after a series of protests against him for his ‘interference in internal affairs’.

By DPA

The U.S. ambassador to Damascus left Syria on “vacation,” expressing fears for his personal safety amid a hate campaign launched against him by state media, a source at the embassy said on Monday.

Ambassador Robert Ford “has informed the Syrian foreign ministry of the dangers and the incitement campaign against him in local media, overseen by the government, before he left the country on Saturday,” the source told DPA.

	U.S. ambassador in Syria Robert Ford, covers his nose from the smell of the dead bodies during his visit with other foreign diplomats to a mass grave, in Jisr el-Shughour, Syria, June 20, 2011.
	Photo by: AP

Over the past few months, Ford has been outspoken against the Syrian government’s use of violence against pro-democracy protesters.

He was subjected to several attacks by loyalists to President Bashar Assad, who described Ford’s stances as “blatant interference in internal affairs and incitement against authorities.”

In July, supporters of Assad attacked the US and French embassies in Damascus. In September, Ford was pelted with tomatoes by a pro-government group, Washington said.

More than 3,000 people, including at least 187 children, have been killed in the government’s clampdown on the protests since they began in March, according to the United Nations.

Protesters have taken to the streets demanding greater freedoms and the ouster of Assad.

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