UK withdraws ambassador from Syria

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague has recalled the British ambassador to Syria in a bid to severe diplomatic relations with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad's regime. Hague made the statement during a speech at a session of Britain's House of Commons. The foreign secretary also cited the "bloodshed and repression" that led to the decision. "Over the last 11 months more than 6,000 people have been killed...the Syrian regime has deployed snipers, tanks, artillery and mortars against civilian protestors and population centres, particularly in the cities of Homs, Idlib, Hama and Deraa.Thousands of Syrians have endured imprisonment, torture and sexual violence - including instances of the alleged rape of children - and the humanitarian position is deteriorating. This is an utterly unacceptable situation which demands a united international response.  " Hague also denounced China's and Russia's double-veto of a UN Security Council draft resolution that would have backed an Arab plan to urge Assad to step down. "Russia and China both exercised their veto despite extensive efforts made to amend the draft resolution to address Russia’s specific concerns, and in the face of repeated appeals from Arab nations. Instead, they chose to side with the Syrian regime and implicitly to leave the door open to further abuses by them...such vetoes are a betrayal of the Syrian people. In deploying them they have let down the Arab League; they have increased the likelihood of what they wish to avoid in Syria - civil war – and they have placed themselves on the wrong side of Arab and international opinion." "This is a doomed regime as well as a murdering regime. There is no way it can recover its credibility internationally or with its own people," said Hague. Hague went on to pledge that the UK and Western powers along with the Arab League would continue to pressure Assad to step down and stop the violence in Syria. He also pledged to increase contact with the opposition and form an international "Friends of Syria" coalition to bring about peace in the beleaguered nation, as well as working with the UN Human rights council and the EU to deal with the Syrian situation. "We will redouble our efforts to put pressure on this appalling regime and to stop this indefensible violence," said Hague.