U.S. urges Americans to leave Syria "immediately"

CBS ^ | 11/23/11 | CBS/AP

[Nachum]

(CBS/AP)

BEIRUT - The U.S. Embassy in Damascus urged its citizens in Syria to depart "immediately," and Turkey's foreign ministry urged Turkish pilgrims to opt for flights to return home from Saudi Arabia to avoid traveling through Syria.

"The U.S. Embassy continues to urge U.S. citizens in Syria to depart immediately while commercial transportation is available," said a statement issued to the American community in Syria Wednesday and posted on the Embassy's website. "The number of airlines serving Syria has decreased significantly since the summer, while many of those airlines remaining have reduced their number of flights."

The warning followed an announcement in Washington this week that Ambassador Robert Ford would not return to Syria this month as planned, indicating concerns over his safety.

The Obama administration quietly pulled Ford out of Syria last month, citing credible personal threats against him.

The Turkish foreign ministry on Wednesday urged Turkish pilgrims to opt for flights to return home from Saudi Arabia and avoid traveling through Syria for security reasons.

[DoughtyOne]

I’ve got a young relative in a Middle-Eastern nation experiencing strife. The whole family has begged this person to please leave and return to the United States.

They have refused saying, “I’m right here when history is taking place.”

It’s the old pie-in-the-sky moonbatism at work. Change has got to be good.

Just look at the U.S. and all the changes over the years since Reagan. Tell me folks, is change always good?

It’s my take were at about 1934 right now. As bad as things look today, they are going to get very ugly in the next five years.

[Zathras]

Viewing from the Golan Heights in ‘99 was as close as I ever wanted to get.

[Vince Ferrer]

I seemed to have slept through the part where Congress declared war on Syria.