Calls for Canada to shut down our embassy in Syria amid violence
Posted February 6, 2012 5:23 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
There have been numerous calls for Canada to shut down our embassy in Syria, following the latest string of violence from the Assad regime.
The U.S. shut down its embassy Monday, and the UK has announced it is recalling its ambassador after Syrian forces killed hundreds of protesters during a three-day crackdown.
Despite the calls from the opposition, it appears Canada won’t be following suit just yet.
The NDP says Canada needs to be stepping up the pressure to try and force President Bashar Assad to step down.
It wants the doors to our embassy closed and all diplomats to head home immediately.
The government argues that, at the moment, it has no plans to shut down the embassy because there are currently too many Canadians that still need help.
Currently operations are being run by a core group of staff who have received more than 4,000 calls since a voluntary evacuation was called late last year.
Canada says it has no plans to take part in any military intervention. The prime minister is also expected to express his disappointment with Chinese officials, after Russia and China vetoed a UN resolution calling for an end to the crisis.
