Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah demanded an end to the bloodshed in Syria on Monday and recalled his country’s ambassador from Damascus, in a rare case of one of the Arab world's most powerful leaders intervening against another.
On Monday, Kuwait and Bahrain also announced they would pull their ambassadors from Syria. See related stories.
It was the sharpest criticism the country has directed against any Arab state since a wave of protests roiled the Middle East and toppled autocrats in Tunisia and Egypt.
The Saudi statement came with all the weight of the king's personal authority, and follows similar statements since Saturday from the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
"What is happening in Syria is not acceptable for Saudi Arabia," he said in a written statement read out on Al Arabiya satellite television. Events in Syria had "nothing to do with religion, or values, or ethics," the king said.
King's statement strong signal to Syria
In Washington, a US State Department official said the king's statement was a strong signal to Syria's President Bashar Al Assad.
"This is another clear sign that the international community, including Syria's neighbours, are repulsed by the brutal actions of the Syrian government and will continue to stand with the people of Syria," the official said.
A former US government official with knowledge of the region said the Saudi king likely went public to press concerns that had been conveyed privately. "I think he did it on his own because the private messages were clearly being ignored," the former official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Wave of unrest
A crackdown by Al Assad against protests has become one of the most violent episodes in the wave of unrest sweeping through the Arab world this year.
On Sunday, activists said Syrian troops with tanks had launched an assault on the city of Deir Al Zor in the east of the country, killing dozens. The past week has seen scores of people killed in a siege of Hama, a city where Al Assad’s father launched a crackdown nearly 30 years ago, killing thousands.
Al Assad’s government says it is fighting against criminals and armed extremists who have provoked violence by attacking its troops.
Activists and Western countries say Al Assad’s forces have attacked peaceful protesters.
"Syria should think wisely before it's too late and issue and enact reforms that are not merely promises but actual reforms," the Saudi king said. "Either it chooses wisdom on its own or it will be pulled down into the depths of turmoil and loss."
