Kuwait follows Saudi in recalling Syria envoy 8/08/2011

Kuwait on Monday decided to recall its
ambassador from Damascus, a day after Saudi Arabia took the same step,
and announced a Gulf meeting on the bloodshed in Syria.

Kuwaitis
rally against the Syrian government's violent crackdown on anti-regime
protesters outside the Grand Mosque in Kuwait City in April. The Gulf
state of Kuwait has decided to recall its ambassador from Damascus for
"consultations" a day after Saudi Arabia took a similar measure and
announced a Gulf meeting on Syria.

"We have decided to
recall our ambassador from Syria for consultations," Foreign Minister
Sheikh Mohammed al-Sabah told reporters after meeting a parliamentary
committee.


"No one can accept the bloodshed in Syria... The
military option must be halted," said Sheikh Mohammed, who also praised
the Saudi decision to recall its envoy.


Sheikh Mohammed said the
foreign ministers of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
states will hold a meeting shortly to discuss the developments in Syria.


"There
will be a meeting for the GCC foreign ministers soon and a joint GCC
move to discuss the issues related to Syria," he said.


Saudi King
Abdullah late on Sunday strongly condemned the bloody crackdown on
pro-democracy protesters in Syria and recalled Riyadh's ambassador from
Damascus.


Kuwait last week urged Syria to halt the bloodshed,
almost five months into an anti-regime uprising in which security forces
and the army have killed more than 1,600 people.


Hundreds of
Kuwaitis staged demonstrations on Friday in solidarity with the Syrian
people and demanded the expulsion of the Syrian ambassador and the
recall of Kuwait's envoy from Damascus.


But foreign ministry undersecretary Khaled al-Jarallah said on Sunday that Kuwait has no plans to expel the Syrian ambassador.


Kuwaitis plan to march on the Syrian mission in Kuwait City on Tuesday to press for the expulsion of the ambassador.