US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has demanded Syria "take every possible step" to protect American diplomats after supporters of President Bashar al-Assad tried to attack the US ambassador yesterday.
The attempt to storm an office in Damascus where the ambassador, Robert Ford, had just arrived, came with the UN Security Council divided over whether to threaten Syria with sanctions.
Opposition figure Hassan Abdelazim, whom the US ambassador had arrived to meet, said the group "tried to break down the door of my office, but didn't succeed" during a siege that lasted two hours.
In Washington, Mrs Clinton said the US has raised the attempted attack on Mr Ford at "the highest levels" in Damascus and demanded Syria "take every possible step to protect" US diplomats.
Mrs Clinton also spoke of an "ongoing campaign of intimidation" against not only US diplomats but those from other countries.
Mrs Clinton's deputy spokesman, Mark Toner, said the mob tried to attack Mr Ford and other embassy staff while they visited the opposition leader, seriously damaging US vehicles and "pelting" the visitors with tomatoes.
However, he told reporters neither Mr Ford nor other staff were hurt in the attack and all returned safely to the embassy after Syrian security officers finally came to their aid and cleared a path out of the building.
Mr Toner said Mr Assad's regime was behind the incident.
He said it amounts to a campaign aimed at intimidating US diplomats as they carry out their duties.
Amid rising US-Syrian tensions, Damascus earlier accused Washington of inciting "armed groups" into violence against its army, which is trying to crush a six-month, pro-democracy movement.
