US: The US has recalled its ambassador to Syria amid rising tensions over the assassination of former prime minister Rafiq Hariri of Lebanon.
US State Department spokesman Mr Richard Boucher said yesterday that the move reflected the Bush administration's "profound outrage" over Mr Hariri's assassination on Monday.
While not accusing Syria of being involved in the bombing, the US appears to be seizing the opportunity to increase pressure on the Middle Eastern state.
Tension has been rising between the two countries, with Washington alleging that Syria is allowing the free flow of arms and insurgents across its border with Iraq. "It reminds us even more starkly that the Syrian presence in Lebanon is not good," Mr Boucher said.
"It has not brought anything to the Lebanese people."
Before leaving Damascus, the US ambassador, Ms Margaret Scobey, reportedly delivered a protest note to the Syrian government, known as a démarche.
White House spokesman Mr Scott McClellan said the US had made it clear "that we expect Syria to act in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolution calling for the withdrawal of all foreign forces [ from Lebanon] and the disbanding of militias."
Washington had also "made it clear to Syria that we want them to use their influence to prevent the kind of terrorist attack that took place yesterday from happening".
Meanwhile, in New York a UN team monitoring sanctions on al-Qaeda predicted yesterday that there would be an escalation in the brutality of terrorist attacks and warned that the network remained determined to strike around the world.
Al-Qaeda still had a strong interest in acquiring chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons, and it was only "a matter of time" before a successful attack occurs, the report said.