The United States has closed its embassy in Syria because
of an alert of an Islamic attack.
U.S. officials said the embassy was closed on Thursday for an
unspecified period in wake of an alert that the facility could come under
attack by Islamic groups linked to Iran. The officials said that over the
weekend visitors would not be allowed entry into the embassy and that
security would be increased.
The closing of the embassy took place on the 25th anniversary of the
start of the U.S. hostage siege in Iran. The U.S. embassy has been attacked
several times by mobs over the last six years.
An embassy statement cited security reasons for the closing of the
embassy. The statement did not cite a specific threat, Middle East Newsline reported.
"We will announce in a future message the reopening of the embassy,''
the statement said.
In Damascus, Syrian President Bashar Assad sent congratulations to
George Bush on his re-election. In his message, Assad urged Bush for help to
achieve Middle East peace in accordance with international resolutions.
"I have great hope that serious dialogue, commitment to the principles
upon which the United States was founded and honoring of international
resolutions help boost relations between our two countries and open the way
for working together to achieve just and comprehensive peace in the Middle
East," Assad said in his letter to Bush.