Britain pulls embassy staff from Syria

LONDON, March 1 (UPI) -- Great Britain announced that it suspended embassy services in Damascus and recalled its staff because of violence in Syria.

Syrian forces pounded the Baba Amr neighborhood in Homs in an effort to seize control from rebel forces. The United Nations estimates at least 7,500 people have died in Syria as a result of fighting between anti-government forces and the Syrian military since an uprising began a year ago.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Thursday that U.K. Embassy personnel had been withdrawn from Damascus.

"We now judge that the deterioration of the security situation in Damascus puts our embassy staff and premises at risk and have taken the decision to withdraw staff accordingly," he said in a statement.

The U.N. Human Rights Council, in a non-binding resolution Thursday, voted to condemn the Syrian government for widespread and systematic violations of human rights.

The U.N. Security Council has been unable to censure Syria because of opposition to a formal resolution by Russia and China. NATO officials said they weren't considering an intervention because there was no appropriate mandate for action.

U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar, R-Ind., ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, testified Thursday that the options are limited in Syria.

"While not taking any options off the table, we should be extremely skeptical about actions that could commit the United States to a military intervention in Syria," he said.