Danish ambassador leaves Syria over security concerns

Protection of the diplomatic corps was reduced to an "unacceptable level". Denmark had already pointed it's finger at the government over last week's  attack on it's embassy .

Damascus (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Denmark's ambassador to Damascus has temporarily left Syria with his colleagues because their official protection had been reduced to an "unacceptably low level," the Danish foreign ministry announced.

Relations between Copenhagen and Damascus have been tense since the Danish embassy in Syria was stormed at the weekend by demonstrators protesting about the publication in a Danish newspaper of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.

The diplomats "have provisionally left Syria because Syrian authorities reduced their protection to an unacceptably low level," the foreign ministry statement said.

The German embassy in Damascus will handle Denmark's consular interests in Syria until further notice, it said, adding that some diplomatic activities could be dealt with from Amman.

On Wednesday, Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller said the attack on the embassy was not only motivated by the row over the cartoons and that there had been an intention to "intimidate" Denmark, which currently sits on the United Nations Security Council.

The minister suggested there might be a link between the storming of the embassy and the UN-led investigation into Syria's role in the assassination a year ago of Lebanese former prime minister Rafik Hariri.

A day after the Damascus attacks, which also targeted the Norwegian embassy, Syria's foreign ministry expressed "its regret over the acts of violence which accompanied the protests."

• SYRIA
• DENMARK
• cartoon
• islamic