The United States is warning that it may close its embassy in the Syrian capital due to the worsening security situation. This as the US is asking Damscus to provide additional security measures. The killings continue, but Russia stands in defence of government of President Bashar al-Assad.
In Afghanistan, France has suspended its military operations, and may withdraw its force from that country after an Afghan soldier shot dead four French troops and wounded several others.
Turkey has urged Iran, and world powers, to resume talks over Tehran's controversial nuclear program. Ankara says this could help defuse regional tensions that have intensified this month.
Details after the break.
Syria
The United States is warning that it may close its embassy in the Syrian capital due to the worsening security situation.
The State Department issued a statement Friday saying that no decision has been made yet, but that a request has been made to Damascus to take concrete steps in the coming days to provide additional security measures.
The White House again called on President Bashar al-Assad to halt the 10-month old crackdown on protesters and step down, saying his end is inevitable. Spokesman Jay Carney told reporters in Washington that the Syrian president's hold on power is slipping.
In Egypt, Arab League officials said the group is likely to extend the mandate of their monitors in Syria, which expired Thursday. Arab leaders are set to meet Sunday to review a report on the situation by the team's Sudanese chief and to decide whether to keep the team of about 165 observers in Syria for another month.
Syrian opposition leaders called on the Arab League to seek foreign intervention because the observer mission has failed to tame violence in Syria.
Syrian rights groups have criticized the observers' effectiveness, saying the Assad government has deceived the team and escalated deadly attacks on the opposition since the observers began work on December 26.
Protesters came out in several Syrian cities Friday after prayers calling for President Bashar al-Assad to step down.
“We call on the Arab community and the international community to cancel the Arab League's observer mission and to issue a resolution from the United Nations condemning Bashar Assad's regime.”
Protesters took to the streets in several Syrian cities Friday after prayers, again calling for President Bashar al-Assad to step down.
Activists say security forces loyal to Mr. Assad patrolled the streets in a continuing crackdown against protests. Syrian activist Rami Abdul-Rahman says at least four people were killed in violence nationwide. He said three were civilians and one was a member of the security forces.
As Syria takes criticism from almost all quarters, one nation - Russia - stands virtually alone in defending the government of President Bashar al-Assad. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov issued a warning: no sanctions and no foreign troops. Lavrov says that for Russia, the red line is fairly clearly drawn. He says Moscow will not support any sanctions. At the same press conference, the foreign minister said Russia would use its United Nations Security Council veto to deny a U.N. mandate for the use of foreign troops in Syria.
Afghanistan
France has suspended its military operations in Afghanistan and may withdraw its force from that country after an Afghan soldier shot dead four French troops and wounded several others.
The French government has described Friday's attack against the soldiers as an assassination. French officials say an Afghan soldier killed the four troops during a training exercise at a base jointly operated by French and Afghan forces in the eastern province of Kapisa. Several other soldiers were wounded.
This is the second time in a month that Afghan soldiers have killed French troops. The assault brought to 82 the number of French soldiers killed during the decade they have operated under the NATO mission in Afghanistan.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced he was suspending all French military operations in the country and dispatching his defense minister and other top officials to check out the situation there.
Sarkozy said if security measures were not met for French soldiers and for recruiting Afghan soldiers, France may withdraw all of its roughly 4,000 forces from the country. He said French troops were in Afghanistan to fight against terrorism and the Taliban, not to be shot at by allies.
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen paid his respects to the French soldiers.
"The reality is that every day 130,000 ISAF troops from 50 nations fight and train with over 300,000 Afghan troops," said Rasmussen. "That takes a lot of trust among a lot of soldiers. We have the same goal - an Afghanistan that is responsible for its own security."
France's participation in NATO operations in Afghanistan has been criticized here but there has been no strong call to withdraw French forces as in some other European countries. France was expected to withdraw its forces in 2014, along with other NATO forces there. Sarkozy is expected to meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Paris next week.
Iran
On Thursday, Turkey called for the resumption of talks between Iran and six major world powers over Tehran's controversial nuclear program. Ankara says this could help defuse regional tensions that have intensified this month.
The talks with Iran - which involve the five permanent U.N. Security Council members and Germany - have been stalled for a year.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Thursday all sides have expressed a willingness to resume the nuclear talks. Speaking at a joint news conference with his visiting Iranian counterpart, Davutoglu said Turkey is ready to host the negotiations.
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi called on the six countries to renew the talks without "excuses."
Tensions between Iran and the West have risen in recent weeks, as Washington and its EU allies have moved to strengthen sanctions on Tehran to pressure it to stop nuclear activities they suspect are aimed at developing weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful.
Tehran has responded to the tightening of Western sanctions by threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz, a vital passageway for global oil supplies. Washington has said such a move would not be tolerated.
The assassination of an Iranian nuclear scientist in Tehran earlier this month also prompted Iran to blame the attack on the United States and its ally Israel and call for revenge. Washington has denied involvement while Israel has not commented officially on the incident.
U.S. Joints Chiefs of Staff Chairman Martin Dempsey was due to visit Israel later Thursday for talks on security issues, including U.S. and Israeli concerns about the Iranian nuclear program.
The Israeli government says a nuclear-armed Iran would be a threat to Israel's existence. Israel and the United States refuse to rule out military force to prevent such an outcome.
But U.S. officials publicly have urged Israel to avoid unilateral action and give more time for diplomatic pressure and sanctions on Iran to work. Israeli leaders recently have expressed concern that international sanctions have not curbed Iran's sensitive nuclear activities.
All content based on VOA News reports.
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