The United States expects ambassador Robert Ford to return to Syria after consultations in Washington, and demands that the Syrian government "provide for his security" when he returns, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Monday.
"It will be incumbent on the government of Syria to provide for his security when he returns and to meet its Vienna Convention obligations, just as we do in protecting Ambassador (Imad) Moustapha here," Nuland said, dpa reported.
Ford was brought back to Washington for "consultations" out of concern over a campaign of incitement in state-run media against Ford and a threat to his security.
But Nuland insisted that Ford has not been permanently withdrawn or recalled.
"We want a chance to consult with him, talk to him about how he sees the situation in Damascus. ... It's also the case that the situation there is quite tense, and we want to give him a little bit of a break," she said.