Damascus: the Americans, the British leave, the French deny danger

The western embassies in Damascus have been witnessing a travel move by its staffs, following warnings issued by foreign ministries of the countries concerned to withdraw from the Arab states because of war threats against Iraq.

With a warning for voluntarily departure of the employees of the British embassy in each of Damascus and Beirut, according to a British diplomat in Damascus, certain families of American diplomats started to leave and the major part of members of the Canadian embassy started to leave, while the French embassy said it did not issue any warning to its employees.

The French embassy said that no warning was addressed to the French in the region and the French airlines did not take any step to this effect.

A British diplomat said that the warning given to the British citizens in the region is based on reasons "linked to information sources on likely threats of terrorism in the region." However, the Japanese embassy announced dispatching a medical team aid to Syria of 20 persons to provide medical care for any Iraqi refugees during a war against Iraq.