US warns siding with Syria’s Assad “losing bet”

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Warning that it’s a “losing bet” to side with dictator Bashar al-Assad, the White House on Monday urged friends of the Syrian people to help out “before the violence puts a political solution out of reach.”

But refusing to offer a “lead from behind” strategy, the Obama administration insists that after nearly a year of violence and a disappointing weekend that saw a U.N. Security Council resolution fall apart upon Russian and Chinese objections, a military solution is not forthcoming.

On Monday, the U.S. shut down its embassy in Syria, withdrawing Ambassador Robert Ford and 17 American officials. The State Department issued a warning for U.S. citizens to leave the country and announced that Poland will serve as a “protecting power” for the United States, providing consular services to any Americans remaining in the country.

That decision followed a violent crackdown in the city of Homs over the weekend that left hundreds dead. According to the U.N., since the March 2011 anti-government protests began, more than 5,400 Syrians have been killed, mostly by Assad forces.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said the decision to leave the embassy is part of a long-term effort to draw down embassy staff in Damascus, a reflection of the weakened security situation in Syria and the need to ensure the safety of U.S. diplomats.

But while it’s too dangerous for U.S. diplomats to stay in Syria, the violence is not too much for the U.S. government to intervene.

“I think it is very important to try to resolve this without recourse to outside military intervention and I think that’s possible,” President Obama told NBC in an interview that aired Monday, explaining that the administration’s “lead from behind” strategy used to drive out Muammar al-Qaddafi from Libya, would be implemented on “a case-by-case basis based on how unified the international community was, what our capacities were.”