WASHINGTON, Feb 15: The United States on Tuesday recalled its ambassador to Syria for "urgent" consultations, in the wake of the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice "has decided to recall the US ambassador to Syria, Margaret Scobey, for urgent consultations following the brutal murder of former Lebanese prime minister Rafic Hariri".

Nobody has officially blamed Syria for the assassination, but Mr Boucher added that Margaret Scobey had expressed to Syria the United States' "deep concern as well as our profound outrage over this heinous act of terrorism". -AFP