By Elise Labott, reporting from Jerusalem
Robert Ford, the U.S. Ambassador to Syria, is expected to leave his post in July, a senior State Department official said.
The move was expected and does not signify a policy shift on Syria, as his term was due to end, the official said.
His departure from the post is considered part of the regular shuffle of ambassadors, which takes place during the summer, the official said.
Ford was pulled from Damascus in October 2011 due to "credible threats against his personal safety," the State Department said at the time.
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As Israel finds itself drawn into the Syrian conflict, CNN's Elise Labott examines efforts to prepare for a possible confrontation. Labott, CNN Foreign Affairs Reporter, is based in Washington but currently reporting from Jerusalem.
By Larry Shaughnessy
The judge hearing the court-martial of Ft. Hood massacre suspect Maj. Nidal Hasan has ordered a medical evaluation to determine if the Army psychiatrist is physically fit to act as his own attorney.
Col. Tara Osborn noted at a hearing on Wednesday that a prior examination determined Hasan was mentally capable of conducting his own defense in his murder case stemming from the November 2009 shooting spree at the Texas military base.
But she ordered a doctor to administer an exam to see if he can hold up physically if he were to represent himself, according to a statement.
Hasan was shot and paralyzed from the chest down on the day of the massacre in which he is accused of killing 13 people.