U.S. and European diplomats are reported to be circulating a draft U.N. Security Council statement condemning the Syrian violence and calling for an independent inquiry into the deaths of demonstrators, as a possible prelude to sanctions.

The United States ordered the departure late Monday of non-emergency embassy personnel and dependents from Damascus, while urging U.S. citizens to defer all travel to Syria, and advising Americans already there to leave while commercial transportation is still available.