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Subscribe to RSSIn a speech addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said "permanent members of the Security Council have launched wars under the excuse of combating terrorism," and are now "supporting terrorism" in his country.
Syria's foreign minister on Monday accused the United States, France, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey of supporting "terrorism" in his country by funneling arms, money and foreign fighters to rebels seeking to topple President Bashar Assad.
Speaking on the last day of the annual 193-nation U.N. General Assembly, Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem also accused Libya of backing the rebels and said an arm of the al-Qaida network had taken responsibility for some bomb attacks in Syria.
Moualem said outside calls for Assad to step down amid the 18-month-old conflict were a "blatant interference in the domestic affairs of Syria, and the unity of its people and its sovereignty."
"In what context can we classify the explicit request of the United States from the armed terrorist groups not to surrender their arms as a response to amnesty decrees and decisions issued by the Syrian leadership?" Moualem asked, according to Al Jazeera.
Ancient Syrian market being consumed in fire started by fighting
"We also wonder to what extent the statements of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United States, and France that clearly induce and support terrorism in Syria with money, weapons and foreign fighters, are in line with the international responsibilities of these countries in combating terrorism," Moualem added, according to Al Jazeera.
In the outskirts of Aleppo, scenes of devastation fueled by the Syrian regime's warplanes have prompted new rebels to volunteer – some still in their teens. NBC's Ann Curry reports.
His speech came three days after countries calling for Assad's ouster met on the sidelines of the General Assembly but announced steps far short of what the rebels wanted as they press ahead in the bloody civil war.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met with Moualem earlier on Monday and "raised in the strongest terms the continued killings, massive destruction, human rights abuses, and aerial and artillery attacks committed by the government," Ban's spokesman said in a statement.
"He stressed that it was the Syrian people who were being killed every day, and appealed to the Government of Syria to show compassion to its own people," the spokesman said.
Ban raised the growing humanitarian crisis inside Syria, which was also spilling over to neighboring countries, the spokesman added. The United Nations said about 294,000 refugees from Syria had fled into Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and Turkey.
Qatari leader calls for Arab nations to intervene and 'stop the bloodshed in Syria'
More than 30,000 people have been killed, according to opposition activists, and there are fears the civil war could destabilize the wider Middle East.
NBC's Ann Curry and her crew drove into the area that rebels call 'Free Syria' to report on the growing violence in the country, including an attack just four miles from the border crossing from Turkey that killed six people.
According to the BBC, further violence in Syria was reported Monday, carried out by both sides.
A U.K.-based activist group said 18 soldiers were killed by rebels, the BBC reported, while 30 others were feared dead following an air strike by Syria's armed forces in the town of Salqin.
Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have denied aiding the rebels. The United States and France have said they are providing "non-lethal" support and not weapons.
"Under the pretext of humanitarian intervention, these countries interfere in the domestic affairs of states, and impose unilateral economic sanctions that lack the moral and legal basis," Moualem said.
"And under the pretext of concepts such as the 'Responsibility to Protect,' drums of war are beaten, and sedition and unrest are spreading and damaging the structure of national societies," he said.
Moualem was referring to a concept about governments' responsibility to protect civilians that has become increasingly popular in Western diplomatic and academic circles. The concept was used to justify last year's military intervention in Libya that led to the ouster and death of leader Moammar Gadhafi.
"Worst of all is to see permanent members of the Security Council, who launched wars under the pretext of combating terrorism, now support terrorism in my country," Moualem said.
At a meeting Friday of countries supporting Assad's ouster, the United States and France announced increased support for the Syrian opposition. But the meeting produced no sign that the direct military aid sought by the rebels to create safe havens for civilians was on the way.
Russia, backed by China, repeatedly has vetoed Western- and Arab-backed council resolutions that criticized the Syrian government and threatened it with sanctions, saying the United States, Europe and Gulf Arabs are seeking regime change.
'Fabricated' aid crisis
Moualem told the U.N. General Assembly that some people had tried to "fabricate a refugee crisis through inciting armed groups to intimidate Syrian civilians in border areas and forcing them to flee into neighboring countries."
"I appeal from this podium to those Syrian citizens to return to their towns and villages where the state will guarantee their safe return and their precious lives away from inhuman conditions they suffer in these camps," he said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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What is the US doing in support of the rebels? They are not sending troops, or advisors. They are not instituting a no-fly zone. The US is noticably neutral. At least I hope.
The end result of this war will be a crippled authoritarian Alawite govenrment of Assad that hates the US, or an elected Sunni Islamicist government that wants to rebuild the Calliphate...and hates the US.
It is best to provide economic and humanitarian assistance to Turkey and Jordon who are generously taking in the bulk of the civilian refugees, and remain neutral. America needs to also be poised to supply Syria with construction equipment and materials in the end. This war is devestating Syria and they will certainly need the means to rebuild.
25 million in "non lethal" aid to Syrian rebels.
Imagine how much better everyone would be in America if we stopped wasting all this money on other countries starting wars and "nation building" and instead used it to build up our own nation.
Guess we will never see that as long and the Democrats and Republicans control the country.
Gary Johnson 2012
When they say the U.S. is supporting terrorism, I believe he is referring to Obama and Hillary.
Most Republicans want to steer clear of the Al Qaeda, Sunni based Muslim Brotherhood, and Taliban supported Rebels.
He's right. We are supporting terrorism. One more reason to get them out of Washington for good.
Everyone knows that "non lethal aid' only frees up assets for weapons during wartime. The aid might as well be guns and ammo.
McCain (R) On Libyan Rebels: 'They Are My Heroes'
http://www.npr.org/2011/04/22/135638525/mccain-on-libyan-rebels-they-are-my-heroes
i agree on what you say, president obama Husein is supporting Muslim brotherhood the evil in Egypt and made them won the election with the help of egyptian army with faked election and the middle east Christians were the victims and also in Syria is supporting the evils terror fanatic sunni to give it to Sunni Muslim brotherhood and again the Christians in the middle east will be the victims, you are not getting my vote Mr president obama Husein.
anyone who doesn`t "conform"with US policies are considered terrorist by your government
All I see in the news is US reporters presenting the side of the rebels and embedded with rebel forces. an all I hear the rebels yelling is "Allah is great!" which does not give me a warm and fuzzy feeling at all... I believe that Syrian government has a valid point as presented above. Maybe NBC should send Ann Curry to spend some time embedded with the government troops for BALANCE of coverage.
Meanwhile St. Obama will claim ignorance, (shouldn't be difficult . . .remember 57 states for starters) like he and his cronies knew nothing about any warning in Benghazi, or anything about Fast and Furious where yesterday four more arrests were made.
Leave Syria alone and stop promoting violence.
I believe them.
This is a case of reaping what you sow. Syria funneled weapons and "foreign fighters" into Iraq and caused a lot of uneccessary death and destruction. Now the shoe is on the other foot and they don't like it. Too bad.
That's why we need to stay out. In the end, I hope Assad wins though because the rebels will be killing our soldiers as soon as Syria is done with.
Assads regime has been tolerant to all other religions restricting most forms of Islamic extremism except for Hezbollah, which is quite evil in itself. However, both sides have committed atrocities, and I believe the worse of the offenders are those who have been supporting the revolution.
Obama, keep our asses out of there, stop helping terrorists you demented Sunni Muslim.
Assad is not a President. A President is elected. Assad is a dictator, to call a cat a cat. Heil!
True, but he has been a fairly benevolent one. That's a lot more than I can say for the ones who are fighting to have control.
True, he had martial law for years, but that is because the area is a hotbed of terrorism, the Kurds have been waging revolution from Syrian turf, and most of the surrounding countries have had terrible wars all this time.
Assad is bad, but he is fighting the fire with fire. Islamic radical fires need a lot of fire to put them out. He knows the only way to defeat them, is to break their will any way you can. We should do the same when we fight wars if we want to ever win another one.
you sound sunni muslim voice evil
There is no doubt that the United States and NATO supports terrorists and even worse scum such as drug dealers, arms dealers and an assortment of the lowest human elements. The CIA recruits them, pays them and nurtures them. This is no secret, many incidents have been documented and written about by a wide range of reliable people. In Viet Nam, Afghanistan, Nicaragua, Cuba, South and Central America, Lybia etc. the United States funded, supported, supplied weapons and intelligence to terror networks. It is also no secret that the United States government conducts covert operations to destabilize and overthrow other governments. There is also no doubt or question that the United States government has been responsible for the death or maiming of millions of people around the world in their pursuit of world domination since the end of the last world war.
Whether or not the United States supports terrorists is not the question,of course they do, the question is what is the rest of the world going to do about it? As a new world order emerges post Cold War the United States is being seen as a parasite nation, a nation with nothing constructive to offer the world and whose only purpose is to suck the blood out of every other nation and peoples via the establishment of a new age of colonialism. While the political and economic elite consume all leaving only scraps for the rest of us. On the other hand you have nations like China and Russia that have a completely different agenda of bilateral cooperation and win win political and economic outcomes, respect for the sovereignty of other nations, and the settlement of disputes through peaceful means. How this disparity of irreconcilable differences is settled is still open, but I can tell you that the world is growing very weary of US warmongering and meddling in the affairs of other nations.
us helped a lot of countries as food and as money assistance to build school, bridges and other builders the other countries to develop these countries, i do not agree with you, but this president he is helping muslims maybe because his Muslim father and he is helping the Sunni evil Muslim brotherhood to take over these countries and he ignored middle east Christians, and as every one know Muslim brotherhood do not believe in democracy so how you help people do not believe in democracy to take over in Syria or Egypt?
Foreign aid comes with a long and oppressive list of so called reforms and positions that the US government demands from any nation receiving foreign aid, including adopting US foreign policy positions and allowing the US government to use the recipient nations land for military operations or bases. Foreign aid to the US government is a form of blackmail and extortion not aid.
As far as democracy is concerned have you ever thought that demopcracy is not same for others as your definition of it is???? Chrisitan Capitalist values are not everyones values as a matter of fact most people that live in this world are NOT Christians and have different thoughts and definitions on life than you. You are the problem you think everyone has to adopt your views, your way of life etc. . That is called hegemony. You want to dictate to everyone what their political and social systems should be, a direct copy of the United States. Did you ever consider that other nations and other peoples want to find their own way without outside interference?
McCarthy, These countries which are taking our foreign aid can always refuse it, correct? I actually wish they would, then maybe after their people are starving (like what is happening in Iran right now) maybe they will grow a pair and overthrow their corrupt theocracies. Most people do not realize that the USA is the most self-sufficient nation in the world. If we bring all our troops home, and stop all foreign aid, we will be ones suffering the least. We have our own oil, we refine our own gasoline. We have designed, invented and constructed every society changing invention ever conceived. The main reason we have been able to accomplish this is because we are allowed to be free thinkers in the USA. Most of these theocracies are so behind the times it is pathetic! I.E. Iran is still trying to get a nuclear war head, seventy....70 years after we constructed one. Their submarines still run on diesel for God's sake. Are you kidding me?
BTW. We are also the world's largest food producer. We still send food to North Korea believe it or not. Between you and me, I am sick to death of countries asking us for help, money and troops, and as soon as the fighting has subsided...the cowards that couldn't or wouldn't fight their own battles show us the same thing they show allah when they pray. "Yeah, kiss my ass fools and leave my country, but keep the money coming." When will the madness end? It is time we started taking care of our own and leave the rest of the virus carriers to kill each other. Charity begins at home.
This is supposed to be news? That's been going on for decade after decade after decade. Dwight D. Eisenhaur warned us, but at that time we still believed that government wouldn't lie to us, or steal us blind, or take away our Freedoms and Liberties, or re-write our 'Constitution' and the 'Bill of Rights', or...
Get the picture? People have become nothing more than commodities for the Elite to profit from. Us, and any other population in the World where they think they can get away with it. Nothing surprises me anymore, except the fact, that here, in the United States, the people, descendents of brave and Patriotic Forefathers, have become weak and afraid. That's probably how many Roman Citizens felt towards the end of their decline.
Why do I see some of you talking about Obama in this? Sure he makes the decisions to support who he thinks we should but that's about it. There is no white or black in this. It's all grey, as the world has been for centuries.
What we ought to do is send aid to the refugees and then help rebuild as one of you said. Or destroy it all, let God sort it out. In the end someone will come out ontop and either or will not like us or the others for sitting on the side lines. It's nothing new.
We don't have to do anything, and we shouldn't do anything. That costs money and lives that we can't afford to waste.
I don't like Obama for many reasons to complicated to discuss here, but he is clearly choosing sides. In every instance it is with the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood, the Sunni Muslim Taliban, and the Sunni Muslim Al Qaeda as they attack non Sunni Muslims.
Here is why: His fathers homeland, and his father were Sunni Muslim. Indonesian Muslims are predominantly Sunni Muslims as was Barack Obamas school there. It was funded and Obamas education paid for there by Sunni Muslims.
I think he has been committing Americans to war for Sunni Muslim interests in dominating all of the Islamic world.
If Obama isn't a Sunni Muslim, why is he doing all of this ?
Why is he backing terrorist organizations with a much worse violence track record ?
In every one of the countries where Obama has backed revolution, the leaders have not been Sunni Muslim, and were much more tolerant of other sects and faiths.
Lets get real though. There are no good guys over there, so Obama should stop committing our money and lives to a lost cause.
This is nothing new; US has been supporting terrorist organisations and the state terrorists for years.
Syrian minister is complete wrong. US does not support terrorist. US is a terrorist.
When President Bush was asked by news reporter how the invasion of Iraq is linked to 911 terrorists, the President said, "None." Since that day, America has been raining death and destruction upon Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The enlargement of the wars into Yemen and Pakistan is unprecedent in scope and violence, even by the 'Laos and Cambodia' standard. After a decade of covert and overt bombing and assassinations of civilians, the American war machines has killed hundreds of thousand of men, women, and children -- several magnitude greater than the number of victims of 911 attack.
For the native of Afghanistan and Pakistan a day or night does not go by without being terrified by American drone attacks, artillery barrage, or aerial bombardment. For these civilians life under the cross-hair of American weaponry is one of constant terror. And the Americans are the real terrorist.
I don't know why your all so upset, about the whole middle east anyway. If the Iranians get there hands on a nuke there going to attack Israel with it and start world war three.( they already refer to them as the walking dead). If the Israel's attack Iran's nuclear plants the Iranians are going to retaliate and then Israel is going to nuke the hell out of them and end up turning the whole middle east into a glass bowl (they have the worlds fifth largest supply of nuclear war heads), and when the dust settles on use were all going to die slow painful deaths.( which would suit Iran just fine) You see for the Muslim extremest, they believe, according to the Koran, Mohammad will return at the end of times and wipe out all of us infidels. So if Iran starts world war three they will be doing their gods work, and it looks like there going to one way or the other.
So do like our government is doing and spend like there's no tomorrow, while you can. Good times huh!
He is correct (from his and his supporter point of view)!!!
any country that doesn`t "conform"to US policies are considered terrorist in your governments eyes
So I guess this includes Canada?
Let's please correct this not the US allies, the US has no allies it act unilaterally. The US has caused and influenced all terrorism in the world that is why the world is now against the US. When the US falls which is coming soon the world will be at peace..
Hamas and Hizbullah... both terrorist groups and both supported by Iran and Iran's poodle, Syria.
The Muslim Brotherhood is taking control of ALL the Mideast countries. The next country in line is Saudi Arabia. Watch as it happens . The price of oil will sky rocket. The Muslim Brotherhood will use oil to control the rest of the world. And yes the actions of Obama have been supporting terrorism. All terrorist groups can be traced back to the Muslim Brotherhood. When the M.B. talks about 'Freedom and Justice" and Democracy, they are engaged in what they call "taqiyya". They have really come a long way from being banned in their own countries. The M.B. now rules the countries they were once banned in ,as a matter of fact the M.B. already tried to kill the Saudi king when he was still a prince. Can you see whats coming?