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Vahid Salemi / AP
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem, left, speaks during a joint news conference with his Iranian counterpart Ali Akbar Salehi, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, March 2, 2013.
Syria and Iran on Saturday condemned a move by the United States to give non-lethal aid to rebels fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, accusing Washington of double standards.
"I do not understand how the United States can give support to groups that kill the Syrian people," Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem said at a news conference in Tehran with Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran's foreign minister.
"This is nothing but a double-standard policy ... One who seeks a political solution does not punish the Syrian people."
The United States said on Thursday it would for the first time give non-lethal aid to Syrian rebels, describing the aid as a way to bolster the rebels' popular support.
The assistance will include medical supplies, food for rebel fighters and $60 million to help the civil opposition provide basic services like security, education and sanitation.
Iran's Salehi said the U.S. move would prolong the Syrian conflict, an uprising-turned-civil war in which 70,000 people have been killed.
"If you really feel sorry about the ongoing situation in Syria you should force the opposition to sit at the negotiation table with the Syrian government and put an end to bloodshed," he said.
"Why do you encourage the opposition to continue these acts of violence?"
Iran and Russia support Assad, while the United States and its allies generally back the opposition.
Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.
Leave a Comment:
why send aid to Syria when we cant even keep our own budget working. Didn't the president just sign a law that will furlough government workers because we cant pay them a full weeks worth of wages?
Wrack, you are right. What American in his right mind would send aid to Muslim extremists. which the rebels are. No aid for Assad and no aid for the future Syrian Muslim Bro Hood. Let them kill each other if that's what they want. Problem solved.
Wow this is just frickin unbelievable. What the hell is going on in our Country? President Obama has been traveling nonstop pushing all his current agendas (no focus on the economy) and crying that the sky is falling because of the evil Republicans and the sequester..blah blah blah....note to President..We are broke and in debt and you are giving aid to extremists while Americans are suffering. Maybe if you had budget you would understand. Will it take a revolution in our streets before this administration see that we have had enough bs!
The current "sequester" did not happen because we where out of money, it happened because both parties are trying to use the US debt to beat etch other over the head with. The government is in the position to keep paying GOV workers, they just don't want to. Then, if it left to go on long enough, both parties will continue to point fingers at one another and still get nothing done.
It is all just 1 big political manipulation by both parties so they can continue to try and out maneuver etch other in the public's eye.
Unfortunately for both. This mentality is old and it is invalid in the 21st century. We need a government that can compromise and move fast to solve problems because this world now moves fast in both business and technology and even foreign affairs.
I couldn't agree more...
wrack
You are right. That's like giving $10 billion a year to the oil companies. Or the NFL being a nonprofit organization.
America gives 150 Billion dollars a year to the I M F . We pay 17.7 % of the whole fund.
We are bailing out countries that hate us.
Who is going to bail us out? Our leaders won't.
Redistribution
I hate Iran I'll donate every third paycheck..
They'll cut the Blue Angels but not one dime from overseas interventionism and foreign aid. The budget cuts are a total sham.
Donate whatever you want. But don't make me pay for your neocon meddling tactics.
"I do not understand how the United States can give support to groups that kill the Syrian people and also let their own people suffer from high unemployment and high number of US citizens living in poverty".
Thought I'd add a few more words.
You mean the most violent jihadists of all, the Free Syrian Terrorists???
No, I don't understand either.
As long as you guys keep posting here nothing will happen, you need to call your representative, you know the one you elected by voting for them (or by not voting against them), call them and tell them that this charade needs to stop, the aid to Syria, Israel, Egypt and all other countries should stop until we help our own citizen, our children, our mothers and fathers, our education system, our healthcare system and mostly our war veterans who are treated like rats when they come home. The US foreign aid is 56 billion dollars, do you know how many teachers we can bring back, how many police officers, how many firemen and park rangers, how many schools we can bring, how many veterans we rehabilitate, every year, 56 billion dollars!
Very true.....nothing happens when frustration is vented here. Call them and tell them either go all in with air support to end this thing like in Libya or hold off on symbolic actions that do nothing.
Look at these two clowns - who cares what they say??? Nobody, that's right!
We have no roles in Syria and Iran.
Let oil rich Sunni rulers, shiekhs, and their princes and princesses help the Sunni Syrian haters and killers like al Qaida, MB, Salaffi and others.
""I do not understand how the United States can give support to groups that kill the Syrian people," Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem"
How did they (Assad and co) help Hezbollah to kill their own Lebanese people?
I'm really sorry that our aid to the Syrian anti-government fighters has angered Assad and the Iranian government. It bothers me deeply to know that they are upset at us.
What did they think would happen when they made an enemy of the US? If you piss on a country, don't be surprised when it supports your opposition.
Marge
Are you at all upset about Americans that are in need? Are you at all upset that our President has been screaming that the sky is falling and children will be hungry and the elderly will suffer because we are going to make cuts and then decides to give 60 mil to people who hate us? Does it bother you that more people in Libya will die because of our aid? What exactly do you care about? I know protecting your President at all costs..quite apparent.
You should be angered that our tax dollars are going to real terrorist that kill Americans ! Wake up !
Learn to recognize sarcasm people.
Watt75, I'm really sorry that our aid to the Syrian anti-government fighters has angered you. It bothers me deeply to know that you are upset by it.
watt
Libya?
sorry syria....
Marge, Way to tell me off...fail
Man, watt75, you've completely missed the point of marge's posts -- twice. Now that's a fail.
I am totally against our involement in Syria and Iran.
I am for us keeping on the side and enjoying Shiites vs Sunnis Allah's battles.
Or else they will join and battle someone else.
""If you really feel sorry about the ongoing situation in Syria you should force the opposition to sit at the negotiation table with the Syrian government and put an end to bloodshed," he (Iran's Ali Akbar Salehi) said."
Have these tenth century desert mindset Iran's Shiites done anything useful since the birth of the hating, killing,, chaining and slashing cult?
If these cowards can't fight Sunni Syrian rebels and eliminate all of them, then these Shiites better hang themselves before their mosques in the next holy days!
We can't even help our own people but we seem to always have money to give to other countries. This administration is a disgrace.
Well Jimbo, read your history book, the marshall Plan for example. Remembe rEisenhower supported the French in Viet Nam in the 1950's. And on and on you yobbo.
@LouLeid;
Not much of an analogy between the Marshall Plan and this or our supporting and taking over for the French. Jim has a point of argument; 60 million to Arab rebels, many or them hate us. We go into sequestration and can't seem to even discuss cutting a 16 trillion dollar deficit, and all this on the same page of the newspaper. Can you see why people are upset about their 60 million dollars in taxes?
and disgusting that they have not learnt lessons from Iraqi wars and Afghan war.
They are acting as if they are on the payrolls of oil rich Sunni rulers, oil companies and their lobbyists to worry about Syria and Iran and manipulate oil prices higher and higher from $40 in 2009 to more than $110 now with sanctions.
Giving 60 million dollars to these terrorist that butchered Ambassador Stevens is a disgrace ! These rebel scumbags raped Christian women, beheaded the men, and burnred Churches in Homs which went UNREPORTED by nbc ? kerry is a traitor to America that should be thrown in jail for war crimes along with hillary the witch ! When will Americans wake up and take this country back from these INSANE politicians/lowlifes ?
What is with you Trolls, Yes Trolls! 60 million is just stuff not money. I awear that you people don't know how to read. The Republicans are right to end spending on Education because you allshow what a waste it is.
6dogs....aid equals money....I am sure you can figure that out...Liberals are right to want to live off the government...they think everything is free.
@6dogs: Maybe the government cut spending on education a little to soon, your #4.1 is full of writing errors.
And you talk about others not being able to read!!! lol
Wait until Syria finds out about Genie Oil Company drilling for Oil in the Golan Heights with the help allegedly of Dick Cheney.
Talk about kicking someone when they are down.
If the story is true, it would be true Dick Cheney!
LOL!
There is not much doubt that Cheney is rubbing elbows with the Chinese over Iran. To the Chinese I say be, afraid be very afraid. I bet if Cheney was still VP we'd be been in Iran a couple of years ago.
Cheney and Bush Jr. ran their course. If they wanted to go into Iran they could only have done it on their watch.
typical spin...bring up Bush/Cheney...priceless!
watt75 - "typical spin...bring up Bush/Cheney...priceless!"
Right Watt. They forgot, the Bush presidency never existed. There are absolutley no left over effects today. Everything they did (if they existed) ended on the day they left office. We should not speak of that which is best forgotten...
SpokaneWA,
Using your logic, we could go all the way back to Washington and every president in between to discuss the affects (good and bad) of their decisions on our current situation. You can't unscramble eggs. You can only "Move Forward" from the present.
The Syrians and the Iranians don't like it?
What a surprise!
I'm all for a strong foreign policy stance and if 60 million dollars will keep Syria unstable, all the better. I very much doubt that the Obama administration understands that these half-measures are actually doing more harm to Syria than good. I actually don't mind. It'll keep Syria off the world stage and give Iran something to seriously consider.
I would not be supportive of any kind of real military intervention on the side of the rebels. I don't really see any sort of regime change that would ever be friendly to the U.S.
My condolences to the Syrian people.
Funny that the US now chooses to call them "Syrian Rebels"... I guess stating that we are giving aid to Al Queda doesn't have the same spin. The Free Syrian Army is a terrorist organization full of Al Queda fighters...
Surely they are using the 'aid' to help with humanitarian needs and not using it to by suicide vests and grenades. Every dollar sent there will be used to buy weapons that will eventually be used against the US when we have to send troops when Al Queda (FSA) does come to power.... or maybe then it wont be our responsibility, and then we will look the other way.
I do not know why we just didn't lie about it, like all the rhetoric that comes from the mouths of the Iranian government. You may ask how do you know when the Iran's government officials / religious leaders are lying? Their lips are moving aren't they? They are just little sheet heads, pay them no mind.
Borrow 60 + million pay interest on it so we can give it away. We get the government we deserve.
Both sides over there stink. We should not aide either side. That being said, what is so bad about Muslims killing Muslims, the more the better. The only thing better would be if it expands to a war among Muslim's in Iran. Yep, that would be an Allah Akbar moment.
The terrorist rebels are killing the original Syrian Christians along with the Armenian Christians ! They also kill Alawi, Druse, and anyone else. Only at times kill Muslims like they did at Houla to fool the simple minds ! Assad is protecting the Christians !
The Iranians and Syrians will not be able to kill who they want to as fast as they want to or at all. I'm sure that pisses them off.
Iran needs to go F*ck itself!
Well of course, nobody wants any attacks on Dubai - the lavish partying square on the planet for our dear and most trusted lawmakers in Washington. Geee, I wonder where all the Iraq money went. hmmm, sounds like a super huge marijauana sit-in!
Probably something Bush and Obama are in on together.
You know they planned 911, dont you.
The American public can't understand giving aid to rebels out to overthrow governments - let this be a lesson to everybody on this planet: no country has citizens that are 100% loyal to their governments. Yet, I will pray for my president that he will be overcome with the Holy Spirit that will guide him into righteousness, which is something he lost a long time ago.....
We're ticked off too.
The Iranian gov't can eat sh*t and die. They are happy to send lethal aid to the Syria gov't.
America needs to stay out of it. American government are hypocrites. If the same thing was going on in America, the government would see it as the outsidet country helping the domestic terrorists.
YOU have no knowledge of how this world works.
We cannot stay out of it.
You are talking about nuts with nuclear weapons here,
who could control all the oil in the area.
Don't be a fool.
Wake up.
SCREW IRAN!!!
Why do you think so many countries have been trying to get Afghanistan?
Why do you think we and Obama, have not stopped pressing on?
Afghanistan is a stepping stone to Iran.
We intend to kill the roaches there.
And we will.
Israel will be the first in, we will follow.
Some of you must have missed past news whereby the rebels were using suicide bombers and killing civilians and other terrorist methods. And, that they are allied with Al-Qaeda. That's okay though, I think Kerry must haqve missed that as well. The Iranians didn't. They are right. But, one side is as bad as the other. Shiah arabs and Baathists are killing each other and that needs fixing ? Not !
Perhaps you were being sarcastic?
Iran want to destabilize and control the whole region.
And destroy Israel.
It will NOT happen.
Have to laugh at the people who hated on Bush, only to see Obama continue so much of the same foreign policy.
ALL presidents will continue on this path.
It is not up to a measly president to decide.
It is up to the people in the know that have been in government for years.
Why do you think Obama had to sign the PO for the new paint in Guantanamo?
This isn't about Syria, it's the preamble to the war between the U.S. & Iran. "Another Mother of all wars".
Exactly.
Oh, an with Israels help, it will be over quick.
And China and Russia will rattle sabers, then sit down and mope, tails between their legs.
Exactly. Iran's intentions have little to do with their criticism. It's almost a different topic to them. The part they have right is that the rebels are killing Syrians. We're supporting terrorists. Iran will be the first to suck up to the rebels if they win so it won't interfere with their plans. They've totally sucked up to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt lately.
This is not the preamble ... we are already in it.
The U.S. getting involved in another civil war. That's just stupid.
So, I guess that this is gonna end up being the Big O's next little illegal war.
And the beat goes on....
So Obama can't wait to get us on the list of idiots? Why support people who kill Americans and have no morals? What next, send them fighter jets and tanks like Egypt? Obama is an idiot and he is going to destroy America any way that he can. And the liberals love him. His base is all the welfare slugs, gays, confused and unions. They sure are not going to save America.