Syrian minister warns U.S. against intervention
Syrian Deputy Prime Minister Qadri Jamil speaks during a news conference in Moscow, Tuesday Aug. 21, 2012 / AP Photo/Sergey Ponomarev
(AP) MOSCOW - President Barack Obama's warning over chemical weapons in Syria indicates the West is looking for a pretext for military intervention, a senior Syrian government official said Tuesday following talks in Moscow.
Syrian Deputy Prime Minister Qadri Jamil warned against any such intervention.
"Those who are contemplating this evidently want to see the crisis expand beyond Syria's borders," he told journalists in comments translated into Russian. The Syrian civil war, which began with a popular uprising in March 2011, already is spilling over into neighboring Lebanon.
Obama said Monday the U.S would reconsider its opposition to military involvement in Syria if President Bashar Assad's regime deployed or used chemical or biological weapons. The U.S. president called a turn toward such weapons of mass destruction a "red line" for America.
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Jamil described Obama's statements as "propagandistic threats" connected with the U.S. presidential election. However, he also said they indicate that "the West is looking for a pretext to intervene militarily."
"We must say that such intervention is impossible," he added.
The conflict in Syria already has dragged on for 1 1/2 years and killed some 20,000 people, according to activists. It is widely thought that Syria possesses extensive chemical and biological weapon stockpiles, and it has threatened to use them if the country comes under foreign attack.
Russia, which along with China has steadfastly backed Syria and blocked U.N. sanctions on Assad's regime, earlier warned Syria against using such weapons.
Jamil said the government would be willing to discuss Assad's resignation but only after the opposition agreed to join in negotiating a peaceful settlement.
"As for his resignation, making his resignation a condition for dialogue effectively makes holding such a dialogue impossible," Jamil said. "During the negotiating process any issues can be discussed, and we are ready to discuss even this issue."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov repeated Moscow's insistence that Syrians should decide their own fate without interference from outside.
Lavrov, who met with Jamil and Syrian National Reconciliation Minister Ali Haydar, said the ministers confirmed the Syrian government's commitment to a political transition under a U.N.-brokered peace plan.
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It is not up to the USA to spend Trillions of dollars, and thousands of lives, to ensure the Imperialist, Apartheid, Israeli Welfare State remains the only country in the Middle East with WMD'S
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Israel is welfare state ?
Lets look at the numbers Achmed.
Israel receives 3 billion per year.
Egypt gets 2 billion
Jordan 1.8 billion
and for the real deal..........Saudi Arabia,Kuwait,UAE,Qater,Bahrain get over 59 billion per year in protection from the US navy to protect the oil shipping lanes even though the Arabs have more money from oil selling at around $ 100 a barrel and have the latest Planes,Tanks and Arms sold to them from the USA.
Americans who died defending Israel...........zero
Americans who died defending Arab states which includes Lebanon, Kuwait, Iraq and Saudi Arabia etc............................2319
He will post cut and paste articles 24/7 even if the news story is about automobiles.
This is how he makes his money.
The articles he posts are manipulated and if you notice he has no mention of Nuclear capacity in regards to Pakistan, North Korea, France or the UK.
Could you imagine Israel without a nuclear weapon to respond to the likes of Achmed.
Not once has Israel asked or gotten one American soldier to die for her wars yet Achmed somehow ignores the Americans who died for Lebanon,Iraq,Saudi Arabia,Kuwait,Bahrain,UAE,Qater.
Achmed is a pathetic propogandist of the highest order.