|
Syria Rejects Bush âHarboringâ Charge
The Palestinians Syria has granted a haven are engaged in a struggle for freedom, not terrorism, a Syrian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Tuesday in response to renewed criticism from U.S. President George W. Bush. Speaking at a joint news conference at his Texas ranch with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Bush on Monday accused Syria and Iran of continuing to harbor terrorists and said terrorism was the greatest obstacle to peace in the region. The United States has labeled hard-line Palestinian groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad â which have carried out suicide attacks on Israeli civilians â that for years operated out of Damascus as terrorist. Under U.S. pressure, Syria recently closed the offices of the Palestinian groups, but most of their officials continue to work from their homes in Damascus or from neighboring Beirut, Lebanon. Telecommuting also helps you avoid car bombs, ambushes and those pesky helicopter gunships. "It is not possible for Syria to consider the Palestinian struggle for freedom, independence and ending Israeli occupation (of Arab territories) to be terrorism," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Buthaina Shaaban said at a news conference in Damascus Tuesday. "Cuz that would mean facing reality and we canât do that." Shaaban called Bushâs criticism "part of continued old and new pressures (exerted) because of Syriaâs clear stands regarding events in the region," Shaaban said. How about that, he got one right! Syrian-U.S. relations have long been strained by Washington allegations that Damascus supports terrorism. During the Iraqi war, tension heightened when the United States accused Syria of supplying military equipment to the Iraqis and giving refuge to members of the ousted government of President Saddam Hussein. Syria denied the charges. "Wasnât us, it was somebody else." Posted by: Steve 2003-07-22 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=16794 |