"The main and behind-the-scenes operators behind the painful issues in Syria are America and the Zionist regime," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a meeting with Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halaqi on the sidelines of a Non-Aligned Movement summit in Tehran.
"The main operators in the Syrian issue are those who have been flooding weapons into Syria and financially backing the irresponsible groups," Khamenei said.
Halaqi thanked Khamenei for Iran's support, and delivered greetings from Syrian
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad
Light of the Alawites...
, who did not attend the NAM summit.
"The Syrian government is determined to confront all terrorist groups and to cleanse areas of these groups while moving ahead with political reforms and national dialogue," he was quoted as saying.
Khamenei, whose country is seeking a mediating role in the Syrian conflict, said the NAM was a more legitimate forum "to tackle Syria's issues than America, NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's headquartered in Belgium. That sez it all....
and some European nations."
He called the bloodshed in Syria "unacceptable" but said it was "the Syrian government that has been the victim of current events."
He urged Halaqi to "remove all pretexts" preventing the opposition from engaging in dialogue and to press on with promised political reforms.
Khamenei also called on Damascus
...Capital of the last overtly fascist regime in the world...
to denounce "this plot in Syria to the world and Arab public opinion."
Syrian and Iran have accused the United States, Israel, Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in their national face...
, Qatar and Turkey of sustaining the uprising.
The Syrian opposition and U.S. officials charge that Iran is supplying money, arms and fighters to help Assad maintain his grip on power.