‘US, UK to blame for killing of Syrians’

A senior Iranian official says the United States and Britain are to blame for the killing of the people in Syria, adding that the two Western governments have committed many strategic mistakes in the Arab country.

œThe United States and Britain have made numerous strategic mistakes in the region, including in Syria, and are considered responsible for the killing of the Syrian people,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Wednesday.

The top official termed a mistake the US™s call for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, adding, œMr. Obama (the US president) cannot decide for the wise Syrian people on the future of the country.”

The Iranian official stated that the Syrian people would, in the due time, decide on their country™s future through a democratic process and elections.

œWe have repeatedly warned the US that the tactic of supporting terrorism in Syria and sending weapons to the country will make the region insecure for all,” Amir-Abdollahian said.

He urged the US to give up its œcontradictory stances” on regional developments, including events in Syria and Bahrain, adding Washington should confess to its mistake about supporting terrorism, which has resulted in the killing of Syrians and the destruction of the country™s infrastructure, and apologize to the Syrian people for that.

The crisis in Syria began in March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the violence.

The Syrian government says the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.

Damascus says the West and its regional allies, such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, are supporting the militants.

In an interview recently broadcast on Turkish television, Assad said that if the militants take power in Syria, they could destabilize the entire Middle East region for decades.

œIf the unrest in Syria leads to the partitioning of the country, or if the terrorist forces take control… the situation will inevitably spill over into neighboring countries and create a domino effect throughout the Middle East and beyond,” the Syrian president stated.

SF/NN/HJL