Syria blames U.S. occupation for 'terrorism' in Iraq

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, November 06, 2003

Syria blames U.S. occupation for 'terrorism' in Iraq

The Syrian foreign ministry called on the United States to pull its troops out of Iraq, saying their presence has led to chaos and terrorism, according to remarks published Wednesday.

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The Syrian foreign ministry called on the United States to pull its troops out of Iraq, saying their presence has led to chaos and terrorism, according to remarks published Wednesday.

There was no terrorism problem in Iraq when the United States entered the country, a spokeswoman for Syria's foreign ministry said in an interview with the London-based Saudi newspaper Asharq al-Awsat.

"Now, there is the problem of terrorism and of al-Qaeda," Bushra Kanafani said in published remarks.

Kanafani said the United States can help restore order if it accepts a timetable for withdrawing its troops from Iraq and allows a greater peacekeeping role for the United Nations.

Syrian President Bashar Assad has also blamed the U.S.-led occupation for instability in Iraq.

"The world has discovered that the war of 'liberation' of Iraq has liberated the Iraqi citizen of the state, the institutions, sovereignty, dignity, food, water and electricity," Assad said in a speech at the Organization of the Islamic Conference summit in Malaysia last month.

"The Iraqi citizen has become 'liberated' from the gift of life, and everyone, without exception, has discovered that the excuses which led to war lacked credibility," Assad said, referring to the U.S.-led coalition's failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

Source: Agencies

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