Syrian President Bashar Assad
Photo: AP
Syria: U.S.-led invasion of Iraq increased terrorism
In response to U.S. State Department report naming Syria, five other countries as state sponsors of terrorism, top official in Damascus says ‘America’s occupation of Iraq, hegemonic policy increased popular anger’
Branded by the U.S. as a state sponsor of terrorism, Syria lashed back Sunday, blaming the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq for an increase in terror attacks worldwide.
The war in Iraq has “Created fertile ground for the escalation of terrorism and its expansion,” the official SANA news agency quoted a Foreign Ministry official as saying.
“America’s occupation of Iraq, its hegemonic policy and its schemes in the region have increased popular anger,” the official said, adding that the U.S. War on terror has failed to achieve positive results.
A U.S. State Department report on Friday named Syria and five other countries as state sponsors of terrorism. But in an unusual acknowledgment of cooperation by Syria, the report said Damascus has attempted to prevent terrorists from crossing into Iraq, saying it has upgraded security along its border.
The U.S. has long accused Syria of allowing foreign fighters to enter Iraq through its territory. Damascus said Sunday that it has “Taken all possible measure to guarantee the security of its border with Iraq.”
The State Department report counted some 11,000 terror attacks around the world last year - nearly four times the number of attacks in 2004 - though officials attribute the jump largely to new methods of tallying incidents. The 2005 attacks resulted in more than 14,600 deaths.
