New Delhi: Syria on Saturday accused "external"
forces of trying to destabilise the country with help of
"radical Islamic" groups and the US of backing Muslim
Brotherhood which was "responsible" for bloodshed.
Syrian Ambassador Riad Abbas, giving an account of the
efforts to normalise the situation, said the President has
already started the process of holding "national dialogue"
with all groups but those behind the unrest are are not coming
forward as they only want to "topple" the government.
Alleging that "external forces" are trying to destabilise
the country by encouraging the "extremist religious groups"
like Muslim Brotherhood and other outfits, he said the country
has been targeted for raising the voice for creation of a
separate Palestinian states, besides other reasons.
"Syria is the only secular state in the area. We have
been supporting formation of the a Palestinian state and that
is why there are efforts to destabilise the country. These
external forces have their own agenda," Abbas told reporters
here.
He alleged the US has been supporting "radical outfit
Muslim Brotherhood which has been behind the unrest and
bloodshed in the country".
"The Americans have themselves said that they have been
supporting the Muslim Brotherhood," he said adding the banned
outfit, along with some other "extreme religious groups", was
behind the bloodshed.
Asked whether international observers will be allowed
during polls which President Assad has announced, he evaded a
direct reply but said Syria never belives in interfering
affairs of other countries.
According to the UN, at least 2,600 people have been
killed in the unrest in Syria since popular protests first
broke out in mid-March.
Asked about the government crackdown on the protesters,
the Ambassador said the security the forces have been taking
"maximum precaution" in dealing with the protests and accused
those behind the unrest of resorting to widespread violation
human rights and killing innocent people.
"The president has already presented a national agenda.
He has already initiated a national dialogue process. But they
do not want to come for talks as they only want to topple the
government," he said.
Talking about the election, Abbas said no religious
group or party will be allowed to participate in the polls as
it will affect the "democratic" character of the country.
"The parliamentary elections will take place in February.
But we cannot allow religious groups to participate as they
have already said that they will force the Christian people to
leave the country. We cannot allow this to happen as it will
affect the secular nature of the country," he said.
On whether elections will be free and fair, he said the
country was embarking on democratic reform and the February
polls will "differnt" from polls held earlier in the country.
Dubbing the media coverage of the unrest as "biased", he
said things are being showed in a distorted manner.
PTI
