Saudi Arabia said yesterday the Syrian government’s attempts to suppress a rebellion amounted to “genocide” and called for rebels to get military aid to defend themselves, in a sharp escalation of rhetoric over the conflict.
Speaking at a Press conference with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Jeddah, Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud Al Faisal criticised Iran, Russia and Hizbollah for backing and arming Syrian President Bashar Al Assad.
“Syria is facing a double-edged attack. It is facing genocide by the government and an invasion from outside the government … (It) is facing a massive flow of weapons to aid and abet that invasion and that genocide. This must end,” he said. The prince did not spell out what he meant by genocide but the kingdom has accused Assad of using air and artillery strikes against heavily populated civilian areas.
Prince Saud said Saudi Arabia “cannot be silent” at the recent decision by Lebanese militant group Hizbollah to send fighters into Syria to back Assad.
“The most dangerous development is the foreign participation, represented by Hizbollah and other militias supported by the forces of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard,” he said.
“The kingdom calls for issuing an unequivocal international resolution to halt the provision of arms to the Syrian regime and states the illegitimacy of the regime,” Prince Saud added.
Kerry has returned to the Middle East after a two-day visit to India.
In Jeddah, Kerry held discussions with Prince Saud and Saudi intelligence chief Prince Bandar bin Sultan on Washington’s plans for providing direct military support to General Salim Idriss of the Supreme Military Council, the military wing of Syria’s main civilian opposition group.
US President Barack Obama has said he will arm the rebels but has not disclosed what type of assistance he will provide.
Kerry is trying to ensure that the aid to the rebels is properly co-ordinated among the allies, in part out of concern that weapons could end up in the hands of extremist groups.
“We cannot let this be a wider war. We cannot let this contribute to more bloodshed and prolongation of the agony of the people of Syria,” he said at the conference.
Source:Gulf Daily News
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