Syria Accuses US of Inciting ‘Armed Groups’

Claims Likely to Be Used in Further Crackdowns

Syria’s Foreign Ministry today issued a statement condemning a number of top US officials and singling out US State Department spokesman Mark Toner, saying they are “inciting armed groups” to rebel against the military.

The statement comes the same day as a top anti-regime activist issued a statement condemning certain overseas elements within the opposition for their support for foreign military intervention, saying that most of the domestic protest movement does not support such a move.

At the same time, US Ambassador Robert Ford’s efforts to associate himself with the protest movement had pro-Assad demonstrators hurling tomatoes at him today, so the claims that the Obama Administration is “inciting” the opposition isn’t entirely unfounded.

Unfortunately, the administration’s attempts at insinuating themselves into the picture is giving the Syrian regime exactly what it wants, an excuse to paint the entire opposition as American dupes, and crack down further on them. Those crackdowns will, inevitably be used by the US to call for more international meddling, which will further imperil the peaceful protesters.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.