Syria slashes US stance over Syrian crisis

DAMASCUS - Syrian foreign ministry accused on Tuesday the US administration of intervening in Syria's affairs and supporting the "armed terrorist groups" in the unrest-hit country.

In a statement carried by state-run SANA news agency, the ministry said the US administration has "continued its flagrant intervention in Syria's internal affairs by supporting the armed groups and covering their tracks as well."

The ministry lashed out on the statements made recently by the US administration about its concerns over the situation in Syria, accusing the United States of distorting facts about the situation in Syria and blackmailing other countries in order to corner Syria and target its stances.

On Monday, US State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said at a regular news briefing that "based on where we are now, based on our continuing concern that foreign military intervention in this situation is not clearly going to save lives and may actually cause a greater explosion of violence for a whole variety of reasons, we are taking the step now to do what we can with the UN monitors".

She said the "better course of action" is to use all the economic, political and other pressures available to smother support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

US officials have also expressed worries about the occurrence of another massacre in Syria's northern town of al-Haffeh, which is witnessing severe clashes between government troops and armed groups.

Syria has witnessed several carnages lately, some of which the United States and its European allies have blamed on the Syrian government.

The recent statement by the US officials came in tandem with the escalation of terrorist attacks carried out by armed groups across Syria, said the Syrian foreign ministry, which accused armed groups of killing dozens of people, especially in al-Haffeh.

It pointed out that the Syrian government has abided by the six-point peace plan brokered by UN-Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan, accusing the West-backed armed groups of not complying with the plan.

"The armed groups worked with their allies to violate the plan, " the ministry said.

Reiterating the Syrian government's commitment to Annan's plan, the ministry also stressed that it will not let the armed groups in Syria to hinder or attack the UN observers.

The ministry stressed Syria's keenness to protect its people until the security and stability are established nationwide.

Annan expressed worries Monday about the escalation of violence in the unrest-torn country especially after reports about use of mortar shells and tanks in Homs and Haffeh, according a statement issued by Annan's spokesman Ahamd Fawzi.

Annan has recently called on all sides of the Syrian conflict to commit themselves to the peace plan that urges for a cessation of violence from all parties in order to pave the way for a political settlement for Syria's 15-month-old unrest.

He contended that his plan has not been properly implemented yet.

The United Nations estimates that over 9,000 people have died in Syria's 15-month-old unrest, while the Syrian authorities say they are fighting foreign-backed armed groups and over 2,000 troops were killed during armed attacks on government establishments.