Syria slams France, UK for supporting al-Qaeda

The Syrian government has criticized Britain and France for supporting al-Qaeda terrorists in their fight against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

“Britain and France were complacent about supporting al-Qaeda directly or indirectly,” Syria’s Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al-Miqdad said in an interview on Monday.

Miqdad described the UK and France as “new colonialists” for giving political and military support to the armed groups in Syria.

The Syrian official also criticized Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar for acting to ensure Western interests.

Miqdad said he hoped Jordan would not boost its involvement in the unrest in Syria.

“The same forces that are killing innocent people in Syria are in Jordan too… We have stupid Arabs who are facilitating what the others are planning for the region. But the conspiracy begins in the west,” he added.

In an interview recently broadcast on Turkish television, Assad accused Turkey of harboring terrorists and transferring them into Syria.

Damascus says Ankara has been playing a key role in fueling the unrest in Syria by financing, training, and arming the militants since violence erupted in the Arab country in March 2011.

Assad also warned that if his country “is partitioned, or if terrorist forces take control of the country, there will be direct contagion of the surrounding countries.”

Many people, including large numbers of army and security personnel, have been killed in the violence in Syria.