Recognition of Syrian rebels triggers controversies as Assad gov't denies missile accusation

Source:Xinhua Published: 2012-12-14 13:50:46

Syria on Thursday denied using Scud missiles against the rebels, while the recognition of an opposition coalition as "the legitimate representative" of the Syrians at the "Friends of Syria" meeting earlier this week triggered controversies among the international community.

SYRIAN GOVERNMENT REJECTS MISSILE ACCUSATION

Syria's Foreign Ministry on Thursday denied the accusation that government troops had ever used Scud missiles to counter Western-backed armed militia, state-run SANA news agency reported.

The denial was a response to "what the tendentious circles, particularly in Turkey and its partner countries in the conspiracy against Syria, are promoting," said SANA.

The ministry said the accusation was totally unfounded and was aimed at undermining Syria's image and its stature in the international community.

"It's well known that Scud missiles are strategic and long-range missiles that aren't used in fighting armed terrorist gangs," the ministry said, reiterating that those missiles have not been used against the armed groups despite the militia's recent use of advanced weaponry against civilians and government troops.

On Wednesday, a NATO official confirmed that a number of short-range ballistic missiles had been launched inside Syria this week.

"Allied intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets have detected the launch of a number of unguided, short-range ballistic missiles inside Syria this week," the official told Xinhua by phone.

"We do not know the details of the missiles, but trajectory and distance traveled indicate they were Scud-type missiles," he said.

The NATO official said no missile landed in Turkish territory and he had no information about casualties and damage on the ground.

RECOGNITION OF OPPOSITION STIRS BIG CONTROVERSIES

However, what is more controversial than the missile accusation is the recognition of the National Coalition for the Opposition Forces as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people, a decision made at the so-called the Friends of Syria meeting held in Morocco earlier this week.

The United States, France, Britain, Turkey and more than 100 other countries and organizations were among the participants of the meeting.

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said on Thursday his country would study the decisions of the meeting, but noted the only way to end the Syrian crisis was to implement the Geneva communique.

"If that coalition has been recognized as the only representative of the Syrian people, then this would seriously complicate further work on the implementation of the Geneva communique, envisaging nationwide dialogue and talks between representatives of the government in Damascus and opposition," he said.

The Morroco meeting also pledged to provide support for coalition forces and urged the prompt departure of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Bogdanov said the meeting's resolution did not take into account the positions of all its participants.

"As far as we can judge, these decisions have been taken not on the base of general discussion. Some participants said everything was decided in advance, no one was interested in their opinions, and their positions, approaches, estimations have not been taken into account," the diplomat said.

He reiterated the only way to resolve the conflict was to implement the Geneva communique, which proposed starting all-Syrian dialogue between representatives from both the government and the opposition.

Bogdanov also called on the world to listen to the opinions of the Syrian opposition groups absent from the Morocco meeting.

"They strongly criticized the decisions to recognize the coalition as nearly the only legal representative of the Syrian people or even of the opposition. They disagreed with that," he said.

Bogdanov said Russia could further contact the United States to discuss the situation.

Also on Thursday, Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid told media that India was cautiously studying the approval by some countries, led by Western governments, of Syria's rebel alliance against President Assad while not taking any official position on the issue.

He said India has not taken a "categorical position" because it adopts a position of non-interference in others' internal matters.

WORSENING SECURITY SITUATION ALARMING

Meanwhile, Pakistan's foreign ministry announced on Thursday that it would temporarily withdraw its ambassador and staff from Syria due to the deteriorating security situation there, adding its embassy in Syria has not been closed.

"Pakistan is concerned about the security situation in Syria as well as the killing of civilians and calls upon all parties to resolve the issue through peaceful means," he told the weekly press briefing.

A car bomb killed at least eight Syrians on the suburb of Jdaidet al-Fadel on Thursday, pro-government al-Ekhbariah TV reported, adding most of the casualties were women and children.

The blast was the second to rock the capital within 12 hours. Earlier in the day, at least 22 people were killed and another 150 injured when a car bomb tore through a street in the capital.

A day earlier, at least 14 explosions rattled several parts of Damascus,resulting in many casualties.

The Syrian government said it was fighting al-Qaida fighters and vowed not to waver.

Posted in: Mid-East

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