Syria Accuses Clinton of 'Incitement'
Syria on Tuesday accused U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of "incitement" after she said President Bashar Assad has lost legitimacy and the right to remain in power.
"Syria vigorously condemns the remarks of the U.S. secretary of state that amount to further proof of the flagrant interference of the United States in the internal affairs of Syria," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
"These remarks are an act of incitement aimed at continuing the internal crisis and for objectives which do not serve the interests of the Syrian people or their legitimate ambitions," it said.
Clinton said on Monday, after the French and US embassies in Damascus were targeted in angry pro-regime demonstrations, that Assad had "lost legitimacy," four months into a deadly revolt against his regime.
"President Assad is not indispensable and we have absolutely nothing invested in him ... remaining in power," the secretary of state said. "From our perspective, he has lost legitimacy.
Syria's foreign ministry stressed that ties were now in crisis.
"The political leadership (of Syria) does not draw its legitimacy from the United States but solely from the will of the Syrian people who express their support and backing each day for the leadership" and its proposed reforms, it said.
"Relations between countries are based on the principle of non-interference," the ministry said.
Syria expects the United States "to respect this principle and abstain from behavior that is liable to provoke the sentiments of Syrians and their attachment to their national independence."
Source: Agence France Presse
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