Damascus accuses Washington of supporting al-Qaeda in Syria

Syrian Foreign Ministry on Thursday accused the United States and its Western allies of funding and arming the al-Qaida-linked groups fighting in Syria against the administration of President Bashar al-Assad, according to the state-TV. The ministry's remarks came in a letter addressing the United Nations, in which it complained that "Washington, France, Britain, Turkey, and some other countries' funding and arming the terrorists in Syria constitute a flagrant violations to principles of the international law and the UN Security Council's laws pertaining combating terrorism." The relations between Washington and Damascus has hit the ground since the eruption of crisis in Syria as Washington projected itself as an advocate of the exiled opposition, calling on President Assad to resign repeatedly. The relations are further icy when Washington accused Damascus of using the nerve agent, sarin, in the battles against the rebels, particularly on Aug. 21 in the countryside of Damascus when the United States said hundreds of civilians were killed. Damascus immediately rejected the accusations and Washington threatened a military strike against Syria, prompting the latter to give its chemical arsenal to avoid the strike, even though it maintained its stance that the rebels were the ones who used the chemical gas to frame the government. Russia, meanwhile, said recently it had received "additional evidences" from Damascus, further incriminating the rebels. The new evidences are expected to be presented by Russia in the Security Council soon.