WASHINGTON, May 3 (UPI) -- The U.S. State Department has released its annual "Country Reports on Terrorism" in which Syria figures as a State sponsor of terrorism since Dec. 29, 1979.
A press release from the Syrian Embassy in Washington, D.C., however, points out that the State Department's report "fails to recognize two major facts that have induced the increase of terrorism in the Middle-East and worldwide."
The communiqué from the Syrian Embassy cites:
1. The invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq, which has fueled anti-Western sentiments in the region.
2. The Israeli occupation of Arab lands, and continuous suffering and humiliation of Palestinians and Syrians living under occupation.
The Syrian communiqué goes on to say that "The only way to eradicate terrorism lies in dealing with the root causes of this phenomenon; simply put, ending all occupations in our region. In the past, United States administrations realized this fact and saved no efforts in trying to broker peace in the Middle-East. Today, the United States is widely regarded as a major factor of instability in this region."
Syria furthermore denies charges that it has allowed infiltration of jihadi fighters into Iraq across its borders. The Syrian Embassy blames the United States for its "policies that are fomenting terrorism in our region."
