Syria: Foreign meddling act of aggression

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NEW YORK, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- Foreign support for violence in Syria "is tantamount to a military attack" on the country, a Syrian diplomat at the United Nations said.

Most of the members of the U.N. General Assembly voted in favor of a resolution that condemns Syria's "widespread and systematic" human rights violations during the civil war.

The Syrian diplomat at the United Nations challenged the measure, saying co-sponsors Morocco, Qatar and Saudi Arabia were working to ensure the crisis in the country escalates.

"This is tantamount to a military attack," the diplomat, who went unnamed in the U.N. transcript, said.

An independent commission of inquiry released a report Thursday that was highly critical of the Syrian government. The report took note of the presence of foreign fighters, some of whom are aligned with extremist groups and fight alongside anti-government forces. It was critical, however, of the overall bloodshed.

Adama Dieng, a U.N. special adviser on the prevention of genocide, said in a statement that he was worried that entire communities were in jeopardy in the country.

"As the situation in Syria deteriorates further, there is a growing risk that civilian communities, including Alawite and other minorities perceived to be associated with the government, its security forces, militias and allies could be subject to large scale reprisal attacks," he said.

The inquiry report this week said anti-governments forces in Syria are consistently executing captured soldiers. There is also "considerable evidence" of systemic torture on government-run detention centers in Damascus.