Turkey's buffer zone along Syrian border

UNITED NATIONS, March 19 (UPI) -- The Syrian government has reacted angrily to the news that Turkey intends to create a buffer zone along its border with Syria.

Syrian Ambassador to the United Nations Bashar Jaafari lashed out at the concept during an interview with the Arabic-language version of the Russia Today television channel, Interfaks-Agentstvo Voennykh Novostei reported.

"There will be no such zone," Jaafari said. "We dismiss any such idea in principle, as do many other countries.

"People know what a buffer zone means. It is a maneuver to bypass the provisions about a country's sovereignty, bypass the United Nations Charter."

The ambassador said Syria doesn't need a "buffer zone" along any of its borders.

"What Syria needs is to stop militants from the (Persian) Gulf states and other countries. Incitements and the frantic search for a pretext Kofi Annan's mission to fail must be stopped," he said.

Thousands of people have been killed in an uprising against the Syrian government, which blames the violence on terrorists.