Syria on Wednesday sharply criticized an Arab summit declaration that condemned “massacres” by its forces and reaffirmed support for the opposition National Coalition.
State news agency SANA said nothing would change “the clear decision by the Syrian state to protect its people against terrorism and to face up to it forcefully and firmly”.
President Bashar Assad’s regime refers to dissidents and rebels alike in the war-torn country as foreign-backed “terrorists”.
The Arab leaders in their final declaration at the end of a two-day meeting in Kuwait City called for a political solution to Syria’s war, which since March 2011 has killed more than 146,000 people and forced nearly half the population to flee their homes.
The statement also condemned “the massacres committed by the Syrian regime against unarmed people,” and reaffirmed its “total support for the Syrian National Coalition as a legitimate representative of the Syrian people”.
According to SANA, the summit’s expression of support for the opposition was made “in order to satisfy the rich Gulf states that impose their will on the Arab League”.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar are key backers of Syria’s revolt.
The report said Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey — also a key rebel backer — must “stop sending terrorist mercenaries (to Syria) and stop providing financial and logistic support”.
Assad’s regime was suspended from the Arab League in November 2011, leaving Syria’s seat empty.
National Coalition chief Ahmed Jarba spoke at the summit, urging its members to hand the seat to the opposition.
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