U.S. Embassy in Damascus mocks Syrian FM’s U.N. speech
The social media post, which was published on Wednesday, has since been shared over 300 times
The U.S. Embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus has mocked Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem’s recent U.S. speech, posting on its Facebook page a photo showing the address being delivered to a near-empty auditorium, with the caption “Empty Chairs for Empty Words.”
The social media post, which was published on Wednesday, has since been shared over 300 times and has garnered 128 comments.
In Muallem’s speech made at the U.N. General Assembly late last month, the veteran Assad-regime diplomat slammed Washington’s “dual policy” of launching air strikes on some militants in Syria while providing assistance to others.
“This is a real recipe for the increase of violence and terrorism, shedding of Syrian blood, [and] prolonging of the Syrian crisis,” Muallem said.
“This behavior creates a fertile ground for the growth of these terrorist groups that commit the most heinous crimes on Syrian territory,” he added.
Muallem was not the only top-level envoy to speak to a largely empty auditorium at the General Assembly’s 69th session – some reports suggested that the hall was equally deserted during speeches by Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, Australia’s Tony Abbott, and Canada’s Stephen Harper.
In its efforts to fight Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants, the United States, which leads a coalition of over 40 nations against the group, initially launched strikes in Iraq in August and widened its action in late September to include Syria, where ISIS is based.
So far, the coalition has attracted dozens of countries, though only a handful of Arab allies - Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - are participating in the strikes on Syria.
-
Facebook to win EU approval for $19 bln WhatsApp bid: sources
The acquisition will give the company a firm foothold in the fast-growing mobile messaging market Technology -
ISIS beheads seven men, three women in northern Syria
The Peshmerga fighters were captured and held prisoners by ISIS during a battle near Kobani, before getting beheaded Middle East -
Turkey greenlights military ops in Syria, Iraq
The Turkish parliament voted 298-98 in favor of the motion which sets the legal framework for any Turkish military involvement Middle East -
Saudi group performs hajj on behalf of Syria ‘martyrs’
A total of 12,800 Syrians from Syria itself and other countries of refuge will be performing hajj this year Hajj 2014 - Special Coverage -
ISIS at gates of Syria's Kobane town
ISIS advances came hours after U.S.-led forces carried out at least five strikes against ISIS positions south and southeast of the town Middle East -
Pope Francis convenes Mideast envoys amid Islamist threat
The meeting brought together Vatican envoys from Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian territories, Jordan and Iraq, Libya, Syria and Turkey Middle East -
Turkey top general gives support to exclave troops at ‘critical’ time
The Turkish army stationed at an exclave inside Syria would get support if it needed help against ISIS Middle East