Syrian Chief Voices Defiance Against "Foreign Attack"

(New York Times) Katherine Zoepf - In a rare, televised public address, President Bashar al-Assad on Thursday characterized a UN investigation into the assassination of former Prime Minister Hariri of Lebanon as part of a U.S. attack on Syria. Assad struck a defiant note, telling Syrians that they must remain strong in the face of "cultural and psychological warfare" that aimed to weaken Syrian unity. "If someone in Syria raises his voice in tandem with foreigners, he is being controlled by foreigners," he said. In Washington, State Department spokesman Adam Ereli dismissed Assad's speech as "appalling" and "outrageous." Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said it was just another stalling tactic. "I don't think this constitutes cooperation," she said.


2005-11-11 00:00:00

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