Syrian behaviour in the Middle East has undermined Lebanese sovereignty and the region, the US State Department said Tuesday after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad accused the United States of fomenting "chaos", dpa reported.
"We believe we're playing a constructive role in the region, as we believe that Syria is not," State Department spokesman PJ Crowley said.
Al-Assad asserted in an interview published by a London-based Arabic newspaper Tuesday that the United States has left problems anywhere it has gone in the Middle East and other areas. He pointed to Somalia, Afghanistan and the US presence in Beirut in the early 1980s.
"From our experiences over the past several decades, every theatre where the Americans have been has turned into chaos," al-Assad told al-Hayat daily.
Crowley accused Syria of continuing to steer weapons to Hezbollah militants in Lebanon in an attempt to exert control over its neighbour. He said Syria recently issued arrest warrants for more than 30 Lebanese and foreign nationals, a move he said further undermine Lebanese sovereignty.
"These activities by Syria directly undermine Lebanon's sovereignty and directly undermine Syria's stated commitments to Lebanon's sovereignty and independence," Crowley said.
"So if the issue is who is playing a more constructive role in the region, we stand by our pledge to support a sovereign, stable and independent Lebanon, with strong Lebanese institutions, as the only way to realize the best interests of the Lebanese people and the region as a whole," he said.