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U.S. accuses Syria of inciting Israel border clashes

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1 of 11. A Palestinian protester throws a stone at Israeli security forces during clashes at Qalandiya checkpoint, near the West Bank city of Ramallah May 15, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Mohamad Torokman

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE | Mon May 16, 2011 3:14pm EDT

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) - The White House accused the Syrian government on Monday of inciting deadly border clashes between Israeli troops and Palestinian demonstrators, saying Damascus was trying to distract attention from its own violent crackdown on protests.

White House spokesman Jay Carney expressed regret for the loss of life in confrontations on Israel's frontiers with Syria, Lebanon and Gaza on Sunday but said the Jewish state "has the right to prevent unauthorized crossing at its borders."

"We urge maximum restraint on all sides," Carney told reporters on Air Force One as President Barack Obama flew to Tennessee.

Israeli troops opened fire at three separate border locations to prevent crowds of demonstrators from crossing, killing at least 13 people.

Syrian media reports said Israeli gunfire killed two people after dozens of Palestinians infiltrated the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria, along a front line that has been largely tranquil for decades.

The White House put the onus on the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for the violence that broke out on the Israeli-Syrian border.

Carney said the administration was "strongly opposed to the Syrian government's involvement in inciting yesterday's protests in the Golan Heights."

"Such behavior is unacceptable and does not serve as a distraction from the Syrian government's ongoing repression of demonstrators in its own country," he said.

"It seems apparent to us that this is an effort to distract attention from the legitimate expressions of protest by the Syrian people, and from the harsh crackdown that the Syrian government has perpetrated against its own people," he added.

The Obama administration has tightened sanctions on senior Syrian officials to try to pressure Damascus to halt its crackdown on pro-democracy protests, but international human rights groups have criticized Washington for not taking stronger action.

(Writing by Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Eric Beech)
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Comments (10)
DaBond wrote:
Well, anonym0us, what do you expect: it’s the way of the world, just to get a rise, considering there are ONLY 3 comments here (as of this writing). What defies explanation is that two countries (Lebanon and Syria) have allowed violence to erupt on their borders without any control. If you look at Jordan, it’s a different story: Palestinians were dispersed with tear gas, etc. This begs the reality that Lebanon and Syria are working to undermine any semblance of order and peace in the Middle East. Of course this is beyond the comprehension and imagination of people like the first “commentator.”

May 16, 2011 10:03am EDT  --  Report as abuse
Halad wrote:
Can we think again why this is happening? Maybe because there are unclaimed rights of Palestinian refugees! The whole world can offer us citizenships and high quality life. Still there’s nothing like home. Today we are armless and the whole world is watching the message of peace we are bringing. It is our cause today just like it was 63 years ago; it isn’t about religion or what country is doing what and who’s who! Let’s stop missing the point eh?

May 16, 2011 10:51am EDT  --  Report as abuse
Eric.Klein wrote:
Anywhere else in the world the headline would be “Country xxx was attacked by Muslim extremists who are declaring war” and NATO and the Security Council would be backing the sovereign nation that had been attacked.

These are not refugees, these are not displaced persons these are people looking to attack and destroy a sovereign nation with the tact support of their governments against the rules of the UN.

What do they want to do with the Jews who have lived in Israel for 3500 years (or even those that bought land and built towns in the 1800s).

May 16, 2011 11:36am EDT  --  Report as abuse
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