Syria lashes out at U.S. State Department

A Syrian foreign ministry source on Saturday slashed as "irresponsible" a statement made by the U.S. State Department advising Syrians not to surrender themselves after Damascus announced an amnesty for those who gave up their weapons. With its statement the U.S. administration has proved once again its flagrant intervention in the Syrian affairs and revealed its policy that supports killing, as well as its funding of " terrorist groups," the source was quoted by the state news agency as saying. The Syrian interior ministry on Friday called on those who carried, sold or distributed weapons but didn't commit homicides to turn themselves in within a week to receive amnesty. In a statement carried by the state TV, the ministry pledged to release those who turned themselves in between Nov. 5 and 12, saying that "this will be considered as an amnesty to those who surrender themselves and hand over their weapons." After the issue of the Syrian statement, the U.S. State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland told reporters that "I wouldn't advise anybody to turn themselves in to the (Syrian) authorities at the moment." "This would be about the fourth amnesty that they've offered since I took this job about five months ago," she said, "So we'll see if it has any more traction than it's had." The Syrian government "condemns this irresponsible statement that couldn't be interpreted but as aiming to foment sedition and support killing and terrorism practiced by armed groups against Syrian citizens," the foreign ministry source said. The Syrian government urged the international community to confront those policies "that run against the rules of the international law and the UN Security Council resolutions pertaining to combating and funding terrorism," the source said.