A US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon
Amid US and Israeli claims of arms transfer against Damascus, Syria says it is the United States' military reinforcement of Israel which harms the Middle East.
"What destabilizes the region is the United Sates supplying significant quantities of sophisticated weaponry to Israel and the fact that Washington adheres to the unjust allegations made by the Israeli government against Syria," Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem was quoted by AFP as saying on Saturday in comments to the Syrian Arab News Agency.
Tel Aviv remains the number one recipient of the US arms supplies.
During the former US administration, the military aid helped Tel Aviv muster the readiness to launch the three-week-long Gaza War at the turn of 2009. The current American leadership reportedly continued to dispatch the arms shipments Israel's way following the raids which killed more than 1,200 Palestinians
"The entire world recognizes the constructive role played by Syria in preserving the security and stability of the region, and the public remembers the American slander campaign launched before the war in Iraq," Muallem added according to state news agency SANA.
Among other things, the US accused Iraq of harboring weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) before launching the 2003 invasion of the country.
The WMD claim was found to have nothing to do with the realities on the ground. Over one million Iraqis have, however, reportedly died during the occupation, says California-based investigative project, Project Censored.
"It seems the US administration is now trying to play the same game," added the Syrian foreign minister.
Washington, in addition, has joined hands with Tel Aviv in claiming that Syria supplies the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah with arms.
Damascus, Beirut and the Lebanese movement itself have repeatedly rejected the allegation. Standing by the claim, however, Washington and Tel Aviv have sent threatening signals to Damascus.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned on Friday that President Assad should also "hear directly from us."
"President Assad is making decisions that could mean war or peace for the region," she said.
Syria and Lebanon, meanwhile, remain technically at war with Israel since as the regime keeps parts of each one's territory occupied since 1967.
HN/NN
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