Does News Travel to Syria?

Condoleeza Rice yesterday accused Syria and Iran of fanning the flames of violence in the middle east in response to cartoons of Muhammed. Said Rice: "Iran and Syria have gone out of their way to inflame sentiments and to use this to their own purposes, and the world ought to call them on it."

So what is Syria's response? Syria's US ambassador Imad Moustapha told CNN: "We in Syria believe anti-Western sentiments are being fueled by two major things -- the situation in Iraq and the situation in the occupied territories, the West Bank and Gaza. We believe that if somebody would tell Secretary Rice that Syria is not the party that occupies Iraq and is not the party that occupies the West Bank and Gaza, then probably she would know it is not Syria who is actually fueling anti-Western sentiments."

Maybe somebody should tel Ambassador Moustapha that nobody but Palestinians occupies the Gaza strip. Perhaps the news did not make its way to Syria, but Israel pulled out of the Gaza strip months ago. Also, it might help if somebody told Moustapha that Americans have no interest in staying in Iraq. When Syria stops supporting the insurgency in Iraq, American troops will back their bags and head home.

CNN story here.