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US Will Lose Influence over Mideast – Syrian Mufti

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The United States will soon lose its influence over the Middle East, Russia and China will replace this nation, Top Syrian Mufti Ahmed Badr al-Din Hassoun said on Saturday.

The United States will soon lose its influence over the Middle East, Russia and China will replace this nation, Top Syrian Mufti Ahmed Badr al-Din Hassoun said on Saturday.

“Americans think only about themselves, about their economy and hegemony, not about human’s interests…I believe, Americans will soon lose this region [Mideast], China and Russia will win it,” the mufti told RIA Novosti.

“The United States wants to cover the region with an umbrella. Wants to crash our country and the region, intern it and turn it into an investment area. But we will not surrender,” Hasun said.

He emphasized that Syrian religious leaders support the dialogue between the regime and opposition and back reforms.

As the death toll from the 12-month uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad’s authoritarian rule has skyrocketed in the past two months, surpassing 5,400 according to UN estimates, the United States and its Western allies have increased pressure on Russia to drop its support for the Assad regime.

In February, Russia and China, both permanent UN Security Council members, vetoed a UN draft resolution condemning the Syrian regime and calling on Assad to step down. Protesting against what they call Western attempts in interfere in Syria’s domestic affairs, Moscow and Beijing have insisting that both the regime and armed opposition groups fighting against the government are to blame for the bloodshed.

While local human rights groups point to soaring numbers of civilian deaths as a result of Syrian army operations against protesters, the country’s authorities say more than 2,000 security and military officers have been killed by members of “armed terrorist gangs” which they say are directed from abroad.

 

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