EU sanctions to drain Syria, benefit Israel
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Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mualem said in an interview aired late Monday by the state-run TV that "the European sanctions aim to drain Syria, and the first beneficiary is Israel."
The European Union (EU) on Monday imposed sanctions on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and nine other top officials over the alleged crackdown on anti-government protesters, which also includes an asset freeze and a travel ban to EU countries.
The latest sanctions came after a travel ban on 13 Syrian top officials and an arms embargo imposed earlier in May in response to what they called a crackdown on protestors.
Mualem stressed that the goals of recent sanctions are " inciting the continuation of the unrest in Syria and impeding the reform process."
Those sanctions are a "mistake," Mualem said, adding "sanctions will hurt Syria, but they will also hurt the EU and the United States."
On Monday, an official source vehemently condemned the recent EU sanctions, saying they "clearly aim at interfering in Syria's internal affairs, destabilizing the country and imposing hegemony upon its decisions and its people's capabilities," according to the official SANA news agency.
SANA quoted the source as saying that those sanctions are reminiscent of the "policies of the old colonization which our people have long struggled," adding that what is currently being planned against Syria is no more than a prelude to ensure Israel's superiority in the region.
Syria has been in unrest for more than two months after the anti-government demonstrations broke out in the southern province of Daraa. The protests have spread to several other Syrian cities, leading to the death of dozens of protesters and policemen.
The ruling Baath party of Syria, which ruled the country for decades, has announced a package of reforms, including the increase of salaries and release of political detainees.
