The official press agency of Syria, SANA, reported Tuesday that Syrian Information Minister Ahmad Al-Hassan described alleged Israeli threats against Hamas leaders in Damascus as "stupid" and "idiocy".
"The United States will prevent such an action because it will escalate tension in the region at a time the US suffers a real plight in Iraq," Al-Hassan said in an interview with the Saudi-backed, London-based Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper.
The Syrian minister further asserted that the offices of Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Damascus were mere information bureaus, which, in any case, were closed months ago.
Recent Israeli operations targeting Hamas leaders Ahmed Yassin and Abd Al-Aziz Rantisi were characterized by Al-Hassan as "state terrorism".
As for American charges that Islamist terrorists were crossing the Syrian-Iraqi border to join the fight against American and allied forces in Iraq, the Syrian minister said: "We called upon the Americans to prove the infiltration, but they submitted nothing, despite their possession of satellites and equipment that show even an ant." In any event, Al-Hassan said that his country is monitoring the situation, asserting that Syria is keen to prevent any infiltration across its borders.
"The United States will prevent such an action because it will escalate tension in the region at a time the US suffers a real plight in Iraq," Al-Hassan said in an interview with the Saudi-backed, London-based Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper.
The Syrian minister further asserted that the offices of Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Damascus were mere information bureaus, which, in any case, were closed months ago.
Recent Israeli operations targeting Hamas leaders Ahmed Yassin and Abd Al-Aziz Rantisi were characterized by Al-Hassan as "state terrorism".
As for American charges that Islamist terrorists were crossing the Syrian-Iraqi border to join the fight against American and allied forces in Iraq, the Syrian minister said: "We called upon the Americans to prove the infiltration, but they submitted nothing, despite their possession of satellites and equipment that show even an ant." In any event, Al-Hassan said that his country is monitoring the situation, asserting that Syria is keen to prevent any infiltration across its borders.