April 6,2013 (Xinhuanet) — Syrian President Bashar Assad has criticized neighboring countries and members of the Arab League for the recent decision to give the Syria’s opposition a seat in the organization.
Assad made the remarks during an interview aired by a Turkish television station on Friday. He questioned the Arab League’s legitimacy and criticized Syria’s neighbors for fomenting rebellion. In 2011, the Arab League suspended the Syrian government’s membership as punishment for cracking down on opponents. Damascus’s seat was then granted to the Syrian opposition at a meeting last month. The League also acknowledged the right of member countries to provide all means of self-defense to the Syrian opposition.