Britain and France are "directly or indirectly" supporting al-Qaida in an escalating war against Syria, according to a senior minister in Damascus, who also warned neighbouring Jordan it was playing "a dangerous game" by allowing arms supplies to go to rebel groups from its territory.
Faisal al-Miqdad, Syria's vice-foreign minister, used a rare interview to attack the UK and France as "new colonialists" for providing political and military support to opposition fighters seeking to overthrow the president, Bashar al-Assad.
Damascus insists these fighters are terrorists with a jihadi agenda. Miqdad also lashed out at Turkey and "stupid Arabs" – singling out Saudi Arabia and Qatar – for acting "in western interests" and accused Israel of meddling in the conflict. He claimed "Mossad agents" had been killed in Deraa near the Jordanian border, where the rebels have made advances in recent weeks.
"There is a big conspiracy against Syria to force it to change its policies towards the Arab-Israeli conflict, to change its stance on Arab issues, and to have a government that will serve the interests of the US, UK and France," he told the Guardian on Monday to the sound of Syrian artillery pounding rebel positions around the capital.
Read more: Syrian minister says UK and France are 'directly or indirectly' backing al-Qaida | World news | guardian.co.uk
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