Syria's deputy FM says Morsi's speech 'irrational'

DAMASCUS - Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mikdad lashed at Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi's recent speech on the Syrian crisis, branding his comments as "irrational and unbalanced," local media reported Thursday.

In an interview with the Syrian TV, Mikdad said Morsi's speech does not represent a real understanding of what is going on in Syria.

Mikdad's remarks came just hours after the Syrian Foreign Ministry launched a barrage of accusations against Morsi, saying the Egyptian leader instigates more bloodshed in Syria and " constitutes a flagrant intervention in Syria's affairs."

On Wednesday, Morsi told a meeting of the Arab League that "I tell the Syrian regime that there is still a chance to halt the bloodshed," adding that "don't listen to the voices that tempt you to stay because you will not be there for much longer."

"It's too late to talk about reform. This is the time for change. The Syrian regime must learn from recent history," Morsi said.

Morsi's remarks apparently raised the ire of the Syrian government, prompting the latter to unleash a barrage of criticism and sharp ripostes.

Meanwhile, Mikdad said that the United States plays a main role in what is going on in Syria, adding that the Turkish government's hands are also smeared with the Syrian blood.

The rebuttal was triggered after Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday that Syria is a "terrorist state".

"Syria is not an ordinary country to us. We do not have the luxury to remain indifferent to what's happening there," Erdogan said.

Meanwhile, Mikdad said 70 percent of the Syrian crisis is external. He, however, brushed aside the possibility of foreign military intervention in Syria but stressed that Syria is prepared for any scenario.

"I tell our people that we shouldn't allow foreign intervention ... We believe in national dialogue," he said.

He said the West does not want a true and sincere democracy for the Syrian people, calling on them to stop fueling the situation and help the country end the crisis.

Mikdad said his country will cooperate with the new special representative for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi, adding that they will listen to him and discuss ways to conclude the crisis.