Bolivian president questions U.S. motives for planned attack on Syria

English>>World

Editor's Pick

Bolivian president questions U.S. motives for planned attack on Syria

(Xinhua) 08:38, September 02, 2013

Email|Print|Comments

twitter

facebook

Sina Microblog

LA PAZ, Sept. 1 -- Bolivian President Evo Morales questioned on Sunday the United States' stated motives for a military strike against Syria, saying access to oil or regional control of the Middle East may be the real reason.

U.S. President Barack Obama has said a proposed "limited" military strike is meant to deter the further use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government against opposition rebels, an accusation Damascus has denied.

"Behind this humanitarian rhetoric is the United States government's interest in oil or geopolitical control," Morales said at a public event in the capital La Paz marking National Pedestrian and Bike Rider Day.

Washington is driven by a hunger for natural resources, as it was some 10 years ago when it invaded Iraq, whose oil is now under the control of the United States, said Morales.

Indicating the West has had a history of similar interventionist measures, Morales said "the empires" first divided up the world in 1494, when European explorers sacked the American continent.

In 1886, several Western countries once again set out to divide the world's riches amongst themselves, this time by invading Africa.

"In 1916, France and England divided the Middle East among themselves. France took Syria and several neighboring countries, and England took other countries," said Morales.

The head of state criticized the continued existence of governments which threaten war or military intervention "as if the world were their property."

Morales called on countries to reflect on the destruction inflicted by military measures, and questioned the legitimacy of military intervention in independent nations.

（Editor：LiangJun、Yao Chun）