Beirut: The Syrian regime, besieged by street protests at home and condemnation abroad, has lashed out at European governments for threatening a new round of sanctions and accused the West of trying to sow chaos and conflict in the Arab nation.
But Foreign Minister Walid Moallem on Wednesday also reiterated the president's call for national dialogue and spoke of democracy over the horizon, a bold assertion after more than four decades of iron-fisted rule by the Assad family and months of bloody reprisals.
It was the regime's latest attempt to blunt three months of widespread demonstrations, a movement that was inspired by pro-democracy upheavals elsewhere in the Mideast and that has persisted despite the reported killing of hundreds of protesters by security forces.
A skeptical opposition rejected the overture while the Syrian military is occupying towns and shooting protesters. Seven were reported killed on Tuesday.
More sanctions
An official said the European Union is planning to hit the Syrian regime with more sanctions, targeting seven more individuals and four companies in a bid to stop the crackdown against protests.
That would bring to 34 the number of Syrian individuals and entities that are hit with an asset freeze and travel ban.
The EU official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
