Germany Summons Syrian Ambassador over U.N. Tirade

Germany has summoned the Syrian ambassador to Berlin over a tirade by Damascus's envoy to the United Nations, the foreign ministry said in a statement here Thursday.

"The Syrian ambassador in Germany was summoned yesterday to the foreign ministry," the statement said.

"At the meeting, the verbal attack by the Syrian U.N. ambassador was rejected in the strongest terms," it added.

"The Syrian U.N. ambassador made absolutely unacceptable remarks about Germany after talks at the U.N. Security Council on the Syria resolution."

Syrian ambassador Bashar Jaafari on Tuesday condemned what he called the "unprecedentedly aggressive" language used by western envoys pushing for a resolution condemning Syria's bloody crackdown on demonstrators.

Permanent members Russia and China ultimately vetoed the resolution.

Jaafari said those seeking action against Syria were "our enemies" and had no "humanitarian motive".

The meeting ended in acrimony with U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice leading her delegation out after Jaafari said the United States was linked to "genocide".

And German daily Bild reported Tuesday that Jaafari had also singled out Berlin for a bitter rebuke.

"Germany, which persecuted the Jews in Europe, is trying to play the honest broker for a mendacious and fraudulent resolution," he was quoted as saying.

The foreign ministry said the Syrian ambassador to Germany had also been told that "spying on and intimidating Syrian opposition members in Germany is in no way acceptable."

Amnesty International said this week it had documented cases of attacks and intimidation against 30 Syrian activists in eight countries: Britain, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden and the United States.

A foreign ministry spokeswoman could not provide further details on cases in Germany.