UPI: U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the governments of Syria and Iran appear to be supporting Muslim rioting over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed. United Press International
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 (UPI) — U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the governments of Syria and Iran appear to be supporting Muslim rioting over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.
“We certainly understand that there is genuine outrage,” Rice said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation”. “There are people who genuinely were offended by the cartoons and many people found them offensive. I found them offensive.”
Rice said she believes it is important to draw a distinction between people who go out and protest peacefully and those who are incited to violence.
“You don’t just go out in the streets of Iran and protest spontaneously and in the streets of Syria and protest spontaneously,” she said. “The Syrian and Iranian governments have very good control of these things.”
Rice said last week she believes Iran and Syria are using the riots to stir up anti-U.S. sentiment.