[14 Aug 2012] West not after democracy in Syria Bill Jones - English Syrian Ambassador to Tehran Hamed Hassan says Damascus welcomes "rational talks" with the opposition, provided that they are held under the supervision of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Hassan further warned against plots hatched by foreign powers, including certain regional and Western countries, to cause instability in Syria, saying not only would such efforts threaten the security of the Arab state, but are "a serious threat to the security and peace of the region and certain neighboring countries in particular." The Syrian envoy further added that continuation of the plots to incite instability in the country can even pose "a serious threat to Arab countries not neighboring Syria". Syria, which has been experiencing unrest since last year, has repeatedly said that weapons used by armed groups fighting against the government of Bashar al-Assad are being smuggled into the country from Turkey and Lebanon. Damascus has also accused Saudi Arabia and Qatar, of fueling unrest in the country by funding and arming the anti-Syria gunmen. Syria has been the scene of deadly unrest since mid-March, 2011 and many people, including large numbers of army and security personnel, have been killed in the violence. Press TV has conducted an interview with William Jones with the Executive Intelligence Review from Washington to further discuss the issue.