4:3 State Dept on US navy rescue of Iranian sailors, Syria

(6 Jan 2012) 1. Wide of Victoria Nuland walking to podium to give the daily State Department briefing 2. Cutaway of reporter asking a question 3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Victoria Nuland, State Department Spokeswoman: "We categorically condemn the attack that took place near the police station in Damascus neighbourhood of Midan today. It was located about three kilometres away from the US embassy, and apparently about 25 people were killed and at least 46 more were injured. We are unable though to directly verify those casualty numbers." 4. Cutaway of reporter asking a question 5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Victoria Nuland, State Department Spokeswoman: "What's interesting here is that, as with previous attacks, the Assad regime has blamed just about everybody. They've blamed the opposition. They've blamed Al-Qaida. They've even blamed the United States. Meanwhile, the opposition including the Free Syrian Army has denied carrying out the attacks and has itself accused the regime of staging these things. At the present time, we can't say one way or the other how this happened, but what we can say is that obviously we condemn the attack. We do not think violence of any kind at anybody's hands is the right answer to the problems in Syria." 6. Wide of reporters asking questions 7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Victoria Nuland, State Department Spokeswoman: "The very same ship and set of vessels that the Iranians protested on its last voyage through Hormuz, the John C. Stennis carrier strike group, just rescued this Iranian dhow from pirates. There were actually 13 Iranians on board who claim that they had been held hostage by these pirates for some 40 to 45 days." 8. Mid of reporter asking question 9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Victoria Nuland, State Department Spokeswoman: "It was obviously a humanitarian gesture on the part of the crew of the Stennis to take them on board and to feed them and to ensure that they were in good health before setting them off." 10. Cutaway of reporter asking a question STORYLINE The US government has condemned the suicide bombing on Friday in Damascus that killed 25 people and wounded dozens more in the second major attack in the Syrian capital in as many weeks. "We categorically condemn the attack," said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland on Friday during her daily briefing to reporters. The government blamed "terrorists," saying a suicide bomber had blown himself up in the crowded Midan district. But the country's opposition demanded an independent investigation, accusing forces loyal to the Syrian regime of being behind the bombing to tarnish a 10-month-old uprising against President Bashar Assad. "What's interesting here is that, as with previous attacks, the Assad regime has blamed just about everybody," Nuland told reporters. "They've blamed the opposition, they've blamed al-Qaida, they've even blamed the United States. "Meanwhile, the opposition, including the Free Syrian Army, has denied carrying out the attacks and it has itself accused the regime of staging these things." Nuland declinded to say who the US believes is responsible. The blast came exactly two weeks after twin bombings targeting intelligence agencies in Damascus killed 44 people. The regime blamed terrorists for those explosions as well. Nuland also spoke to reporters about the the rescue of 13 Iranians being held captive by suspected pirates by the US Navy in the Arabian Sea. The Iranians' fishing vessel, the Al Molai, had been commandeered more than 40 days ago, shortly after Tehran wanred the US to keep its warships out of the Persian Gulf. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...