“Washington's decision to arm the terrorist groups in Syria prove that the United States (wants to) exacerbate the crisis in Syria, and shows up its dishonesty in the search for a political solution at a (proposed peace) conference in Geneva," a foreign ministry official said in a statement on Thursday.
  
“The whole world knows the truth of the US intentions for Syria... which favor violence and terrorism, to serve Israel's aggressive goals," the statement added.

Damascus has accused Washington of arming militants fighting the Syrian government ever since the foreign-backed unrest broke out in March 2011.
  
The United States is said to provide  humanitarian and non-lethal military aid to militant groups but has said it will significantly expand the "scope and scale" of its military assistance.

US Secretary of State John Kerry is to meet with the new leader of the Syrian opposition at the United Nations this week.
  
According to the foreign ministry statement, Washington "has not stopped arming the terrorists and giving them various forms of support for their criminal acts against (Syria's) infrastructure."

Washington plans to supply $130 million military aid to the foreign-backed terrorist groups in Syria.

On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the United States of stalling chances for peace in Syria by pressing ahead with plans to arm foreign-backed militants.

Lavrov told a press conference that Washington's plans would undermine joint efforts to organize an international peace conference on Syria that he agreed to with his US counterpart in May.

MRKD/BA