Russia: West 'instigating' Syrian opposition  Associated Press
SHARE  MOSCOW (AP) — Russia accused Western powers Wednesday of
"openly instigating" Syrian opposition groups to take up arms in
their fight to unseat President Bashar Assad.  Moscow has been
Syria's key protector throughout the 17-month uprising that has
evolved into a full-blown civil war, shielding Assad's regime
from international sanctions and providing it with weapons
despite an international outcry.  Russia's Foreign Ministry said
the West "has done nothing" to urge the Syrian opposition to
start a dialogue with the government.  "Instead, they are
engaged in openly instigating it to continue their armed
struggle," it said in a statement.  It claimed that the Western
approach to the Syrian civil is "hypocritical" and is not
helping to resolve the conflict that has killed an estimated
19,000 people.  Russia and China, both veto-wielding U.N.
Security Council members, have blocked proposals to call on
Assad to step down.  Russia has said that