Damascus, Syria confirmed that one of the most prominent soft tools used by the US administration to pass its hypocrisy in protecting democracy is the so-called National Endowment for Democracy (NED), which operates under the false cover of democracy, on practices aimed at undermining the authorities of countries, interfering in their internal affairs, inciting division and strife, and misleading public opinion in them. Foreign and Expatriates Ministry condemned Western countries, led by U.S. for uttering the concepts of freedom of expression and democracy, and silencing the voice of the truth that people of their countries have called for in support of Palestinian rights in the face of Israeli crimes. The West continues to use the false pretext of spreading, protecting and consolidating democracy as a tool to subjugate countries around the world and break the will of their people, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. The statement added that one of the most prominent soft tools used by t he US administration and its intelligence, government and legislative agencies to spread its hypocritical democracy is the so-called 'National Endowment for Democracy' (NED). 'Since its establishment in 1983, NED has been working under the false cloak of democracy to undermine state authorities, interfere in their internal affairs, provoke division and disputes, and mislead public opinion,' the statement said. The statement clarified that Syria has suffered for the past 13 years from a global war aimed at destroying its state and breaking the will of its people under the pretext of the West's false claim to protect and promote democracy through its terrorist practices similar to those practiced by the NED in many countries around the world. It is our historic duty to expose the practices of this subversive institution and to alert the countries of the world about its danger and threat to global peace and stability, the statement said. The Ministry added that Syrian Arab Republic supports the report launch ed by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on September 8 under the title (The National Foundation for Democracy, what is it, what is its purpose and what does it do?). The report exposes the NED's destructive practices aimed at destroying countries from within and breaking the will of their people in service of the US administration's political agendas, Foreign Ministry concluded its statement. Source: Syrian Arab News Agency