Syrian Tribal Leader Threatens to Barbecue U.S. Ambassador Like Lamb and 'Eat' Him 'With or Without Salt

In polite society, statesmen are revered for their diplomacy and ability to bring people together, but in Syrian tribal societies, they apparently deserve to be barbecued and "eaten" like a lamb kebab. Literally.

Ahmad Al-Shlash, a tribal leader in Syria, gave an interview to the Arabic language channel Al-Dunya TV in which he, along with his "cousins," reportedly called for the U.S. Ambassador to Syria, Robert Stephen Ford, to be cooked and eaten like "American mutton," either "with salt or without salt."

According to MEMRI TV, Al-Shlash also reportedly vowed the U.S. ambassador would only visit the Syrian town of Deir Al-Zour "over his dead body" and that he would "personally" stop the ambassador were the emissary to ever show up. For good measure, Al-Shlash cursed the American flag, calling it a "piece of...."

Of the U.S. ambassador, Al-Shlash reportedly said:

"That man, sitting in his embassy… I don't get it. Who does he think he is – Christopher Columbus, exploring the area here? I don't get it. I would like to convey a message to the security forces and to the entire world. The young people of Deir Al-Zour will not let him set foot in their city. I am talking about my cousins and my tribe. If they let me down, I myself will prevent him from entering Deir Al-Zour. By Allah, over my dead body will he ever enter Deir Al-Zour.

"One of my cousins said: 'I swear by Allah, we will blow up the ground on which he sets foot. We will turn the road into smoldering coals.'

"Another cousin of mine said to me: 'We are known for having the best mutton in the world. For the first time, Allah willing, we will be eating American mutton. Whether his flesh is bitter or not, with salt or without salt – we will eat him up.'

"Let me issue a warning. We cannot vouch for this man's safety if he so much as sets foot on the threshold of Deir Al-Zour." […]

You can watch the MEMRI video clip here.