Damascus, Aug 13 (ZEENEWS.COM) : Syria through its official newspaper on Saturday sharply criticised US President George Bush's remarks that Washington was "at war with Islamic fascists," saying the comments point to a new era of targeting Muslims.

An editorial in the state-run daily Tishrin said Bush had no right to talk about fascism, calling it "impermissible" to make such "reckless" comments that harm Islam.

Bush's statement "hints to a new era of targeting the Islamic nation and of continuing the destructive war against it," the editorial said.

Bush on Thursday said a foiled plot to blow up US-bound passenger jets from Britain showed the nation was "at war with Islamic fascists who will use any means to destroy those of us who love freedom, to hurt our nation."

The Tishrin editorial said it was "not surprised by what President Bush has said. Isn't he who had said that his country is waging a crusade?"

Shortly before the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, Bush had called his war on terrorism a crusade, but a day later the White House apologized for using the loaded term which recalls the Christians' medieval wars against Muslims in the holy land.

Tishrin added that Bush has used the alleged plot to blow up airplanes "to demonstrate to US that his 'crusade' phrase was not a slip of the tongue. I was rather a Zionist doctrine adopted by the neo-conservatives."