Information Minister: US- Western Statements on Chemical Weapons Reflect their Inability on the Ground

Minister of Information Omran al-Zoubi said that the victories alleged by some mass media supporting the armed groups are “groundless and fake victories.”

In an interview on the Lebanese al-Manar TV on Monday, Minister al-Zoubi said that there are clashes in certain areas in Damascus Countryside and attempts by the terrorist groups to achieve any kind of progress, adding that the life is normal in Damascus.

“Those terrorist groups are extremist Takfiri gangs, and when the US put Jabhat al-Nusra on the international terrorist lists, that is because of its realization to the nature of these groups.” al-Zou’bi added.

Syria, Al Zou’bi pointed out, realizes well the nature of the confrontation to the aggressive project concerning its existence and Syria works hard to protect the government institutions and infrastructure.

“Carrying out terrorist acts in residential areas and bombings near mosques and schools aim at frightening people, confusing the security and military systems and alluding the public opinion, and these acts are part of media and military policy for those parties” the minister noted.

Al-Zoubi said that the motive behind the US-ُEuropean talk concerning the chemical weapons in Syria reflects their inability to achieve any real progress on the ground. Syria doesn’t have any banned weapons, neither chemical nor nuclear and biological, adding that if Syria possesses such weapons, it will not use them for moral reasons.”

“Such statements are very like to those raised against Iraq and other countries in a trial to accuse them and we don’t ignore any possibility, including the Iraqi scenario. The world can’t bear the consequences of such risk. The western countries should realize that Syria isn’t a simple or easy country. Damascus has friends and there are regional and international balances.”

Minister al-Zoubi added that there are intelligence agencies operating in Syria since the beginning of the crisis, embodied in the existence of advanced equipment and technologies among the terrorist groups and in high-tech sabotage acts committed by the terrorists.

“Talks on Syrian threats against Turkey is naïve and meaningless and Syria never threaten or interfere in any neighboring countries’ affairs, he said

“Deployment of the Patriot missiles doesn’t target Syria only, it is a part of radars and early warning systems established by the US with cooperation with the government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan. These systems target Iran, Syria, Cyprus, Greece, Egypt and other countries,” he added.

The Minister stressed that the US sat at the table with Russia when it realized that its project is collapsing, adding that ” the dialogue between the two sides is positive if the talks are based on respecting the Syrian independency and the political legitimacy as long as the talks will lead to a political process based on supporting the national dialogue.”

The goal of the  meeting between Deputy Russian Foreign Minister, Mikhail Bogdanov , and his American counterpart Wiliam Burnz in the presence of UN peace envoy,Lakhdar Ibrahimi was to exchange views and adhere what Geneva statement means truly and what the other say because the difference is very big.

Minister Al-Zoubi streesed the necessity to make the efforts of al Ibrahimi  a success on the base of Geneva statement and the initiative of the former UN envoy Kofi Annan, that are based on respecting national independence and not meddling in the countries’ internal affairs.

Minister al-Zoubi said Russia’s stance towards Syria is “firm, not contradicted, clear and frank” as it shows keenness on the interest of Syria state and people.

” Russia also rejects any foreign interference in Syria’s internal affairs, mainly in a sovereign issue and calls for the necessity of unifying efforts to support a political process based on dialogue, the participation of all Syrian parties without exception and halting violence, ” he added.

Minister al-Zoubi said that Doha coalition is a political gathering that has been already existed and reproduced and its members are the same who had formed Istanbul Council.

“The Syrian opposition abroad, including Doha coalition don’t represent Syria’s interest because it follows the course of violence, rejecting dialogue and adopting foreign agendas and mean that the opposition has no political project, he added.

The Minister confirmed that the formation of the so-called military councils for the armed groups will only lead to more violence, killing and destruction.

“Syria has well-documented information that confirm that Jabhat al-Nusra (al-Nusra Front) encompasses several armed groups with different names, stressing that putting the Front in its international list of terrorist gangs is not enough and doesn’t reflect the US commitment to the UN Security Council’s resolutions on combating terrorism,” the minister said.

“Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government directly, openly and flagrantly violates its international obligations concerning cooperation in combating terrorism,” Minister al-Zoubi said, calling on the international community and the UN to put pressure on all countries to commit to combating terrorism.

“It is regrettable to talk about the self-dissociation policy and at the same time dividing this policy with respect to options of all states and governments. Self-dissociation policy is not an option of the Lebanese government in terms of its ministers only, but is supposed to be the option of Lebanon as a whole because this government is the body who leads the Lebanese state,” the minister added.

“Some leaders and figures in the Lebanese Future Party are responsible for smuggling weapons to the armed terrorist groups in Syria, recruiting fighters and financing these groups which violate the agreements signed between Syria and Lebanon on all levels and breach the rules of the international law and these violations are considered a crime according to the Lebanese and Syrian laws,” the minister concluded

Sh/kh