Lahham: Effective counter-terrorism necessitates cooperation with Syria
GENEVA,(ST)_The way to effective counter-terrorist action necessitates cooperation with the Syrian government and the Syrian Arab army, confronting extremist thought and implementing the relevant UN resolutions, Mohammad Jehad al-Lahham said Sunday.
Speaker of the People’s Assembly [Parliament] added that counter-terrorism also requires putting stop to media campaigns that fuel violence and hatred, helping the countries hit by terrorism and supporting political solutions to internal problems through urging parties to take part in dialogue instead of arming oppositions and fueling extremism and violence.
Al-Lahham, who was speaking at the meeting of the International Parliament Union’s Middle East Committee, indicated that the terrorist organizations- Daeash [IS], al-Nusra Front, the ‘Islam Army’ and the others- perpetrate heinous crimes against Syrian and Iraqi peoples.
He underscored that foreign support for the terrorist organizations is behind the spread of terrorism.
“Syria has combatted the terrorist organizations over the past three and half years and it made remarkable achievements. It was able to uproot terrorism, if there was no foreign support for terrorist organizations,” the Speaker said.
He called on the countries that support armed terrorist organizations in Syria to stop doing that, warning that these countries will not be spared terrorism.
‘Propaganda campaign’
Al-Lahham pointed out that some countries taking part in the US-led coalition are involved in the appearance of terrorism that hit Syria and Iraq. “Airstrikes being carried out by the coalition against terrorism could not uproot it according to an official in the US Administration,” he added.
The Speaker described the coalition as a propaganda campaign led by the United States.
He clarified that the countries taking part in the US-Led coalition against terrorism are seeking to create new armed groups under the slogan of arming and training the ‘moderate Syrian opposition’.
“Such measure [arming opposition] breaches the international law and the UN charter and it must be stopped,” al-Lahham said, appealing to the IPU to adopt a stance in this regard.
He also hoped that the IPU would back political solution, national reconciliation and dialogue among Syrians and would reject any attempt to violate Syria’s sovereignty.
Parliamentary delegations from 141 countries are taking part in the IPU 131st session being held in Geneva between 12-16 October.
Basma Qaddour