Head of British delegation: Many lords and religious officials were pressured to not visit Syria

Lattakia – Governor of Lattakia Ibrahim Khodr al-Salem discussed on Tuesday with the British delegation that is currently visiting Syria the situation in the province in light of the flow of displaced families fleeing terrorism in other provinces, SANA reported.

Members of the delegation said they were happy to have visited Syria and met its people and officials, especially that some Western media do not convey the real picture of the events in the country, encouraging the Britons to listen to the Syrians as the crisis will not be solved without talking to the Syrian people living inside the country and to the legitimate government.

In press statements following the meeting, Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords Caroline Cox expressed the delegation’s concern about the British foreign policy on Syria and the media reports conveyed to the British people telling only one side of the story.

For his part, Head of the delegation Father Andrew Ashdown pointed out that a number of British lords and religious figures wanted to be part of the delegation to visit Syria, but they were faced with great pressure that prevented them from coming.

He voiced regret that the British government has to do with the deaths of many Syrians, expressing condolences to the families of the people who were killed in the terrorist bombing attacks that hit Tartous, Homs, Damascus Countryside and Hasaka on Monday.

Later, the delegation visited Harem makeshift center in the southern corniche in Lattakia where its members listened to the displaced people there speaking of their suffering due to terrorism before fleeing to Lattakia.