Disgraceful Coalition

The continued  bombing of civilian houses in  Hasaka, Raqqa and other areas by the warplanes of the US-led international coalition is a clear evidence of the US support of terror groups and its unwillingness to reach a political  settlement for the crisis in Syria. These  crimes committed by the illegal coalition have claimed the lives of scores of civilians and caused huge material damage to public and private properties. The coalition’s persistence in committing massacres, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, along with its continuing support for terrorists and its exploitation of terrorists and separatist militias show that the Security Council is negligent in enforcing international law and in putting an end to the coalition’s hostile plots that target Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and seek to prolong the crisis.

The Security Council should shoulder its responsibilities by condemning such massacres and working to stop them from reoccurring, as well as working to end the hostile and illegal presence of US and other foreign forces in Syria.

The illegitimate US-led International Coalition’s targeting of civilians in the villages of al-Hasaka, Raqqa and Deir Ezzor is a retribution for their refusal to join US-allied separatist militias.

The Coalition’s incessant aggressions targeting innocent Syrian civilians and Syria’s sovereignty, safety and territorial integrity is a blatant violation of the international law. The attacks are intended to punish the locals for their reluctance to join separatist militias allied to the United States.

The US has been restructuring relations with Daesh terrorists, integrating some within these militias and using others in mounting attacks against the Syrian Arab army’s sites with a view to recapturing areas the Syrian army and allies have liberated from terrorism.

The Coalition had not balked at providing overt military backing to Daesh terrorists against the Syrian army, the latest of which was on May 24 when its warplanes targeted military outposts for the Syrian army between al-Bukamal and Humaima in Deir Ezzor countryside 24 hours after the Syrian army managed to abort Daesh attack against these sites.

 The Coalition’s sole aim is to undermine Syria’s sovereignty, safety and territorial integrity and prolong the crisis in it which contravenes the UN Security Council’s resolutions. The Coalition’s member countries should pull out of this outrageous coalition, and  the UNSC should assume its responsibilities in preserving international peace and security and take immediate action to end its massacres. The illegal US and foreign presence on the Syrian territories should be terminated immediately. The US hostile polices in Syria, the region and the world lack ethical grounds because it has become part and parcel of the threats which endanger international peace and security.

Amnesty International said that the US-led coalition attacks on Raqqa city last year under the pretext of combating terrorism amount to war crimes.According to Amnesty International report , the US-led coalition attacks on Raqqa broke international law as the US did not take sufficient account of civilians or take the precautious measures to minimize casualties while attacking Raqqa in 2017. Amnesty interviewed 112 civilian residents of Raqqa during field research there in February, while investigating the sites of 42 air, artillery and mortar strikes. Witnesses reported that there were no militants in the vicinity at the time of the attacks. Such attacks could be either direct attacks on civilians or civilian objects or indiscriminate attacks. Amnesty International further went on to call on the coalition to admit the scale of damage, pave the way for a public independent investigation and make reparations to victims of their actions.

Another  aspect of the US support of terrorism and aggravating the crisis in Syria  is the unlimited US support of the White Helmets terrorist organization. The US funds for and attempts to shore up the White Helmets organization has shamelessly exposed its relationship to a terrorist organization, contrary to its false claims of fighting terrorism.

The recent US decision to provide USD 6.6 million in financial aid to the White Helmets terrorist organization is a clear evidence of the US support  of terror organizations operating in Syria. The US decision, which smacks of public funding for terrorism,  is a blatant embodiment of the support given by the US, France, UK and other countries to the multiple forms of terrorism witnessed by Syria since 2011.

The US and some Western countries have used this organization to practice terrorism, especially chemical terrorism, in order to distort Syria’s image and prolong the war against it. It is no longer a secret that the so-called “White Helmets” is the main arm of Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist organization and the terrorism perpetrated by this organization has killed many innocent Syrians.

K.Q.