Damascus warns against spread of terrorism in ME

DAMASCUS,(ST)_Syria has called on the UN Security Council to list ‘al-Nusra Front in the Levant among al-Qaeda-affiliated organizations according to the UN resolutions No.1267 issued in  1999 and No 1989 issued in 2011.

The call came after posting audio recording released by al-Qaeda organization’s leader on internet.

The audio recordings were released on April 7-9-10 by al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri, and Leader of the ‘Islamic State of Iraq’, Abu Baker al-Baghdadi, as well as al-Nusra Front’s leader in Syria Abu Mohammad al-Golani.

According to the recordings, al-Baghdadi said that his group and al-Nusra Front would operate under united leadership called the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant.

While al-Golani said: “As al-Nusra Front had received assistance from the Islamic State of Iraq, his group would continue operating under its own banner, with Loyalty to al-Zawahri.”

“These statements attributed to al-Qaeda organization’s leaders proves what the Syrian Arab Republic stressed in previous letters sent to the UNSC as regard the armed terrorist groups’ affiliation to al-Qaeda and dangerous of crimes being perpetrated by them in Syria,” Foreign and Expatriates Ministry said.

It added: “Syrian Arab Republic warns against spread of terrorism in the Middle East region and outside it as the International Community turns deaf ear to crimes being perpetrated by al-Qaeda-linked Takfiri terrorist  groups and the so-called “Free Syrian Army” in Syria.”

In two identical letters sent on Thursday by the ministry to Security Council’s Head and UN Secretary General, it was referred to the fact that some states have hindered the UN condemnation of the terrorist organizations’ crimes documented by the Syrian government.

Inaction encourages terrorists

The international community’s inaction, the letters read, has encouraged terrorists to go ahead with their crimes against Syrian citizens through suicide bombings and random mortar shells targeting homes, state services establishments, hospitals, mosques and churches.   

 The ministry also noted that international reports talked about transporting sophisticated weapons to terrorists, recently delivered to terrorist groups in Daraa province.

The transportation was funded by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, according to the reports.

The Ministry appealed to the UNSC to shoulder its responsibility under the UN resolutions related to combating terrorism and call on states involved in supporting terrorism in Syria to halt violations that threaten security and stability in the region and the world as well.

Basma Qaddour