Foreign Ministry: The US Administration Has no Right to Decide the Fate of the Occupied Golan

DAMASCUS, (ST) – Syria has confirmed that the US administration does not have the right or the mandate to decide the fate of the occupied Syrian Golan, and that any recognition by it or any action involving aggression against Syria’s right to regain it to its sovereignty is illegal act and has no effect.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs addressed a letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the President of the Security Council about the dangerous, ominous and irresponsible statements, that threaten the security peace and stability in the Middle East and the world, issued on Thursday by President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, and the previous statements to members of the US Congress and officials in the US administration on the situation of the occupied Syrian Golan.

“In view of the seriousness of these statements, the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic strongly condemns the statements made by US President Donald Trump regarding the legal status of the occupied Syrian Golan, which the United Nations has adopted through various relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and Security Council resolution /497/ of 1981 has approved that it is “an occupied territory” and that any actions taken by the Israeli occupation authorities on these occupied territories are null and void and have no legal effect,” the Foreign Ministry emphasized in its letter.

 In this regard, the Syrian Arab Republic affirms that the United States is the greatest rogue state in today’s world and the most dangerous to international peace and security and through its attitudes the US has made itself an enemy of all the Syrian people and all the peoples of the world who believe in international legitimacy and refuse policies of hegemony and colonialism, usurping states’ rights and these attitudes are contrary to the Charter of the United Nations and resolutions of international legitimacy.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that that the US administration, with its foolishness and arrogance, has no right or mandate to decide the fate of the occupied Syrian Golan and that any recognition or any action involving aggression against the Syrian Arab Republic’s right to restore its sovereignty over the occupied land is illegal action which is a violation of the obligations of the United States of America as a permanent member of the Security Council.

The ministry said that although the Syrian government does not recognize any legal or factual effects or implications of the statements made by the US administration and the politicized reports issued by the US State Department, it considers that the removal of the status of “occupation” from the Syrian Golan in that report reflects a new, dangerous escalation and political trend of the US administration side towards the blatant violation of Security Council resolutions and the relevant United Nations General Assembly.

The Foreign Ministry said that the US president’s statements and the removal of the status of “occupier” from the Syrian Golan in one of the reports of the US State Department are practices that fall within the framework of the policy of the US government departments based on the exploitation of the rights of the Syrian and Palestinian people and under the frame of Us campaigns aimed at attracting support and funding pressure groups that support the Israeli occupation in the United States.

The ministry said in its letter that the Syrian government stresses that the hostile positions issued by the American president and some of his administration officials in the executive and legislative branches lack in general a moral or legal basis and even violate international legitimacy. It has been clear since President Trump’s statements that the entire international community rejects the American position.

“The Syrian government confirms that the occupied Syrian Arab Golan is an integral part of the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic and its restoration from the Israeli occupation by all means guaranteed by international law remains a priority in the Syrian national policy. The restoration of the occupied Syrian Golan is a perpetual right that would not subject to bargaining or compromise,” the Foreign Ministry clarified.

In this context, the Syrian government affirms that the Syrian Arab citizens of the occupied Syrian Golan who overthrew the illegitimate decision of “Israel” to annex the Golan in 1981 and declared to the entire world their eternal attachment to their Syrian Arab belonging, which they do not accept as an alternative, deserve all support in their ongoing and courageous struggle and  their commitment to end the Israeli occupation of their land and to return the occupied Golan to their motherland, Syria.

The Foreign Ministry said that the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic requests the Secretary General of the United Nations to issue an unequivocal official position in which he affirms the firm position of the UN towards the issue of the Israeli occupation of the Syrian Arab Golan.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs concluded its message by saying that Syria calls on the Security Council to take practical measures to ensure its exercise of its direct role and mandate in the implementation of the resolutions stipulating that Israel must withdraw from the entire occupied Syrian Golan to the line of June 4, 1967, particularly resolutions /242/ of 1967, /338/ of 1973 and /497/ of 1981.

Sharif Al -Khatib

Editor-in-Chief