Al-Jaafari: Talks with De Mistura Focused on Fighting Terrorism

 GENEVA, (ST)-The round of talks held today between the Syrian Arab Republic’s Delegation and the UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan De Mistura in Geneva focused on the issue of fighting terrorism, particularly in the light of the terrorist attacks currently targeting Damascus and Hama countryside, the delegation’s head, Dr. Bashar Al-Jaafari has announced, pointing out that the two sides made an assessment for Astana and Geneva political processes at the request of the UN envoy.

In a press conference following the meeting with de Mistura, al-Jaafari said “this is not the first time the escalation of terrorist attacks coincides with political initiatives or rounds of talks in Geneva or Astana, but the recent terrorist escalation draws special attention in terms of timing, shape and content,” al-Jaafari said.

 “This time, the terrorists of “Jabhat al-Nusra”, “Fialq al-Rahman” and “Jaish al-Islam”, which, as all know, are groups fighting the Syrian Arab army and fighting each other too , have taken part in the recent terrorist attacks starting from the Damascene district of Jobar in implementation of orders given to them by their operators,” added al-Jaafari.

He clarified that Jabhat al-Nusra is an internationally blacklisted terrorist organization and all who deal with this organization are terrorists and every government that sponsors this terror organization and its affiliated factions is considered as a terrorism sponsor.

He went on to say that the terrorists of “Jaish al-Nasr”, “Jaish al-Izza”, “Fialq al-Sham” and “Jaish Idleb al-Hur” groups led by “Ahrar al-Sham” and “Jabhat al-Nusra” are taking part in the current terrorist aggression being launched on Hama countryside.

West’s double standard policy

Al-Jaafari criticized the double standard policies of the west in dealing with terrorism.

He said “when a terrorist attacks the British Parliament in London, the United Kingdom mobilizes all its forces, nuclear, bacteriological, chemical and traditional weapons to kill this terrorist. And when another terrorist, called Mohamed Marrah, attacked a French city, he was shot dead by 300 bullets. However, when a terrorist blows himself up at the headquarters of the justice Palace in Damascus, the western media, including the British and the French, call him a jihadist.”

He stressed that fighting under the umbrella of Jabhat al-Nusra, is a failed attempt by the terrorist groups to cover their constant violations of the cessation of hostilities agreement signed on December 29, 2016.

Head of the Syrian delegation regretted the stances of some western states at the Security Council which hinder any attempt by the council to condemn terrorist attacks in Syria.

He said the terrorist attacks which recently hit Damascus led to the martyrdom of many innocent civilians, noting that the Russian delegation at the Security Council presented three draft press statements condemning these terrorist acts, yet the delegations of the United States, France and Britain blocked adopting these statements.

Also, al-Jaafari added, the residents of the eastern districts of Damascus have been exposed to random shells and explosive bullets for years, and most recently for the past days, yet they remained steadfast.

“Therefore, the focus of our discussions in the first session within the fifth round of Geneva talks was the issue of combating terrorism, particularly in the light of the terrorist attacks targeting Damascus and Hama, al-Jaafari said, pointing out that he asked the UN envoy to clarify his own stance and that of other parties from the current events in Syria.

“Tomorrow we will start discussing the basket relating to terrorism fighting,” said al-Jaafari, condemning remarks made by some members of “Riyadh opposition” platform that support the terrorism currently hitting Damascus and Hama countryside and urge launching terrorist attacks all over Syria.  

“These are not national opposition platforms, rather they are terrorism sponsoring platforms, and their idiot statements serve us” he stressed.

He affirmed that all the terrorist attacks on different Syrian areas has one goal, which is to undermine the talks in Astana and Geneva, but, he said, the stance of the Syrian Arab Republic’s delegation kept constructive and positive and the delegation didn’t threat of withdrawal from the talks neither in Astana nor in Geneva.

The Syrian senior diplomat stressed that terrorist attacks push all towards failure and complete loss at the political and diplomatic level, so the governments which enjoy some logic, should keep supporting the political and diplomatic process in Astana and Geneva.

On coordination between the United States and the so-called “Democratic Syria Forces” to start Raqqa liberation battle, al-Jaafari said “we welcome any party that honestly and objectively seeks fighting terrorism through coordination with the Syrian government, not through ignoring it”, asserting that fighting terrorism has become a global issue not only an American, British, Syrian or Iraqi issue.

“Combating terrorism necessitates unifying all efforts honestly and objectively, stressed al-Jaafari, pointing out that the direct American intervention in Syria, supplying some armed groups with weapons and encouraging these groups to challenge the Syrian government’s authority don’t serve the issue of fighting terrorism.

 Any foreign military presence in Syria without approval of the Syrian government is illegal     

 Regarding reports on an imminent American-Turkish operation against Daesh in Raqqa, al-Jaaafri asserted that any foreign military presence in Syria without the approval of the Syrian government is illegal, because no one can claim fighting Daesh terrorist organization without coordination with the Syrian or Iraqi government.   

He said that the claim that the factions working under the directions of the invading US forces are fighting Deash is incorrect, because the Syrian Arab Army is the only one fighting Daesh with the aid of Russia and Iran, adding that the US airplanes have bombed a school in al-Mansoura town in Raqqa countryside, killing 237 out 500 displaced civilians who had fled Daesh atrocities and took refuge in that town, only to die by American bombs.

According to al-Jaafari,  France and Britain sponsor terrorism and exploit it politically. Their governments think they’re clever enough to prevent terrorism on their own soil, adding that a few years ago when former British Prime Minister David Cameron used excessive force when there had been riots in London, he said at the time “When it comes to National Security don’t talk to me about human rights!”

He went on to say that Britain and France sell weapons valued at hundreds of billions of dollars to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and other Gulf regimes that sponsor terrorism and provide support for terrorist groups fighting the Syrian government.

Hamda Mustafa