Al-Jafaari: Syria ‘s Government Carries out Constitutional Duty in Protecting Syrians against Terrorism

NEWYORK,(ST)_ Syria ‘s Permanent Representative to the UN Dr. Bashar Jaafari stressed that the Syrian government continues its constitutional duty to protect its citizens from acts of terrorism and sabotage , to restore security and stability despite the unjust unilateral measures and intense pressures, to facilitate the return and secure shelter to the displaced citizens  who were forced by the traumatic events, terrorism and unilateral measures to leave their homes.

Concern for the Syrian civilians does not comply with providing safe haven to terrorists  

Reading Syria’s statement before the public session of the UN security Council on  “the protection of civilians in armed conflict” on Tuesday Dr. al-Jafaari noted that caring for Syrian civilians does not comply with the policies pursued by Arab, regional and Western countries that provide arms, money ,training and safe haven for border-crossing armed terrorist groups and targeting all components of the Syrian state .

He added that the best way to protect civilians in armed conflicts and to prevent them from the scourge of war lies mainly in preventing armed conflicts , adopting peaceful means to settle these conflicts and holding governments responsible for inciting it, accountable , and that the experience to protect civilians in Libya is still fresh visible to us, pointing out that protecting civilians in armed conflicts can be upright only under strict respect for the principles of the international law and the provisions of the UN, particularly the principles provide for respect of States’ sovereignty , equality and non-interference in the internal affairs.

State’s exclusive , prime responsibility to protect civilians

The Jaafari stressed that one of the most important principles of sovereignty is that the state has exclusive and prime responsibility to protect its citizens , as a fundamental rule of the international law approved by the UN founding members , saying: ” practical experience revealed that the issue of protecting civilians in areas of conflict or unrest are used as a pretext to serve suspicious agendas and interests of certain countries that work to aggravate tensions.

These countries, he continued, even deviate  the simplest foundations underlying the international law on human rights and the international humanitarian law, as they franticly try to undermine the sanctity of sovereignty as set out in the UN Charter for marketing political proposals that have not yet received the international consensus such as the so-called ” the responsibility to protect” and “humanitarian intervention” , proposals that are promoted to create a public opinion accepting NATO’s military intervention in the affairs of developing countries and changing their national systems.

He explained that the issue of protecting civilians in armed conflicts must be taken collectively, based on the promotion of peaceful settlement of disputes and condemnation and accountability of governments that support armed violence and terrorism and inciting it through media and sectarian agitation media and sectarian by putting an end to the Governments of States that carry out acts violating sovereignty and territorial integrity of States , invading them militarily, killing hundreds of thousands of its people and displacement of millions of them under the pretext of ensuring their protection.

Protection for civilians living under the Israeli occupation

Al-Jafaari added that protection of civilians should not be through exposing them to suffering and slow death, by depriving them of daily living necessities such as food, medicine, fuel, as a result of unfair unilateral measures imposed by some countries that the UN holds illegitimate . He stressed Syria ‘s emphasis on the need to provide protection for civilians living under the Israeli occupation in the occupied Arab territories, including the occupied Syrian Golan and put an end to the practices of the occupation authorities towards them.

“Though we oppose the exploitation of some delegations to the topic of our discussions today we point out that caring for Syrian civilians does not comply with policies pursued by known Arab, regional and Western countries, which provides arms, money ,training and safe haven the border -cross armed terrorist groups, targeting all components of the Syrian state take populated areas springboard for terrorist operations and civilians as human shields. “al-Jafaari said.

Concern for the Syrian civilians should not expressed in sponsoring terrorism

“We believe that the concern for Syrian civilians should not be expressed through sponsoring terrorism and extremism not in foiling endeavors for settlement nor making  pressures to undermine any possibility for a national comprehensive dialogue , which alone will enable the Syrians to restore security and stability , determine their future political process among themselves under a Syrian leadership, as stated by the UN Security Council resolutions 2042 and 2043 and Geneva Statement. “

He indicated the difference between protecting innocent civilians as duty of all governments of the UN Member States and the protection of insurgents, terrorists and fundamentalists , recruiters of children , shooters on civil aircraft and the diplomatic missions who are mainly targeting civilians safety , destroying the state ‘s infrastructure – built for the service of these civilians.

The Syrian government, he said , continues to carry out its constitutional duty to protect

its citizens from acts of terrorism and sabotage , to restore security and stability despite the unjust unilateral measures and intense pressures, to facilitate the return and secure shelter to the displaced citizens  who were forced by the traumatic events, terrorism and unilateral measures to leave their homes,pointing out that the Syrian government has provided all the necessary facilities for the UN relevant agencies, including (OCHA) and the (ICRC) to assist in this regard , while the National Committee continued investigation in the current events to bring every one proved to be involved in acts violating the law to the judiciary for accountability without any exception.

Al- Jaafari continued that ” unethical political trafficking of the situations of Syrian refugees and convening media conferences here and there just for the announcement of unfulfilled pledges do not comply with the effort to protect civilians nor with the fact that many of the countries that announce pledges to offer donations are the main cause in the displacement and suffering of these refugees.” 

Israel is an integral part of inflaming the ongoing crisis in Syria

“The arrogance of the Israeli representative had made him illusively that he is Hammurabi or Nebuchadnezzar or Saladin or Abraham Lincoln or Gandhi or Simon Bolivar, and that the aggressive policies of his country  its occupation of the Arab territories , and its oppression of the Palestinian people must be a role model for all nations , members of this organization, forgetting, UN had spent of  thousands of working hours and hundreds of decisions to end the Israeli aggression and occupation, but his egoism and ignorance made him believe that his country ‘s policies are more important than the UN and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and that the international community should revere the Israeli persecution of Palestinians and Arabs in the occupied Arab territories. ” Al-Jafaari added.

Al-Jafaari concluded by saying: “Israel arms , helps and sponsors the Takfiri Salafi groups operating in the buffer zone in the occupied Syrian Golan , therefore it is an integral part in inflaming the ongoing crisis in Syria.”

T. Fateh