Al-Moallem: Unjustified US Strike on Syria Serves Zionist Entity, al-Qaeda-Linked Groups
DAMASCUS, (ST) Claims by US administration officials about the Syrian government using Chemical weapons in Syrian areas are lies and categorically baseless, underscored the Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Maollem.
Al-Moallem was speaking during a press conference he held today to dismiss the claims and talk about the situation in Syrian in the light of a fresh US threat to carry out a military strike on Syria.
“The Syrian government cooperates with complete transparency and commitment with the UN committee investigating the use of chemical weapon in the country,” the minister stressed, referring to the agreement reached on Sunday with the UN to allow a U.N. team of chemical experts to visit the sites of alleged chemical weapons attacks in Damascus countryside.
“We provided the UN team with necessary facilitations and guarantees and we are not the party which hinders the team’s mission,” he said.
He pointed out that from the very beginning of their work the experts were exposed to fire shooting by terrorist groups in al-Mouaddamiyeh area, because the armed terrorist groups didn’t provide enough security guarantees to the experts.
The Minister dismissed as groundless the claims by the British Foreign Minister William Hagu that the Syrian armed forces had used chemical weapons in Khan al-Asal in Aleppo and have eliminated the trace of chemicals in the area.
“No country in the world uses chemical weapons against its own people and I challenge Hague to reveal the evidence he has in this respect to the public opinion if there is any, “al-Moallem said, stressing that the Western powers build their schemes on illusions.
Concerning the US possible military strike on Syria, al-Moallem said that the US has no justification for this war.
“The pretext of using the chemical weapon is not enough as there has been no tangible evidence and I challenge them to provide such evidence,” the minster added, affirming that the US threat won’t undermine or affect the firm unity and cohesion between the Syrian people, Army and leadership in confrontation of the global war.
About the goals of the possible US strike, al-Moallem said he believes that such strike serves Israel first of all and supports the military efforts of the al-Qaeda-linked Jabhet al-Nousra in Syria.
“They are wrong if they think that this military strike will affect or halt the Syrian Army’s ongoing military operation in al-Ghouta area,” he affirmed, pointing out that the Army’s daily victories in al-Ghouta have aimed at foiling the foreign-backed armed group’s plans to control Damascus and at protecting the citizens from the terror caused by the shells shot by the terrorists on different areas in Damascus.
Al-Moallem, who didn’t confirm that a strike on Syria is inevitable, said “if the strike is carried out, Syria will have two options: either to surrender or to defend itself with every possible means and I think the latter option is better.”
Regarding the future of political solution to the crisis in Syria, al-Moallem said “we doubt the US intentions to attain a political settlement in Syria, because this won’t serve Israel’s interest.
On the Russian stance, al-Moallem said “we trust our Russian friends’ efforts to find a way out of the crisis in Syria as they are part of our steadfastness,” hailing the deeply-rooted bilateral ties between Syria and Russia and the strong cooperation at the political, economic and military levels.
H. Mustafa