Foreign Ministry: only Syrians select their leadership

DAMASCUS, (ST)- ” at their final meeting in Luxemburg on October 21st, 2013,  the European Foreign Ministers adopted a number  of conclusions on Syria. These conclusions are diametrically based on ignorance  of  what is going on in Syria  and  simply expresses hostility against the Syrian people, “underscored an official spokesman of the Syrian Foreign and Expatriates Ministry.

“The EU has adopted destructive polices against Syria, based on supporting the terrorist groups which shed the Syrians’ blood and increase their suffering through imposing  illegitimate sanctions that negatively impact their livelihood,” the spokesman added in a statement on Wednesday.

“The text of the EU foreign ministers’ statement includes shy reference to the increasing number of foreign extremist sides in the fighting in Syria which requires the EU states to take clear stances in condemning terrorism and adopt suitable measures to halt the flow of the terrorists into Syria,” the spokesman said.

Turning a blind eye to the complete cooperation Syria has shown with the international experts ,the statement referred to the hypocrisy of the EU Ministers when they talked about the decision of the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the UN Security Council resolution 2118.

The Spokesman made it clear that those states have forgotten that Israel didn’t join yet any treaty that aims to ban the proliferation of the weapons of mass destruction, saying nothing about foiling the international efforts to hold an international conference to declare the Middle East a region free of WMD.

” Syria has repeatedly affirmed commitment to find a political solution to the crisis in Syria, based on dialogue among the Syrians, respect their sovereignty without any foreign intervention, “affirmed the statement.

“Syria also underlined readiness to attend Geneva conference and make it a success without preconditions or any foreign intervention… Syria stresses that the Syrian people are the only ones who select their leadership, draw Syria’s present and future,” the Foreign Ministry said.

Furthermore, the Syrian government, which spares no effort to provide the basic needs for its citizens, points out to the political, moral responsibility assumed by the EU and its member states in escalating the humanitarian conditions in Syria due to the unilateral sanctions and the support offered by some EU states to terrorism in Syria, affirming that improving the humanitarian conditions in Syria requires the beginning in lifting the EU sanctions without preconditions instead of giving weapon and money to the terrorist groups.

” the Syrians are determined to combat terrorism, restore security and stability to the country, “underlined the statement.

Syria: Terrorist groups continue to target residential areas in Damascus

The armed terrorist groups continue to target with indiscriminate mortar attacks the residential areas and civil institutions in Damascus and its environs, the Foreign and Expatriates ministry said.

In two identical letters addressed to the UN Secretary General and President of the United Nations Security Council, the ministry said Jaramana city in Damascus countryside came, on October 22m 2013,  under an attack by random mortar shells that left 6 citizens dead and 40 injured, among them 15 students, some critically.

“The armed terrorist groups with extremist indoctrination committed an atrocity in Hama city on October 20, 2013, killing 37 citizens, among them two children and a number of university students and leaving scores injured when a terrorist in a truck loaded with 1.5 tons of explosives bomb blew himself up  near the Agricultural Mechanization Company, at a time when the area was thronged with private and public cars,” the letters pointed out.

”Jabhat al-Nusra, one of al-Qaeda offshoots, claimed responsibility for the brutal attack. The letters said.

Hence, Syria condemns the double-standard policies that some countries, including some UN Security council permanent member states , seek to embrace in the international approach to the counter-terrorism issue., the letters said.

” these policies have materialized in preventing the UN Security Council from condemning numerous terrorist crimes committed by al-Qaeda that left hundreds of civilians dead, as these countries continue to offer all kinds of logistical and military support to these groups under different pretexts, “stressed the ministry.

“The UN charter assumes the responsibility of  keeping  international peace and security, so it has to guarantee the countries’ respect for their legal commitments,” the Ministry concluded.  

M.D