“Int’l coalition” heinous massacres

The war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by US-led international coalition against innocent Syrian civilians have shown that this coalition has nothing to do with fighting terrorism. Rather, its main objective is to kill innocent people and destroy Syria’s infrastructure.

The so-called “international coalition” kills innocent Syrian civilians on daily basis. Under the pretext of fighting ISIS terrorist organization, the US-led “international coalition” continued to target residential neighborhoods in Raqqa and Deir Ezzour killing scores of innocent and defenseless people . A few days ago, the aircrafts of the US-led ‘international coalition’ carried out airstrikes against residential neighborhoods in al-Mayadin city killing 7 civilians, mostly women and children. Medical sources said that the number of casualties was likely to increase due to the presence of injured people under the rubble caused by the large destruction.

The warplanes of the alleged coalition continued to target Syrian civilians and destroy infrastructure, in addition to the use of internationally-banned white phosphorus bombs which constitutes a flagrant violation of the rules of the UN Charter and the international law.

The warplanes of the US-led coalition added a new crime to their criminal record by targeting civilians and infrastructure on the 22nd of August through shelling the residential neighborhoods in Raqqa, claiming the lives of 78 civilians, injuring tens others, most of them were women and children and causing huge damage to the local and private properties.

The UN Security Council should implement its resolutions on the fight against terrorism, especially resolution No.2253, and to immediately stop the crimes being committed by the coalition against innocent civilians in Syria. The states which carry out  those crimes to withdraw from this “coalition.”

The UN Security Council should also hold accountable the US and other states participating in the so-called international coalition for crimes committed against the Syrian civilians, hospitals, schools and other facilities under the pretext of fighting terrorism. The states participating in the international coalition should dissolve it since it begins to fight countries which combat terrorism, destroys infrastructure in Syria and complements what has been committed by the takfiri terrorist groups.

The bloody aggressive acts perpetrated by the international coalition against innocent civilians as well as the intended destruction caused to the economic facilities and infrastructures prove that these acts are war crimes targeting innocent people and infrastructure. Moreover, the illegitimate int’l coalition has officially admitted to kill and injure thousands of Syrian people, including children, women and elderly men, under the pretext of counterterrorism, not to mention its warplanes’ airstrikes on Syrian army’s positions to hinder the army’s operations against Takfiri terrorist organizations.

On August 1st, 2017, the international coalition warplanes committed a heinous massacre as they targeted with missiles the residential neighborhoods and the civilians’ houses in the villages  and towns of al-Kashem, al-Shweit, al-Dweir and al-A’shara in Deir Ezzor city, causing the death of more than 60 civilians and the injury of dozens, the most of whom were children, women and elderly men. This attack took place in less than 48 hours after shelling Aysha Hospital and al-Nadi, al-Shouhada Roundabout residential neighborhoods in al-BouKamal city, causing the death of 6 citizens and the injury of 10 others, including women and children.

The UNSC and other UN affiliated bodies have adopted resolutions banning all parties from targeting civilians, hospitals, medical assistance and food materials. Why does not the UNSC hold the US and the states participating in the international coalition accountable for committing crimes against Syrian civilians and facilities ?.

Counter-terrorism requires respecting international law and respecting states’ sovereignty. The UN Secretary General should not remain silent since their silence will make them lose the confidence of peoples and countries which founded these two organizations in order to preserve international peace and security.

K.Q.