Syria Backs Every Effort Aiming to Combat Extremist Ideologies – Ala

GENEVA, (ST)- Syria backs every sincere effort aiming to combat the extremist ideologies which are the main cause of the current internationally growing terrorism, Syria’s permanent Representative at the United Nations in Geneva Hussam Ala stressed on Friday, noting that fighting terrorism has become a global priority.

 In a statement during a Swiss and UN-sponsored conference in Geneva on countering violent extremism, Ala said ” violent extremism is a multidimensional phenomenon, therefore, preventive measures and strategies for combating this phenomenon should not be selective as regards specifying or ignoring its root causes.”

 The absence of an internationally agreed definition of the concepts of terrorism and violent extremism causes confusion and inability to differentiate between the two concepts, Ala said.

He added “serious and firm confrontation of the danger of terrorism and extremism necessitates respecting the international law and the UN charter and implementing international conventions and Security Council resolutions on fighting terrorism. It also necessitates holding the countries which incite, fund and support terrorism and extremism in the world accountable.”

“The continuous activities of recruiting, funding and arming  terrorists and facilitating their influx to Syria provides evident examples about the double standard policies of some governments which claim adopting plans for fighting terrorism and violent extremism, while in fact they keep adopting certain ideologies that feed terrorist organizations” Ala went on to say.

“The policies of double standards, terrorism support and interference in countries affairs should be stopped as the best way to combat terrorism and extremism, he added, noting that the terrorism which hit Paris, Brussels, Nigeria, Egypt, Mali, Lahore and Lebanon is the same kind of terrorism which has been targeting Syrian over the past  five years,” he stressed.

Ki-moon: Focus should be made on root causes of terrorism

During the conference, the U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said “the world needs to focus more on the root causes of terrorism, saying “when you have to counter terrorism, it’s too late.”

Ki-moon pointed out that the ISIS terrorist organization and other radical groups “are now spreading like a cancer around the world,” AP reported.

“Of course, 15 years ago there were terrorist attacks,” Ban said, “but not as often, not as many, not as widely spread like this.”

Hamda Mustafa