U.S., France, Britain and Ukraine Block Russian Bid to Blacklist “Ahrar al-Sham”, “Jaish al-Islam”
UNITED NATIONS, (ST)- Diplomatic sources announced on Wednesday that Britain, France, the US and Ukraine have blocked a Russian request to add two terrorist groups in Syria to a UN terror blacklist and sideline them from the Syrian political process.
Blocking the Russian bid provides new evidence that these countries continue to support the terrorists who are shedding the blood of the Syrians.
AFP quoted the source as saying that Russia had requested from the Security Council that Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam) and Ahrar al-Sham terrorist groups be added to the sanctions list for their ties to Al-Qaeda and the so-called “Islamic State” group.
The news agency reported that adding names to the UN sanctions list requires a consensus decision from the 15-member council and after objections were raised by the four countries, Russia’s request was rejected.
An attempt last year by the ISSG to come up with a single list of “terrorist” groups in Syria fell apart after scores of names were submitted from all sides
On April 22nd, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed that “Jaish al-Islam” and “Ahrar al-Sham” terrorist groups share same extremist barbaric ideas with “Daesh” and “Jabhat al-Nuusra” terrorist organizations.
“Jaish al-Islam” is one of the main takfiri terrorist groups that adopt the Wahhabi mentality and that get arms supplies and funding from the Saudi regime. Its mercenaries are besieging thousands of people in eastern Ghouta and targeting Damascus residential areas with rocket shells and mortar rounds causing the martyrdom of scores of civilians including women and children.
Also, “Ahrar al-Sham” is a terrorist group affiliated to the Turkish and Saudi regimes. It has committed massacres and crimes against the Syrians in different areas.
Hamda Mustafa