PRESS RELEASE
Syrian Foreign Minister: We Believe in Victory
Sept. 25, 2016 (EIRNS)—In his address, delivered yesterday to the UN General Assembly, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem made clear that the Syrian government’s orientation is towards victory and that that victory will be on behalf of the world as a whole.
"Everyone knows full well that terrorism would not have spread through my country if it hadn’t been for the external support of well-known countries. It is no longer a secret that Qatar and Saudi Arabia have played a part in this, promoting their Wahhabist Takfirist ideology and their death fatwas that have nothing to do with Islam,"
Moallem said. At the same time,
"Turkey has opened its border to let in tens of thousands of terrorists from all around the world and has provided them with logistical support and training camps under the supervision of Turkish and Western intelligence."
"We, in Syria, are combating terrorism on behalf of the whole of the world," he said, because every time a foreign terrorist is killed in Syria, that lessens the chances of a terrorist attack in his country of origin.
"Our belief in victory is even greater now that the Syrian Arab Army is making great strides in its war against terrorism, with the support of the true friends of the Syrian people,"
Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, Moallem said. He expressed Syria’s willingness to cooperate with anyone in the battle against terrorist groups, but it must be coordinated with the government.
"Without such coordination, any action would be considered a breach of sovereignty, a flagrant interference, and a violation of the principles and purposes of the [UN] Charter,"
he said. He condemned both the Sept. 19 U.S. attack on Syrian troops in Deir Ez-Zor and the Turkish incursion into northern Syria.
As for eventual settlement of the conflict, Moallem said that Syria was ready for any solution that follows a two-track path—counter-terrorism and a political track through an intra-Syrian dialogue that allows Syrians to determine the future of their country without foreign interference. "We reiterate our commitment to move forward with the Geneva track under the auspices of the United Nations," he said, but a political solution "must be based on respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Syria and the unity of its people."
