Syrian War Report – July 26, 2016: Militants’ Defenses Collapse in Aleppo City

UNSC Rus perspective
“VITALY I. CHURKIN (Russian Federation) said there had been some progress since the establishment of the ceasefire regime. Humanitarian access was broadening and difficulties were being discussed by the International Syria Support Group. Describing the Russian Federation’s provision of humanitarian assistance, he said air drops in ISIL-controlled areas had saved lives, and expressed hope that Turkey would take the right decision regarding border crossing points, which had been blocked. Military operations undertaken by the Government of Syria were aimed at blocking and destroying terrorists, he said, expressing deep worry about reports of strikes carried out by the United States-led coalition. It was striking that the United Kingdom and France had not mentioned those strikes in their statements, he noted, adding that he hoped the United States would discuss them in detail.

He went on to state that terrorists had been using the ceasefire regime to obtain reinforcements from abroad and to recruit minors. There was information that the Castello road was being used to provide terrorists with weapons, as well as “jihad mobiles” with which to carry out suicide attacks. Whatever the situation in Aleppo, a humanitarian disaster must be averted, he emphasized. Describing the unilateral sanctions imposed on Damascus as futile, he called for them to be lifted, while rejecting ultimatums calling on the Russian Federation to exert pressure on the Syrian authorities. People should go to Damascus to make contact and “do something useful”, he said, calling upon United Nations staff to respect their mandates and Syria’s national sovereignty. On the political front, foot-dragging must be replaced by the resumption of United Nations-led talks, he added…….The Russian Federation’s representative took the floor a second time in response to remarks by his United States counterpart about air strikes in northern Syria that had killed many civilians, expressing surprise that investigations would be conducted through civil society organizations. Would the truth ever be known or would the matter be swept under the carpet? Emphasizing the importance of not losing sight of the “bigger picture”, he recalled that the conflict had begun with an attempt to topple the Government and with terrorists exploiting the situation, as had been the case in Iraq. Moderate opposition groups had gone over to the side of the terrorists, taking with them the weapons supplied by their Western sponsors, he said, adding that had the Syrian border been closed to military convoys, there would not have been the situation prevailing today. Despite criticism by the United States, he said, the Russian Federation stood ready to keep working with that country in the International Syria Support Group, drawing on the international community’s capability to combat Al-Nusrah and other organizations in order to change the situation on the ground……The representative of the Russian Federation said he could not agree with a number of the United States representative’s observations, but it was correct to say that a distinction must be made between the moderate opposition and Al-Nusrah.”

Syrian perspective
“BASHAR JA’AFARI (Syria) said that Angola’s representative had been correct to ask why the Council had not requested international parties to account for their participation in Syria. Ending the suffering would not happen by holding spectacular conferences or other meetings. It could not be done by coalition forces destroying electricity-generation plants, using Syrian political geography or establishing doubtful alliances for ending terrorism. Syrian-Russian collaboration, carried out at the Syrian Government’s request, had improved the humanitarian situation in some parts of the country, he said.

There was a need to address the causes of the crisis, which had been imposed on Syrians, he continued. Some Council members had tried to ignore the real reasons that had led Syrians to seek refuge in other countries. “Terrorism is the basic cause of this crisis,” he emphasized, pointing out that that Aleppo had not seen any military operations during the conflict’s first year-and-a-half. The international community had called upon Turkey to close its borders and make it impossible for terrorists to reach Aleppo, yet there had been no response and a flood of terrorists had entered Syria.

He went on to state that the Syrian Government had not closed the Castello road, stressing that, rather, terrorists had sought to block humanitarian access. Unilateral measures were another cause of the crisis. A lasting solution would consist of combating terrorism by implementing Council resolutions, in cooperation with the Syrian Government and without double standards, hypocrisy or efforts to make Syria a magnet for future terrorists.

In response to comments by the representative of the United States concerning the beheading of a young Palestinian refugee by Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki, he said that group had come from a region of Turkish origin yet she had not called it a terrorist group. The same applied to Jayish al-Islam, Jaish al-Fatah Army and other groups, he noted. Moreover, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other countries should stop supporting and legitimizing terrorist groups by describing them as “moderate armed opposition” or non-State armed groups. “Not calling terrorism ‘terrorism’ sends a false message,” telling such groups that their brand of terrorism was legitimate, he said.

France’s bombing of one area, in retaliation for events in Nice, had generated twice the number of victims as had been killed in that French city, while Da’esh had escaped prior to the retaliatory attack, he pointed out. The Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki terrorist group had decapitated a 12-year-old boy, and yet, was considered among the “moderate armed opposition” groups supported by Governments through the media since 2011. “You’ve created monsters,” he said, adding that their pastime was taking photographs of themselves next to decapitated civilians and burning people alive. No investigations were needed to prove who was responsible. “We know who they are,” he said.

He said he could not explain how some Council members could say they were protecting the rule of law by not allowing such groups to be placed on terrorist watch lists, adding that there was a lack of seriousness in combating terrorism. For its own part, Syria had met its constitutional obligation to protect civilians and combat terrorism. He urged support for the political process, while ensuring respect for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Syria welcomed the recent statement by the United States and the Russian Federation on the need to combat terrorism, and was committed to finding a political solution and continuing intra-Syrian talks. Syria would continue to cooperate with the United Nations, he said, but it expected the Organization’s cooperation rather than just criticism, especially on humanitarian issues. The Organization could not have gained humanitarian access without the facilitation and protection of the Syrian Government, he stressed.Mr. JA’AFARI (Syria), saying he wished to share some information that had not been part of the meeting, noted that no one had mentioned how the “genetically modified” moderate opposition in the Barada Valley had threatened the only supply of drinking water for the 7 million people living in Damascus. Nor had anyone mentioned how ISIL terrorists had burned a mother, father and young child alive in a public square because they wanted to escape Raqqa. He said that he would have hoped that the Under-Secretary-General, when discussing Aleppo, would have identified those responsible for the shelling on the eastern and western sides of that city – terrorists who had crossed over from Turkey, financed by Saudi Arabia and Qatar. He said that he would be sending letters with the names of victims, “scores of them”, to the Council.”

go via link to see summary of each countries opinion that contributed to the debate
http://www.un.org/press/en/2016/sc12458.doc.htm