Lavrov: Syria is Confronting Armed Gangs, al-Qaeda Members that Commited Horrible Crimes
NEW YORK, (SANA) – The United Nations Security Council held on Monday a session to discuss the situation in the Middle East in the framework of the attempts of some Arab states backed by the west to internationalize the crisis in Syria and ignore what is happening in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, stressed in a speech at the UNSC that the Syrian Government is confronting armed gangs and al-Qaeda members who committed horrible crimes in Syria, adding that violence should stop and humanitarian aid should be offered to civilians.
He reiterated that the calls for military intervention in Syria jeopardizes the whole region and risks an outbreak of conflicts.
Lavrov underlined the necessity of establishing an independent Palestinian state that meets the aspirations of the Palestinian people.
He added that the role of the international community is to guarantee that the current changes in the Arab world would lead to positive effects and to guarantee freedoms, human rights and the minorities’ rights.
Lavrov noted that the Syrian Government shoulders the responsibility for the current events, but “We have to take into consideration that the Syrian Government is fighting armed gangs and al-Qaeda members who committed horrible crimes.”
He called for finding an immediate solution to the crisis in Syria without violence, launching a comprehensive political process in Syria and implementing reforms, pointing out to the five points which were agreed on by the Arab League and Russia in this regard, including stopping violence by all sides, a monitoring mechanism, no foreign interference and supporting the mission of Kofi Annan to launch dialogue between the Government and Syrian opposition.
He stressed that Russia is ready to approve a UNSC resolution based on these five points.
For his part, China’s permanent representative to the UN Li Baodong stressed the importance that international community respect Syria’s sovereignty and independence and not interfere in its affairs, adding that China is ready to shoulder responsibility and establish talks with all sides to push for a peaceful settlement to the crisis.
He urged the international community to help the ME countries economically, emphasizing need to respect the demands of people in these countries without meddling in their internal affairs.
Baodong also called for commitment to the UN Charter and respecting the sovereignty, stability and safety of the region’s countries, voicing China’s rejection of foreign interference to achieve change under the pretext of humanitarian aid, indicating that economic sanctions don’t bring about change.
He stressed that China will remain committed to the just Arab causes and supporting the legitimate demands of Arab peoples, adding that it supports the two-state solution to solve the Arab-Israeli conflict. ”The situation in the Middle East has reached an impasse as we saw an escalation of tension in Gaza last week, ” Baodong said.
He expressed China’s support for the five-year agreement between Russia and the Arab League to solve the Syrian crisis, emphasizing that the parties concerned and the international community must provide the necessary circumstances for dialogue between all Syrian sides to start.
”The Syrian crisis is highly complicated and mediation won’t succeed overnight, but through synchronized and sustained efforts”, said Baodong, welcoming Annan’s mission to reach a political solution to the crisis in Syria.
He said China does not support one side over the other and respects the Syrians’ choices and sovereignty, adding that China backs the role of the UN in delivering aid to some Syrian cities and will offer USD 2 million in humanitarian aid.
For his part, the Indian foreign minister said India’s vision is based on the principle of giving peoples an opportunity to solve their own problems through internal and comprehensive political process. The Indian minister reiterated his country’s call for respecting the sovereignty and independence of countries, affirming that meeting the peoples’ aspirations cannot be achieved through foreign intervention.
Lavrov Expresses Support to Annan’s Mission in Syria
In a phone call with the UN special envoy to Syria Kofi Annan on Sunday, the Russian Foreign Minister expressed support to Annan’s mission in light of Russia’s vision which aims at halting violence from all sides and starting dialogue between the government and the opposition without preempting the results.
Sources in the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Annan informed Minister Lavrov about the start of his mission in Damascus in terms of enhancing what has been agreed upon in the 10th March meeting, stressing the inclination to cooperate with Russia in regards to achieving a peaceful settlement in Syria.
Syria’s Representative at HRC: Report of HRC Politicized, Serves Aggressive purposes
GENEVA, (SANA) – Syria’s Permanent Representative at the Human Rights Council (HRC), Fayssal Al-Hamwi, on Monday said that the report of the Human Rights Commission on Syria is politicized and serves aggressive purposes of some western and regional countries against Syria.
In his speech before the Council, al-Hamwi added that the foreign intervention under ‘humanitarian pretext’ aims at dividing Syria to achieve Israel’s interests.
He stressed that ” The crisis in Syria isn’t peaceful demonstrations…It is a political scheme carried out by external sides,” adding that it’s shameful to use the HRC as a tool to exert political pressure on a sovereign country.
Al-Hamwi underlined that the national dialogue that brings together all Syrian people could pave the way for reforms away from any violence to tackle the problems of victims, but reconciliation wouldn’t be achieved through the impact of foreign powers.
“The determination of the Committee to politicize its work and offer results based on illegal, non- objective and untrue criterion made it lack moral and legal duty… and this pushes the Syrian government to reject the report,” al-Hamwi said.
He added that the crisis in Syria is not peaceful demonstrations, but it is a political plot carried out by some foreign sides that aim to strike Syria through waging misleading media campaign and imposing unilateral economic sanctions against the Syrian people.
“Syria repeatedly stresses its determination to end the current situation, conduct a comprehensive national dialogue, go on in the reform process and respect the human rights,” the Syrian Envoy said.
He added that the latest step towards reform was voting yes for the new constitution by the two thirds of the Syrian people, this constitution that guarantees democracy, political pluralism and public rights and basic freedoms.
Al-Hamwi concluded by saying that Syria welcomes any true effort to help it come out of the current crisis as it will cooperate with all honest who present constructive political solutions.
Minister of Information: Terrorist Groups Committed Atrocious Massacre in Karm al-Zaytoun to Elicit International Stances against Syria
DAMASCUS, (SANA) – Minister of Information Dr. Adnan Mahmoud said that armed terrorist groups committed a most atrocious massacre against women, children and elderly citizens in Karm al-Zaytoun neighborhood and mutilated their bodies in order to put pressure to elicit international stances against Syria.
In a statement on Monday, the Minister said that some countries which support the terrorist groups such as Qatar Saudi Arabia and provide them with weapons and money are accomplices in the terrorism targeting all the Syrian people, and that these countries are responsible for the shedding of Syrian blood.
“We’ve grown accustomed to the bloody escalation of these terrorist groups in committing massacres, murdering citizens and attacking public and private establishments which proceeds international meetings,” he said.
Dr. Mahmoud said that the terrorist channales such as al-Jazeera and al-Arabiya are accomplices in these heinous crimes, and that those which these channels proclaim to be correspondents in Homs and other areas are gunmen and terrorists who participate in these crimes and record them, then these channels broadcast false allegations and twist facts.
He said that the massacre committed by an armed terrorist group in Karm al-Zaytoun neighborhood, claiming the lives of entire families, is but one of the massacres committed by these groups and represents an escalation in their crimes.
A terrorist armed group perpetrated an appalling massacre in Homs in Karm al-Zaytoun neighborhood prior to convening the Security Council meeting to elicit hostile stances against Syria with the participation of bloodshed media channels.
Images broadcast in the Syrian TV showed the horrible crimes committed against families, as the brutality of the perpetrators have not saved the children, women or the elderly to satisfy their bloodlust.
The so-called al-Farouq Battalion documented its responsibility of the bloodbath by writing: ” al-Farouq Battalion passed here,” where all members of a family fell victim to the terrorism perpetrated by this militia.
A citizen said that the family targeted by the terrorists was simple and poor people including a 75-year-old man, as another neighbor clarified that the family members were killed for not responding to the gunmen’s dictations.
Local residents said that the terrorists were using a deserted under-construction building to commit crimes of killing and mutilating against kidnapped innocent citizens and then they filmed them and send the videos to Gulf-backed sedition channels, particularly in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
A woman from the neighborhood said that militants rape, kill, throw bodies in the streets and then film them and send the clips to Aljazeera and al-Arabia TV channels.
Earlier, a media source asserted that the footage of the corpses presented by some Satellite TV stations belong to the civilians, who were kidnapped by the terrorist armed groups.
The media source added that the crimes perpetrated by the armed terrorist groups and aired by al-Jazeera and al-Arabiya, who have among the terrorists operating in Syria special correspondents, coincide with today’s UN Security Council session , as to call for foreign interference in Syria.
The source also refuted the news circulated by some satellite TVs about the closure of al-Salihya and al-Midan Quarters in Damascus as groundless and fabricated in line with the hysterical campaign unleashed by anti-Syria media channels.
Family members of the kidnapped stated to Syrian TV that the corpses of their relatives were shown by al-Jazeera and al-Arabiya Satellite TV, which are but participants with the armed terrorist groups in perpetrating massacres.
Ahmad Shihab, a citizen from Bab al-Sibaa Quarter, Homs, said that he recognized two corpses for his relatives who were kidnapped more than a month ago.
Khalid al-Najar, from al-Naziheen Quarter, Homs, said also that two of the corpses were for two persons of his quarter.
Fou’ad Suleiman, a citizen from al-Nizha Quarter, Homs, said that one of the corpses belong to his cousin, Jihad, who was kidnapped more than 90 days ago.
Abukhald al-Abdullah, from al-Naziheen Quarter, Homs, said that the attacks by the armed terrorist groups, have turned their life into hell under house arrest, using their houses as prisons, kidnapping and killing the citizens casting their corpses at al-Siteen Street, Homs.
Syrian Consultative Center for Studies and Human Rights: Homs Massacre Committed by Criminal Groups
The Syrian Consultative Center for Studies and Human Rights considered that the killing and terrorism against innocent civilians which happened in Homs last night was perpetrated by criminal groups as part of a bloody scheme under external intelligence and media guidance and cover.
In a statement on Monday, the Center said that murdering kidnapped citizens is committed prior to the United Nations Security Council sessions to use as a pretext for blatant interference allegedly for protecting human rights.
The statement added that these armed groups embrace ”journalists” who entered illegally through routes that the gunmen opened to guarantee logistical help from outside.
The Center called upon the international community and human rights’ bodies to use their influence to pressure the regimes involved in the bloodshed to stop dispatching terrorist elements and the flow of weapons to Syria.
Armed Terrorist Group Blows up Diesel Transfer Pipeline in Homs that Feeds Hama Province
DAMASCUS, SANA_ An armed terrorist group on Monday targeted with an explosive device a diesel transport pipeline extended from Homs to Hama in al-Holeh area, east of Tal Daw, causing an explosion and fire to erupt in the pipeline.
An official source at the Ministry of Petroleum told SANA reporter that the 20-Inch diameter pipeline, which is affiliated to the Syrian Company for Fuel, provides Hama Province with diesel.
The reporter pointed out that the pumping into the targeted pipeline was immediately halted after the explosion and the fire was extinguished so that for the authorities to start repairing works to resume pumping in the pipeline.
Earlier last month, the armed terrorist groups targeted with an explosive device a diesel transport pipeline which extends from Homs Refinery to the oil warehouses in Adra at Damascus Countryside between al-Sultaniyeh and Baba Amr in Homs setting ablaze the site of the explosion.
Armed terrorist groups have targeted oil and gas transfer pipelines with explosive devices several times with the aim of sabotaging these pipelines and depriving the Syrian people of the energy supplies.
Lattakia Governor Denies News on Explosions in Lattakia Province
Lattakia Governor Abdul-Qader al-Sheikh denied as “completely baseless” the news circulated by some misleading satellite TV channels about explosions at Lattakia Province.
Al-Sheikh told SANA reporter on Monday that the life in Lattakia Province is normal, calm and secure.
The Governor said “These news come in the framework of the heinous media campaign hatched against Syria in an attempt to undermine Syria’s security, stability and the tranquility prevailing in Lattakia Province.”
For his part, Lattakia Police Chief Brigadier General Jamal Bitar told SANA reporter that the life across the Province is normal, calm and secure, denying as “baseless” the news broadcast by some satellite TV channels.
Authorities in Daraa discover hideouts of the armed terrorist groups
The competent authorities in Daraa countryside discovered hideouts of the armed terrorist groups, 7 explosives inside a stolen public car on a farm-road.
Five of the explosives weigh 50 KG and 2 40 KG, medical, emergency and some wears were also found.
Competent Authorities Confiscate Weapons in Aleppo Countryside
The Competent authorities in Aleppo countryside confiscated amounts of weapons hidden in a taxi that was parked in one of Manbej neighborhoods.
An Interior Ministry source said that the confiscated weapons include 22 rifles, RPG launchers, 203 bullets and 7 magazines.
Armed terrorist group burns four houses at Sankol town in Idleb
An armed terrorist group burned four houses at Sankol town in Idleb.
An official source told SANA reporter that the terrorists burned those houses because their owners rejected to join them in the acts of sabotage.
In Maarat al-Numan, the authorities found the body of the killed citizen Hassan Mahmoud al-Sultan inside the mosque of Saad bin Muaz, with signs of mutilation on it.
In Homs, the competent authorities arrested a number of the wanted persons who were engaged in dangerous crimes in a number of Homs regions.
Fire breaks out in a store of cotton to the East of Idleb
A fire broke out today in a store of cotton affiliated to Idleb old spinning factory, to the East of Idleb.
An official source in Idleb told SANA reporter that the fires swallowed up the contents of the store, while firefighters are doing their best to extinguish the fires.
The source added that armed terrorist groups are shooting fire to prevent the fire engines from reaching the place of fire.
Fifteen Army and Law-Enforcement Martyrs Laid to Rest
DAMASCUS (SANA) – The bodies of 15 army and law-enforcement martyrs on Monday were escorted from Tishreen Military Hospital in Damascus and the Police Hospital in Harasta to their final resting place.
Solemn funeral processions were held for the martyrs who were targeted by armed terrorist groups while they were in the line of duty in Damascus and its Countryside and Homs.
The martyrs are:
Colonel Mohammed Ali Halloum, from Tartous.
Warrant Officer Soumar Sharif Ali, from Lattakia.
Sergeant Major Alaa Youssef Hassan,from Hama.
Sergeant Abdul-Baset Ahmad Haj Hassan, from Aleppo.
Corporal Khalid Kamal Ismael, from Idleb.
Corporal Maizar Ibrahim Marae, from Raqaa.
Conscript Alaa Haji Shawakh, from Aleppo.
Conscript Mohammed Ibrahim Toumeh, from Quneitra.
Conscript Hassan Naseif Jamal-Eddin, from Idleb.
Conscript Khalid Mohsen al-Dairi al-Ahmad, from Aleppo.
Policeman Alaa Rajab, from Homs.
Policeman Bayan al-Rashid, from Sweida.
Policeman Alaa Nisafi, from Lattakia.
Policeman Mazen al-Sayek, from Damascus.
– Policeman Ibrahim Hammoud, from Idleb.
The martyrs’ families denounced the criminal acts perpetrated by the armed terrorist groups, stressing adherence to the national unity and determination to foil the conspiracy hatched against Syria.
They stressed that the terrorism and attempts to sow sedition among the Syrian people will not dissuade them from defending their homeland, hailing the sacrifices of the Syrian army in protecting Syria’s security and stability.
China Reiterates Support to International Community Constructive Efforts to Solve Syrian Crisis
BEIJIN, (SANA) – China reiterated support to the international community’s constructive and positive efforts to reach a political settlement to the crisis in Syria.
In a press conference on Monday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Liu Weimin expressed his country’s hope that the all sides will continue efforts to reach a just, peaceful and appropriate solution to the Syrian crisis.
He said that China welcomes the international community’s efforts to enhance communication and coordination on the crisis in Syria, adding that “We believe that the five-point plan reached between Russia and the Arabs is of realistic and positive significance to the political solution to the Syrian crisis.”
He added that China is open to all proposals that could contribute to enhancing political solution to the problem in Syria and ready to work with the international community ,including the Arab League (AL), to promote a just, peaceful and proper solution to the Syrian crisis.
Liu said China supports Annan’s constructive efforts in promoting the political solution and hopes all sides would cooperate with Annan’s mediation efforts.
He added that Beijing participated in the consultations on the new draft resolution and proposed some amendments based on the six Chinese proposals on solving the Syrian issue politically.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman said that some of what has been issued at the meeting of the Arab foreign ministers on March, 10th demonstrated the readiness of the Arab countries and the AL to solve the Syrian crisis through political means, especially the decision which calls upon the Syrian government and opposition to positively cooperate with the UN- Arab League’s envoy Kofi Annan.
“The decision has a positive impact on easing the current tensions in Syria as well as expanding consensus among all parties concerned,” he added.
He stressed China’s support to the peace process in the Middle East which is based on protecting peace and stability in the region and its commitment to reach political settlement to the issue of the Middle East and continue efforts to achieve this purpose.
Iran Reiterates Full Support to Syria
TEHRAN, (SANA) – Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir- Abdollahian on Monday reiterated Iran’s full support to Syria’s people and government.
Amir- Abdollahian was quoted as saying “We are confident that the Syrian people support the reform process led by President Bashar al-Assad and will stand up against any foreign interference in Syria’s internal affairs.”
He added that Iran considers the political solution and support to the Syrian people’s demands, which were given the attention of the Syrian leadership, the best way out of the crisis.
Amir- Abdollahian held the countries which threaten Syria’s security and stability responsible for escalating the crisis, calling upon some regional and international parties which have undertaken rash procedures and provided the opposition with weapons to stop.
Mikdad Briefs Delegation of Unionist Democratic Union Party of Tunisia on Developments in Syria
DAMASCUS, (SANA) – Deputy Foreign and Expatriates Minister, Dr. Fayssal Mikdad, briefed on Monday the delegation of the Unionist Democratic Union Party of Tunisia on the developments in Syria in various fields, particularly concerning Syria’s resolve to continuing the reform process represented in the new constitution and the efforts exerted to launch national dialogue with the participation of all Syrian national factions.
Mikdad stressed that Syria will not abandon its belief in the Arab issues and the importance of deepening relations between the sons of the nation regardless of some Arab states’ stances which have become a part of the conspiracy against the present and the future of the nation.
He hoped that the Arab Nation will overcome all schemes and plots drawn by western Zionist circles to liquidate the Arab causes in favor of Israel.
The Tunisian delegation, which is currently visiting Syria headed by its Secretary-General, Ahmad al-Ainobli,expressed solidarity with Syria which is the last line of defense for the Arab Nation in face of media and political campaigns aimed at ending Syria’s resistant role.
Syrian Arab Red Crescent Receives 80 Tons of Relief and Food Supplies from Russia
DAMASCUS, (SANA) – The Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) on Monday received 80 tons of relief and food supplies sent by Russia to support the organization’s humanitarian efforts.
Director of SARC Marwan Abdullah thanked the Russian people for this humanitarian contribution, saying that the organization will distribute these supplies to the needy via their branches across Syria.
The supplies were transported to Damascus Airports by two planes which were received by Russia’s Ambassador in Damascus Azmatullah Kulmohammadov and a representative of the Syrian Foreign Ministry.
Syria Youth Table Tennis Team Wins West Asian Championship
DAMASCUS, (SANA) – The Syrian female table tennis team for youths on Monday won the gold medal of the West Asian Table Tennis Championship held in Beirut with the participation of 5 countries.
Syria’s team qualified for the Asian qualifiers set to be held in Beijing in August.
Secretary-General of the Game Union, Hadi Issa, told SANA that the team won the title of the Arab Leagues Championship in UAE, adding that the team also won the last Arab Cup in Jordan.
The Syrian female table tennis team for youths is ranked 17th in Asia.
Source: The Embassy of Syrian Arab Republican in Kuala Lumpur.