SYRIA and its allies have angrily condemned the first airstrike ordered by new US President Joe Biden, which the Pentagon claimed had targeted Iran-backed militants in Syria.
Syria on Friday condemned ‘in the strongest terms the US aggression on areas in Deir Ezzor near the Syrian-Iraqi border yesterday, stressing it gives a negative indication to the policies of the new American administration’.
Syria’s Foreign and Expatriates Ministry said in a statement: ‘In a flagrant violation of the rules of international law and Charter of the United Nations, the US warplanes on Thursday, February 25th, 2021, launched a cowardly aggression by bombing some areas in Deir Ezzor province near the Syrian-Iraqi borders.’
It added that the aggression was synchronised with the presence of UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, in Damascus and this sends a message of a US disregard of the role of international legitimacy in resolving the crisis in Syria.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry stated that ‘this blatant aggression is a new chain in the series of repeated attacks by the Israeli occupation forces, the so-called “international coalition”, the Turkish occupation, and the crimes of armed terrorist organisations against the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic under illusive pretexts.
‘The Syrian Arab Republic condemns in the strongest terms the US aggression against its sovereignty, which contradicts with the terms of international law and the United Nations Charter and with its role as a permanent member of the Security Council,’ the statement added.
It warned that this aggression will lead to repercussions that escalate the situation in the region, as well as it gives a negative indication to the policies of the new US administration, which is supposed to adhere to international legitimacy.
The Ministry went on to say that the Syrian Arab Republic calls on the US to change its aggressive policy towards it and stop aggression against its sovereignty.
It added that the government of the Syrian Arab Republic affirms its determination to restore every inch of the land and liberate it from the occupation and terrorism.
Meanwhile, the Iraqi Defence Ministry denied on Friday allegations of US Department of Defence, the Pentagon, about ‘exchanging information’ before the US aggression on regions in Deir Ezzor near the Syrian-Iraqi borders.
Commenting on statements of US Secretary of Defence, Lloyd James Austin, the Iraqi Ministry of Defence said in a statement: ‘We are surprised by statements of the US Secretary of Defence regarding exchanging intelligence information with Iraq before targeting some sites on the Syrian territories.’
The Ministry added ‘while denying what was included in the statements, Iraq at the same time stresses that its cooperation with the International Coalition is limited to fighting Daesh terrorist organisation’.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned on Friday the US aggression on areas in Deir Ezzor near the Syrian-Iraqi borders on Thursday evening.
Fars News Agency quoted Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Saeed Khatibzadeh, as saying that the latest US aggression, which is a continuation of the aggressions of the Israeli entity on the Syrian territories, comes as a blatant violation to Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and a violation of the international laws and human rights and it would destabilise the region.
The spokesman added that this aggression comes at a time when the US forces have been present illegally for years on the Syrian territories from which they loot the natural resources.
He referred to the fact that US forces train the terrorists on their illegal bases on Syrian territories to use them as a tool to achieve their agendas.
Earlier on Friday, Russia and China had condemned the US attack, stressing that it is unacceptable violation to the international law.
Russian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the US attack on the Syrian-Iraqi border region, stressing that it is ‘an unacceptable violation of international law’.
Spokesman for the Pentagon, John Kirby, in a statement on Thursday night, confessed that US military forces, instructed by president Joe Biden, launched an attack on the Syrian-Iraqi border area.
Novosti news agency quoted a source at the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying on Friday, that the US bombardment is unacceptable and a violation of international law.
Earlier, First Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee at the Russian Federation Council, Vladimir Dzhabarov, condemned the US aggression on the Iraqi-Syrian border area, stressing that it is ‘illegal and an attack on a sovereign state territory’.
The Russian senator said that ‘The US shelling of Syria is illegal because we are talking about an attack on the territory of a sovereign State’, pointing out that ‘this step is a serious escalation that could lead to an escalation of the situation in the entire region’. He warned that such acts could lead to ‘a large conflict’.
This aggression comes at a time when units of the Syrian Arab Army are hunting remnants of Daesh terrorists in the Syrian al-Badia region.
Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, affirmed that the US troops’ presence in Syria is illegitimate, adding the US presses other countries to prevent humanitarian aid from reaching the country and obstruct reconstruction.
Lavrov said during a press conference with his Afghan counterpart in Moscow on Friday: ‘The US troops’ presence in Syria is illegitimate, violates international law and UN resolutions … and we have repeatedly expressed our reservations on the measures taken by Washington on the Syrian territories, including al-Tanf region and north eastern Syria.’
Lavrov added that the US occupies lands in Syria, plundering Syrian oil, and supporting separatist militias, in flagrant violation of Security Council Resolution No. 2254.
China on Friday called for respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria.
‘We call on all parties concerned to respect Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and to avoid additional complications to the situation,’ Xinhua news agency quoted Foreign Ministry’s Spokesman Wang Wenbin as saying to reporters.
Venezuela on Saturday strongly condemned the US aggression on areas in Deir Ezzor near the Syrian-Iraqi borders, expressing solidarity with Syria.
‘Venezuela strongly condemns US military attack on Syrian territories and expresses its solidarity with the people and government of this brotherly country.’ Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on Twitter.
‘It is regrettable that Washington returns to endless war and moves away from diplomacy and international law,’ the statement added.
- Syria’s permanent representative to the UN, Bassam Sabbagh, said last Thursday that Syria’s cooperation and facilitations in the humanitarian field have helped get tangible achievements despite challenges represented by combating terrorism and the negative impacts of coercive measures in addition to acts of aggression and occupation.
Sabbagh added that politicising the humanitarian file in Syria increases the humanitarian suffering, affirming that reports presented to the Security Council paved the way for some states to deviate attention and not to deal with the objective factors that caused retreat of the humanitarian situation.
‘Any reports or briefings submitted to the Security Council remain minor and full of faults as long as they turn a blind eye to the crimes committed by terrorist organisations in Syria,’ Sabbagh added in a speech during a UN Security Council session via video.
Sabbagh affirmed that the unilateral, coercive measures imposed on the country prevent the Syrians from getting their basic livelihood needs.
‘Those illegitimate measures represent a flagrant violation of international law and a collective punishment to the Syrians and this is recognised by the UN itself,’ Sabbagh said.
He went on to say that the Turkish regime continues the Turkification of the region it occupies in northern Syria and provides protection for terrorist organisations to desecrate properties, loot oil fields and agriculture crops.
Sabbagh added that the US occupation and the agent separatist militias still steal Syria’s resources, smuggle them outside the country and obstruct humanitarian access to al-Rukban camp.
He called for pressing Western countries that reject the return of their terrorists with families from Syria and stop disavowal from their legal obligations and responsibilities, and to allow the terrorists to return home.
Sabbagh stressed that improving the humanitarian situation in Syria requires commitment to respect its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
‘Syria calls once again to end the politicisation of the humanitarian work and put an end to imposing dictates to prevent the support of the state’s institutions’ efforts in the developmental and humanitarian domains,’ Sabbagh concluded.
