Syria’s Permanent Representative to the U.N. Bashar al-Jaafari has stressed that Syria supports any "sincere" international or regional effort for combating terrorism, adding that any such effort should be based on resolutions and with international legitimacy.
In an interview with Russia Today TV channel, Jaafari confirmed that the Syrian government must be partner in any counterterrorism effort as well as the Iraqi government, Russia and China.
“Otherwise, what does it mean to be an international alliance?” he asked.
Jaafari said Syria could benefit from Russia’s experience since it was once a victim of terrorism, noting that Russia’s reading of the situation since the beginning of the crisis in Syria has been “correct and deep”. He said Russia recognized that there is terrorism in Syria and that the terrorist organizations must not be presented as “peaceful or national opposition".
"There is complete coordination between Damascus and Moscow on all levels," Jaafari said.
While saying that the U.S. conduct apparently indicates that it is targeting positions of the Islamic State and the Nusra Front terrorist organizations, Jaafari noted that the experience of the U.S. policies in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya and the recent acknowledgment of U.S. President Barack Obama that the U.S. intelligence has not been familiar enough with the reality of the terrorism in Syria and Iraq raises questions.
Responding to a question on whether there is coordination with Syria with regard to the airstrikes of the “international alliance", Jaafari said: “There is no coordination with the Syrian army or government despite the fact that coordination was our demand. However they informed us before the first airstrike took place in three ways."
Syria’s response, he added, was that it “supports any sincere and honest international effort to combat terrorism providing that it would preserve the lives of civilians and respect Syria’s sovereignty and the international pacts."
He lashed out at Turkey for being “a main accomplice” in the terrorism inflicted upon Syria.
"How could Turkey call for establishing a buffer zone to protect civilians as it claims, while at the same time it prevents the Syrian Kurds from crossing the border into its territories to escape IS and Nusra?" he asked.
He also claimed Turkey has no credibility in combating terrorism since it was the government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan which brought terrorists from all around the world and allowed them to enter Syria.
Translated and edited by The Syrian Observer
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