Mikdad: Terrorist crimes aim at forcing part of society to leave home

Deputy Foreign and Expatriates Minister Fayssal Mikdad said that the real dimensions of the crimes of armed terrorist groups in Syria are summarized by dividing the territorial integrity in Syria and forcing part of its people to leave home.

“Non condemnation of those crimes by some states, particularly the western countries, is considered as an indication to these countries’ involvement in the Syrian bloodshed,” Mikdad said during a meeting with a number of ambassadors, heads of diplomatic corps and chairmen of the UN offices accredited in Damascus.

He pointed out to the dangerous escalation of the terrorists through targeting one constituent of the Syrian people with mortars and the tools of killing and destruction, including massacres against the children in their schools and the destruction of historic cities like Maaloula, Saddad and churches in other Syrian cities.

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Mikdad held the states which support terrorists, on top of them France, Turkey and Saudi Arabia fully responsible for those crimes.

He said that targeting a basic constituent of the Syrian people, destroying churches and looting their contents in addition to killing, abducting clergymen is part of the conspiracy against Syria aiming at striking the Syrian people’s unity.

The Deputy Foreign Minister affirmed the need for the international community to take decisive stance against those crimes which would extend to other regions in the world.

He said that the Syrian people’s history rose through amity, tolerance with no difference among religions, affirming that the crimes of armed terrorist groups in Syria don’t reflect the superior, real values of the Islamic religion.

Mikdad: Opposition is living in middle ages and suffers isolation

Mikdad reaffirmed that the Syrian people are the only decision-makers regarding their political future.

In an interview with the CNN, Mikdad noted that the Syrian government has decided to put everything that it and the opposition could agree on to the Syrian people in a referendum.

He criticized the opposition as it seems to be living in a different era, saying “Those people come from the middle ages and they are against democracy and elections..they are also against the Syrian territorial integrity and the Syrian people.”

Mikdad highlighted that the opposition is afraid of the people and their decision and aware of the fact that it suffers from isolation and does not enjoy the people’s support.

He derided the proposals put forth by the opposition abroad as preconditions for attending the Geneva 2 conference, particularly with regard to demanding that the Syrian leadership step down.

The Deputy Foreign Minister affirmed that the Syrian government is ready to discuss any issue on the Geneva 2 table.

As for the calls for releasing detainees and allowing access of humanitarian aid to some areas, Mikdad said such measures have to be discussed in line with the law and system in Syria, stressing that the blame in the humanitarian issue should be placed on the terrorist groups that have been blocking the UN from accessing those areas.

Syrian stressed Wednesday in an official statement that it intends to take part in Geneva 2 conference with an official delegation representing the Syrian state and provided with the directions of President Bashar al-Assad.

The statement expressed Syria’s welcome of the announced date set for the conference on January 22 and highlighted that the delegation will be carrying the Syrian people’s demands, on top is the elimination of terrorism.

Source: SANA