Syria's opposition has called for international intervention targeting the Islamic State group, just days after the US began limited strikes against fighters from the same group in neighbouring Iraq.
Earlier, US officials had asked the Syrian opposition to call on the international community to hit the group and help rebels eliminate the self-declared jihadists, Al Jazeera learned from sources inside the opposition.
The Syrian National Coalition (SNC), the main political opposition bloc, and the leadership of the Free Syrian Army, who made the appeal at a press conference in Gaziantep, Turkey on Saturday, also called for help fighting the Syrian army.
"The entire world is invited to intervene in a quick and effective way in order to support the fighters of the Free Syrian Army, who are fighting the gangs of terrorism," said Hadi al-Bahra, the president of the SNC.
"I call on the UN, and all countries that believe in freedom, including the US, to deal with the situation in Syria the same way they have dealt with the situation in Kurdistan, Iraq," Bahra said.
"The reasons are the same, the enemy is the same," the head of the SNC added.
The plea came as the US was hitting Islamic State targets in Iraq, and a day after the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution that aims to weaken the Islamic State and the Nusra Front, al-Qaeda's Syria branch.
Commenting on the resolution, the Syrian Coalition's representative at the UN, Najib Ghadbian, said: "The Syrian Coalition calls for targeted air strikes in Syria. Strikes should be backed up by an intensive train and equip programme for the moderate Syrian opposition forces that have been effectively fighting ISIS [Islamic State] for over a year."
Another member of the coalition told Al Jazeera that the group was "getting different promises" from the US..............................................http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/08/rebels-ask-iraq-style-strikes-syria-201481614319736346.html
16/7/14
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Related:
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Αναβάλλεται το χτύπημα στη Συρία για μετά τις 9/9/13. -Ο Ομπάμα θα ζητήσει την έγκριση του Κογκρέσου. (2 VIDEOS)
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U.N. Security Council blacklists ISIS militants. (‘No holiday when people are dying’)
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US Senator McCain meets Syrian rebels in Turkey (anti-armor and anti-air capabilities and support for creating a safe zone in Syria)
Syria carried out Iraq border strike on ISIL militants, Maliki tells BBC
Brahimi: Syria Terrorists Responsible Used Chemical Weapons in Khan al-Asal (interview with Der Speigel)
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Fighting ISIS only in Iraq is like extinguishing only half a fire...
ReplyDeleteBritish politicians and media are expressing concern over the advance of the terrorist Islamic State forces in Iraq and stress the need to counter the threat.
The atrocities by Islamic radicals deserve the strongest condemnation. The events in Iraq are another confirmation that terrorism is an absolute evil, and all responsible members of the international community should engage in coordinated efforts, rejecting any double standards.
In this situation one wonders why this extremist group, earlier known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, is perceived by the international community as a threat only in Iraq, but not in Syria, where it also operates. Innocent people suffer in both countries and fighting ISIS forces only in Iraq means that they can always regroup in Syria. That is why there is an urgent need for clear criteria of cooperation with governments in the Middle East and North Africa. The fight against terrorists must become such a criterion. If we are addressing the terrorist threat in Iraq, the same should be done in other parts of the region, including Syria. With this in mind, the international community needs to establish counterterrorist cooperation with all the states that fight ISIS extremists.
Russia, for its part, supports the efforts of the legitimate Iraqi government in their uncompromising struggle against the terrorists – not only politically, but by providing, upon the Iraqi government’s request, necessary equipment and weapons. Russia will continue to do so. Russia appeals to all the Iraqi political forces to come to an agreement in the spirit of national consent, which will allow to effectively confronting any manifestation of extremism and terrorism in Iraq.
Russia also supports the actions of Iraq’s other partners when officially requested by the legitimate Iraqi authorities.
[The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.]
http://rt.com/op-edge/180644-isis-iraq-counter-threat/
17/8/14