Al-Moallem: Arab League Role Over, Observers’ Report Replaced with Political One

Local Editor

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al-Moallem held a press conference Tuesday in which he commented on the Arab League meeting’s decisions and observer mission chief Mohammad Al-Dabbi’s press conference.

Al-Moallem assured before a group of local and international journalists that the role of the Arab League was over when some Arabs decided to resort to the UN Security Council, adding that “replacing the discussion of the observer mission’s report with a presentation of a political report is a violation to Syria’s sovereignty."

“Syria complied with the Arab plan and protocol… this is what the observer mission’s report assured, and this is why they ignored it,” he indicated.

Moreover, the Syrian foreign minister assured that Syria does not take instructions from any part in the world, adding that “if they want to close their embassies, this is their business…”

“If the Gulf states don’t want their observers to see what is actually happening in Syria, then this is their business,” Al-Moallem also said in response to the Gulf Cooperation Council’s decision to withdraw their observers from the Arab League mission in Syria.

The GCC has earlier stated Tuesday that it has decided to “follow Saudi Arabia's decision to pull out its observers from the Arab League mission in Syria.”

In parallel, Al-Moallem considered that the AL decision that was issued Sunday was an “attempt to draw Syria’s future against the Syrian people’s desire, as if this is a country with no will, knowing that throughout history, we taught them Arabism, Islam, and we are also the ones who will teach them democracy and diversity.”

Solution is not that of the Arab League

The Syrian Foreign Minister praised the new constitution that will be put to a referendum after one week in Syria, regarding it as “the practice of democracy, which will make Syria a modern country that is stronger than its current state.”

“The solution in Syria is not that issued by the Arab League and which Damascus had totally rejected. The solution stems from the people’s benefits and is based on implementing the comprehensive reform program that was announced by President Bashar Al-Assad,” he pointed out.

Al-Moallem added that “the Syrian government’s duty is to take the necessary measures to deal with the gunmen,” emphasizing that “the Syrian leadership’s stance is firm and strong in face of what it is being exposed to internally and externally.”

“The number of casualties among the army and civilians triplicated after the Arab team came, because the armed forces used their presence,” he further indicated.

Moscow will not Agree on International Intervention in Syria

Al-Moallem said that “Russia could not approve foreign intervention in the international Syrian affairs, and this is a red line.”

“I sensed in my talks with Russian Foreign Minister Michael Boghdanov that the Russian stance is firm, and that no one could doubt the Russian-Syrian relations because they have historical roots,” he added.

Sanctions Affect citizens not Political Situation

The Syrian foreign minister assured that “sanctions affect citizens but they don’t affect the political situation,” pointing out that the reforms program was announced earlier and put in a certain timeline, and the reforms will be implemented on time.

He also indicated that half of Syria’s economic crisis, and the Syrian people’s suffering is due to the economic sanctions.

Syrian-Iranian Relations Strong

When asked about the Syrian-Iranian relations, Al-Moallem assured that these relations are strong and deep as they are based on both people’s benefits.

He praised “Iran’s supportive stance to Syria throughout the crisis it has been passing through, at a time when the Arabs were conspiring against it,” and said that “Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is making statements on Syria on daily basis, and we don’t have time to respond to each one of them.”

Source: Al Manar TV AL Asks to Meet Ban on Syria, GCC Withdraws Observers Local Editor The Arab League has formally requested on Tuesday a meeting with UN Chief over the Syrian crisis. Meanwhile, the Gulf Arab states announced they would recall their observers in Syria, urging UN Security Council to step up pressure on Damascus. The pan-Arab body's secretary general, Nabil al-Arabi, and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani issued the request, deputy secretary Ahmad bin Helli told Agence France Press. Helli said the league ask for the meeting in order to present its proposals on resolving the Syria crisis and demand support from the UN Security Council. On the other hand, the Gulf Cooperation Council said they would pull out their observers in Syria. "Gulf Cooperation Council states have decided to follow Saudi Arabia's decision to pull out its observers from the Arab League mission in Syria," the Arab states said in a joint statement. The six GCC states said their decision came after "closely following developments in Syria and after they have confirmed that the bloodshed and killings there continue (and after) the Syrian regime did not comply with implementing the Arab League decisions." They also called on "members of the UN Security Council... to take all needed measures at the Security Council to press Syria to implement the Arab League decisions and the Arab initiative on Syria." Saudi Arabia said on Sunday it was withdrawing its observers from Syria in protest at what it called Damascus’ failure to respect an Arab League plan aimed at ending the unrest in Syria. Source: Agencies Arab League Arrogance

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