MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIAN PM Syrian PM calls for international plan against terrorism

Record ID: 276609

  • Title: MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIAN PM Syrian PM calls for international plan against terrorism
  • Date: 30th November 2014
  • Summary: DAMASCUS, SYRIA (NOVEMBER 30, 2014) (REUTERS) BANNER READING (English and Arabic): 'THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON COMBATING TERRORISM AND RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM' VARIOUS OF SYRIAN PRIME MINISTER WAEL AL-HALQI WALKING DOWN STAIRS WITH THE SYRIAN PRESIDENT'S ADVISOR FOR POLITICAL AND MEDIA AFFAIRS, BUTHAINA SHAABAN
  • Embargoed: 15th December 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAE9OWENL1YJ7T7IR65ZCLFWE7L
  • Story Text: Syria's Prime Minister on Sunday (November 30) called for the United Nations to take the lead in organising an international plan to address the threat of terrorism.
    Wael al-Halqi was speaking in Damascus at the international conference on combating terrorism and religious extremism, attended by religious, political and social figures from 25 Arab and foreign countries.
    He told those in attendance that the international community needed to be on the same page when it came to the fight against terrorism.
    "In order to have a successful war against terrorism, there has to be an international plan that all of the international community agrees on. This can happen through an international conference under the supervision of the United Nations. Also, there must be a unified legal definition of 'terrorism' accepted by the international community," said al-Halqi.
    During the nearly four-year civil war in Syria, the government of President Bashar al-Assad has characterised all opponents of his rule as extremists.
    Rebels fighting against Assad's forces are referred to as "terrorists" in state media.
    With the impact of the Syrian war spilling over into neighbouring countries, Halqi said the conflict was likely to spread further.
    "What is happening in Syria will spread around the whole world in the form of terrorism, chaos, mental illness and intellectual abnormalities," he told the conference.
    With Syrians desperate for an end to the war, a recent plan, led by the U.N. peace envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, envisages the setting up of up local truces in so-called "freeze zones" to stop fighting and allow aid into rebel districts.
    The envoy has said the proposed "freeze zones" are intended to deliver something tangible to Syrians.
    The Syrian government has voiced guarded support for the plan.
    "We support any honest international effort to fight terrorism as well as the initiative of UN Special Envoy De Mistura but on the condition of respecting national sovereignty and international laws," said Halqi.
    On Friday (November 28), Syria rejected as "fabricated" U.S. accusations that its forces were targeting civilians with air strikes and said Washington would do better to criticise hardline Islamic State militants who have killed American citizens.
    The U.S. State Department said on Wednesday it was "horrified" by Syrian government bombings in Raqqa province which it said had killed "dozens of civilians and demolished residential areas".
    Syria's information minister said Washington had got its information from "terrorist organisations" in Syria such as Islamic State and al Qaeda's Nusra Front.
    Both the Syrian military and U.S.-led forces are bombing Syrian targets in separate campaigns and both say they are pursuing militant groups.
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