Syrian envoy slams U.S. airfield attack 'message' to North Korea

Record ID: 644592

  • Title: Syrian envoy slams U.S. airfield attack 'message' to North Korea
  • Date: 17th April 2017
  • Summary: PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREA (APRIL 17, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PYONGYANG SKYLINE VARIOUS OF SYRIAN AMBASSADOR TO NORTH KOREA, TAMMAM SULAIMAN, SPEAKING DURING INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) SYRIAN AMBASSADOR TO NORTH KOREA, TAMMAM SULAIMAN, SAYING: "If they want to mention this… they want to do this as a message or whatever, this is all… really this is… it has no sense to talk about this because what is sense is to see whether the U.S. is really serious in finding solution whether in Syria or in Korea. So if they want to keep sending messages then you are not talking with a responsible state or responsible administration. It is not about giving messages, it is about taking a position that is a responsible position based on a sound foundation and a logical foundation that other countries and other peoples accept." JOURNALIST TAKING NOTES (SOUNDBITE) (English) SYRIAN AMBASSADOR TO NORTH KOREA, TAMMAM SULAIMAN, SAYING: "The U.S. will make another mistake as they did in Syria because there is nothing positive coming out of this other than killing. And if the U.S. is really serious about preserving the lives of people and talking again about human rights, we should put human rights in because they go under the banner of human rights and we should put this banner on the forehead of American soldiers coming to North Korea, and the American people, army, which hit Syria." SULAIMAN'S HANDS (SOUNDBITE) (English) SYRIAN AMBASSADOR TO NORTH KOREA, TAMMAM SULAIMAN, SAYING: "We see ourselves and Syria, and the Syrian army, Syrian people defending their country. Here the Korean people, they are defending their country, we respect this very much and we wish the world learned from those people in North Korea, how their love for their country, their love for their leadership and their love for their ancestry that they brought this country and they kept this country from intervention, because this country will be the last country to be intervened against and it will be very sad if the U.S. puts its footstep in North Korea. But I'm sure, they will have… they will not… I'm sure that the Korean people will not allow this to happen." INTERVIEW IN PROGRESS VARIOUS OF PYONGYANG SKYLINE
  • Embargoed: 1st May 2017 18:44
  • Keywords: Syria North Korea Pyongyang North Korea strike attack chemical weapons
  • Location: PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREA
  • City: PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREA
  • Country: North Korea
  • Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016CSDUMF
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Syria's ambassador to North Korea denounced U.S. aggression on Monday (April 17) and deriding its attempt to send a "message" to North Korea with an attack on a Syrian airfield.
    North Korea has conducted several missile and nuclear tests in defiance of U.N. sanctions and has said it has developed a missile that can strike the U.S. mainland. Its latest missile test on Sunday (April 16) failed a few seconds after launch.
    "If they want to keep sending messages then you are not really talking with a responsible state or responsible administration," Tammam Sulaiman said. "It is not about giving messages, it is about taking a position that is a responsible position based on a sound foundation and a logical foundation that other countries and other people accept."
    U.S. Vice President Mike Pence put North Korea on notice on Monday, warning that recent U.S. strikes in Syria, one of North Korea's few close allies, and Afghanistan showed that the resolve of President Donald Trump should not be tested.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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