Interview with Syrian FM

Syrian civil war could end in weeks - Foreign Minister

RT,

28 September, 2013

The conflict in Syria could be over in weeks once the West and other regional powers stops supporting the opposition fighters on the ground, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moualem told RT after the UNGA session in New York.

RT: Now that Russia and the United States have determined what they want to come out of the Security Council, what sentiment will your delegation be departing from New York? Will it be a sense of diplomatic success, relief?

Walid Moualem: We found that this session of the UN General Assembly is different than the previous one. The leaders have started to understand better what is going on in Syria, that we are fighting a terrorist group related to Al-Qaeda. We are receiving fighters from 83 countries all over the world. Second, they start to speak about the political solution after we joined the treaty of chemical weapons.

And here I want to thank President Putin for his initiative. We have discussed with Minister Lavrov this morning the project of Security Council resolution under chapter 6 concerning Syria. First it thickens the the procedures of how to get rid of these chemical arms. Second they spoke in the draft about Geneva 2. And we believe always that the political solution through the dialogue between Syrians is the way to solve the issue in Syria.

RT: Considering the violence on the ground, you believe that a political solution is still viable?

WM: Many countries speak about supporting a political solution. This is important but this means that they need to be committed to stop their financing, their arming to the terrorist group. Specially the neighboring countries like Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. In this way if they are a friend of doing this, I assure you this is the starter of a success of Geneva 2.

RT: Under the existing circumstances of war on the ground, how much is the government in control of the chemical arsenal?

WM: We control the chemical arsenal but we are worried that the terrorist groups also have chemical weapons and they want to use it to show the West that Syria is not committed to its commitments. This is our point of worry. Otherwise if the West control these groups, because they have relations with them, in this case I assure you, this process will be successful.

RT: During this disarmament process, what is your assessment as to rebel’s capability to lay their hands on the weapons throughout the process that is now to come?

WM: If you mean that they can gain control of government weapons - this is very difficult but the problem is not this. The problem is that they are receiving this type of weapons from the neighboring countries and from the West.

RT: Describe to us the decision to hand over the strategic weapons? What lead to this choice? How much of an influence was Western threat of strikes? And was it something that the government realized that they would have to do eventually or did it occur when the threats started happening?

WM: It is not related to the threat more than it is a free sovereign Syrian government decision. We are adopting this decision after consultation with Russia. And we are convinced that the Russian initiative at the end is a good initiative to open the door for political solution.

The UN chemical weapons investigation team arrives in Damascus.( AFP Photo / Louai Beshara)

RT: When Syrian hands over its chemical weapons, do you think there is still a possibility of a threat from the West?

WM: Always the threat from the West is remaining but before they are using this threat indirectly through supporting the armed group, the terrorist group. But we take into our account that any country which is not yielding to the American pressure or yielding to the American will is under threat.

RT: Why do you think there is so much doubt in the West that the Syrian government will comply with what has been agreed in handing over its weapons?

WM: Because this is part of their plan, the anti-Syrian plan. Even before we started to execute our obligation, they started to put doubts. This is part of the formula to attack Syria.

RT: If this anti-Syria plan is coming from the West, why do you think this agreement was feasible between Russia and the US to reach the agreement on chemical weapons and also what we’re now expecting to come out of the Security Council?

WM: Now it is the international will after the Security Council and the Americans are a very essential part of it. But still we need to take into account that the Americans are changing their mood, changing their position. But for that the role of Russia to bring with them the Americans and the Security Council – it is a very wise thing.

RT: What is going on in the village of Maloula and the attack on Christians? Are they being helped by the government?

WM: We are against any discrimination based on religion or origin between the Syrian people. This terrorist group, they are trying to find ways and means to separate the Syrian people through threatening Christians. They are doing massacres against these Christians but we are proud to see the Christian part of our society and our army is defending them and Maloula today is under the control of the Syrian army.

RT: What is your assessment of the timeframe to the possibility of ending the conflict?

WM: I’m sorry I cannot tell you the timeline, but I tell you that as long the US, Europe and some Gulf countries are supporting the terrorist group, the crisis will continue. If they are will the political solution and are friend of supporting this group, I assure you it will end in a few weeks.

Russia made sure UNSC Syria resolution leaves no loopholes for use of force – Lavrov

Russia reached its aim of making sure professionals from the international chemical weapons watchdog are the main actors regarding the UN resolution on Syria, and that there are no loopholes for military action, Russian FM Sergey Lavrov told Channel One.

RT,

28 September, 2013

Speaking in an interview with the Russian TV channel, Foreign Minister Lavrov admitted the Russian-American compromise on the UNSC resolution “did not come easy.”

But the Russian side has “achieved its goal” in that the resolution on Syria, supporting another document by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), “remains within the framework of the Geneva Communiqué.”

The resolution’s main principle holds that the leading role in taking under international control and destroying Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal belongs to OPCW professionals, an aim which will be achieved with the UN’s assistance and protection, Lavrov said.

The document states that both the Syrian government and the Syrian opposition bear responsibility for any violation of the inspectors’ security, Lavrov stressed.

The minister reiterated that the UNSC resolution rules out any military action against Syria prior to a new resolution, which could be drafted if one of the sides – either the Syrian government, or the opposition – does not comply.

Moreover, Russia made sure there are “no pretexts or loopholes” for the use of force in the resolution on Syria, bearing in mind the Libyan experience and “the capabilities of our partners to interpret the UNSC resolutions,” Lavrov said.

As the USNC resolution does not allow any use of force under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, the possibility of any state launching a strike against Syria and citing the resolution is “out of question,” the minister said.

Lavrov also stressed that the states sponsoring the Syrian opposition bear a particular responsibility for making sure their “fosterlings” would not try and carry out any future provocations.

In contrast to Western powers, Russia has repeatedly stated that the Syrian opposition fighters have the capability to deploy chemical weapons, and that there are facts proving that they possess such weapons.

According to Lavrov, Russia has demanded that “any option of further attempts [by the Syrian opposition] to get their hands on chemical weapons and its components, let alone using chemical weapons in the future, is ruled out.”

The Russian report, which provides proof “in a professional manner” that the sarin gas used in March 19 attack near Aleppo was crudely handcrafted, has been distributed among the UNSC member states and is now publicly available, Lavrov said. He added that Russia has “intelligence” that the substance used in August 21 attack in Ghouta was the same chemical used in a larger concentration.