Syrian Coalition: Russia’s Statements Regarding a Chemical Weapon Free Zone Lack Sincerity

Hisham Marwa, member of the legal committee, criticized Russian Foreign Ministry’s statements which said that the FSA’s progress in the Syrian coast will hinder the handover of chemical weapons within the deadline and kill all chances of reaching a political solution to the Syrian crisis. “The Russian statements are illogical and show lack of sincerity in the quest to get a zone free of the chemical weapons. These remarks are not a prediction or assessment of reality, but a reflection of the political plan which the Assad regime will follow with his regional allies with regard to chemical weapons. It seems the Russians ignore that the Assad regime has missed the deadline for the handover of its chemical weapons cache even though there were no military operations near the Syrian coast. The Assad regime has always wriggled out of its international obligations, like when it agreed to open humanitarian corridors for all the besieged areas.” Marwa went on: “The Russian statements are synonymous with the statements of the Assad regime’s ambassador to the United Nations, Bashar Jaafari who hinted that regime forces may commit a massacre using chemical weapons if rebels advanced more on the Syrian coast. “we are afraid of a possible rebel attack on convoys carrying chemical weapons near the Syrian coast. Rebels may use these weapons to implicate government forces. Rebels also may try to hinder the handover of chemical weapons to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons according to the agreed on deadline,” Jaafari said yesterday. Haitham al-Maleh, head of the legal committee, said earlier that Jaafari’s remarks reflect the regime’s lack of seriousness in relinquishing its chemical weapons and its defeat in face of rebels in the Syrian coast. These remarks are also perceived as a threat to commit a massacre using chemical or conventional weapons under the pretext of protecting convoys of chemical weapons. Assad is still trying to evade handing over its chemical weapons cache, as he knows he is well aware that his survival in power is related to his possession of these weapons. Badr Jamous, Secretary General of the Syrian Coalition, commends the latest advance of the FSA near the Syrian coast and its defense of unarmed civilians against the crimes committed by regime forces backed by the terrorist militias of Iran and Hezbollah.” He also praised the FSA’s efforts to rid Syria of the rule of the Assad family. “We trust the FSA and its ability to protect civilians in accordance with the principles of the Syrian Revolution and we reiterate our full support for the rebels of the coast. We also stress that we are making every efforts to secure all forms of military and political support for all the revolutionaries in order to liberate the country from the enemies of humanity and usurper of the people’s rights and to enable the Syrian people to achieve the goals of the revolution in freedom, democracy and justice.” (Source: Syrian Coalition)