Syrian Coalition: Syria is not a Civil War, but a Genocide

Noura Al Ameer, vice president of the Syrian Coalition, criticized statements made by former UN and Arab envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi who described the genocide in Syria as a “civil war that will spill over throughout the region if a solution is not reached. Al Ameer said that “it is strange to describe what is happening in Syria as a civil war. In fact, what is happening is not a conflict between parties, but a conflict between the Syrian people and the dictatorial Assad regime and its allies who seek to suppress the will of the Syrian people and their revolution for freedom, justice and democracy” Al Ameer also slams the international silence towards Assad allies’ sending of terrorist and sectarian militias to Syria to back Assad in his war on the Syrian people. “Brahimi’s remarks equate between the criminal and the victim and contradict with his remarks he made after the Geneva II conference when he blamed the failure of the talks on the intransigence of the Assad regime. Everybody knows that we went to Geneva to seriously engage in a political process that might bring about a political solution. However, the conference was deadlocked because of the insistence of the Assad regime on pursuing the military option emboldened by the support it receives from its Russian ally.” Furthermore, Al Ameer points out the it is the Assad regime only which uses starvation as a weapon of war to put pressure on the social base of the revolution, especially in Yarmouk Camp, Dariya, Moadamiyah and Homs and many Syrian cities. Rebels agreed to truces with regime forces in some areas only to save the civilians who were being starved by the siege laid by regime forces. Therefore, it is illogical to claim that rebels are besieging civilians and using them as human shields.” Al Ameer’s statement came in response to the remarks made by Lakhdar Brahimi who said that “both parties to the conflict are committing war crimes, taking civilians hostages and using them human shields.” (Source: Syrian Coalition)