Speech “Original in Arabic”
Khaled Khoja
President of the Syrian Coalition
August 17, 2015
The murderous Assad regime killed hundreds of Syrian civilians in a series of massacres in Idlib, Dara’a and Douma, near Damascus. Assad’s air force targeted a marketplace while the residents of Douma were exchanging what has remained of food supplies after two years of a suffocating siege. Yesterday’s massacres are war crimes and crimes against humanity, and are added to the ongoing genocide, siege and starvation of civilians in Rural Damascus.
At noon yesterday, Assad’s warplanes deliberately and repeatedly bombed a crowded marketplace in Douma with the intention of killing a many people as possible. After civilians gathered to rescue the injured, Assad’s aircrafts returned and bombed the area several times thereafter, targeting wounded and rescuers alike, a crime that outweighs every other crime, terrorism, primitive barbarity, and hatred of man.
The regime’s boldness and indulgence in committing massacres against civilians for over 53 consecutive months has been upheld by international silence that amounts to complicity for these massacres. Whoever supplies this murderous regime with arms and shields it against accountability at the UN Security Council is a partner in these crimes against besieged and starved civilians.
And whoever opposes the establishment of safe zones for Syrians on their territory and prevents providing them with weapons to defend themselves and their children sends a clear message to the regime that it is allowed to commit more atrocious crimes.
For over 53 months, the Assad regime has seen, in this these positions, an authorization to commit more massacres. While the Syrian people insist on the departure of the criminal Bashar al-Assad and that it is impossible for them to have a role in the present and the future of Syria, we now emphasize this position and are even more adherent to the right of the Syrian people to defend themselves. We also emphasize the legitimacy of their cause and the need to complete the liberation of all Syrian territory from the abomination of this usurper regime, the Iranian occupying militias and the murderous sectarian militias that are invading Syria.
The United Nations, and the UN Security Council and its permanent members must recognize the right of the Syrian people to live and must stop protecting the child murderer Bashar al-Assad and stop depriving the Syrians from the right to defend the lives of their children.
Any talk about political and peaceful solutions while the Assad regime continue to commit massacres with immunity will surely fail to restore stability in Syria.
We emphasize the need to protect civilians in the liberated areas and support their demand for the establishment of safe areas.
The Syrian Coalition has begun setting up a committee to document all crimes committed by the Assad regime to submit them to the International Commission of Inquiry.
We highly laud the steadfastness of our brothers in the Free Syrian Army and affirm our commitment to prosecute war criminals and bring them to justice, led by Bashar al-Assad.
We also emphasize that we continue to coordinate with rebel factions to take appropriate steps to protect civilians and deter the regime from committing more crimes.
We call upon our friendly countries to support them and to bring the perpetrators of the massacres in Ghouta, Douma, Idlib, Zabadani, Wadi Barada and all areas of Syria to the International Criminal Court.
We also call upon the international community, specifically Russia, the United States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League to assume their responsibilities towards the Syrian people who have been slaughtered for nearly five years amid international silence that amounts to acceptance of these crimes.
Mercy to our fallen heroes.
Victory is for a revolution and glory for the defenders of freedom and the dignity of Syria.
