Syria Information Minister: Some delegations seemed like ambassadors for terrorist groups

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said that the Syrian delegation came to the international conference on Syria “Geneva 2” to pursue options and the political track, noting that options and the political track is one thing, and combating Al Qaeda, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, Jabhat al-Nusra, the Islamic front, and other terrorist organizations is another thing entirely.In statements to journalists at the media center in Montreux on Wednesday, al-Zoubi said that the world must understand that some of the speeches delivered today contained a mix of the untrue, unrealistic and that which contradicts facts on the ground, noting that some intelligence agencies are misleading their governments and foreign ministers.The Minister said that on the ground in Syria, there are armies of terrorists hailing from all over the world who destroy churches and mosques and murder women and children, with those terrorists resorting to primitives methods of murder that the world no longer sees.He stressed that combating terrorism isn’t the duty of the Syrian state alone; rather it’s the duty of all the world’s governments which must support the Syrian state in combating terrorism.Al-Zoubi affirmed that Damascus’ doors are wide open to all journalists, inviting them to bring their cameras and media delegations to Syria to see for themselves and compare what some foreign ministers stated today and what is actually happening on the ground, and then they will be able to uncover the lies about besieged areas, humanitarian aid, or the use of chemical weapons.“The heads of some delegations are misleading the world and the international community and consecrating this misdirection… a large part of what was said to day is either lies, fabrication, or lack of information and data,” he said.The Minister said that there are clearly many countries and foreign delegations that are not aware of the reality of what is happening on the ground in Syria, noting that some of the speeches delivered today seemed as if those who delivered them are ambassadors of terrorist organizations, not states or governments.“If you want to know about Al Qaeda, ask the Saudi Foreign Minister how you can help Al Qaeda,” he said, asserting that the Syrian Arab Republic’s delegation will stay in Geneva to ensure the success of the conference.Syria welcomed Geneva1 communique, Had reservations about some of its pointsAl-Zoubi said that there are many interpretations for the Geneva1 communique, adding that Syria has welcomed the communique but have had reservations on many of its points.In an interview on al-Mayadeen TV on Wednesday, al-Zoubi said that there are also false explanations for the Geneva1 communique, adding that “the matter of President Bashar al-Assad is non-negotiable at all and we will not allow anyone to discuss it because that constitutes a violation of the Syrian constitution.”Al-Zoubi noted that the Syrian stance to participate in the Geneva2 conference is consistent with the political choice of the Syrian state since the beginning of the crisis, that the political solution is the only solution, with distancing it from combating terrorism.“We have come to Geneva to represent the Syrian government and before that we have a popular authorization from the majority of the Syrian people as to defend our country, preserve its sovereignty, stem the bloodshed and carry out reconstruction work,” al-Zoubi said.He stressed that the speeches delivered by France, UK along with other countries were as sole person has written them, and these speeches brought nothing new but granting the Al Qaeda a certificate of good conduct. “The delegation of the opposition that participated in the conference does not represent even the opposition, the majority of the opposition’s figures were absent, persons were invited on short notice with the aim of not leaving vacant chairs and the whole world knows that,” he said, adding that “ the reason behind our dispute with many opposition figures is that they have called for a military aggression against Syria and its people, and that dispute is not a personal one because all persons who love Syria as we do stand against any foreign intervention.” He added that these figures resorted to foreign intervention after the armed groups, which are supported, funded and provided by thousands of fighters from all the world by Saudi Arabia, had failed.The Information Minister said that negotiations will be carried out via the UN envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi, and “the most important matter is the presence of a political will to undergo full political course and carry out measures, on top of which is fighting terrorism with all its forms without exceptions whatsoever.”Al-Zoubi stressed that the constitution is the highest institution in Syria after the public will that has agreed on this constitution, adding that “If President al-Assad decided to nominate himself in accordance with the constitution, then it is his personal decision as there is a popular will for President al-Assad to run for presidency. In case Presidential elections did not take place this mid-year, then President al-Assad will remain in power because there cannot be a constitutional vacuum.”He said that “Syria’s presence along with all of the world’s countries is a preface of a great political victory for Damascus as the USA, UK and France know well that we are fighting terrorism not on behalf of the Syrians only but also on behalf of the whole world. The day, when all the international community be partners with the Syrian government in the face of terrorism, will soon come.”Al-Zoubi said that the dialogue in Geneva is not the final chapter of dialogue with the opposition but one of its forms, adding that there is a national opposition that is a partner to the Syrian state but the US has not invited it and does not want anyone to recognize it.He highlighted that “there is a part of the opposition inside Syria, which we have some disagreements with, was not invited to the conference, this part rejected foreign intervention and is talking about national sovereignty, we could have dialogue with that part”.He said that Iran’s presence in the conference would have been a good option as it is a huge country in the region with qualitative political and regional influence, wondering how could the UN invite Saudi Arabia to the conference although it announces sending terrorists and weapons to Syria.“The UN should have asked the Saudi delegation not to participate as it is a part of the direct military aggression against Syria,” al-Zoubi concluded./129