Syria's opposition took over the country's seat for the first time at an Arab summit Tuesday in a diplomatic triumph marred by severe divisions in the ranks of the Western-backed opposition alliance. The opposition's ascension to representing the country at the summit in Qatar, a key backer of the those fighting to topple President Bashar Assad. However, Russia reacted negatively and said that the move is illegal by international laws and void. (thesantosrepublic.com)

March 27, 2013 (TSR-SANA) – The Syrian government dismissed the resolution taken by the Arab League (AL) on March 26, 2013 as it will have serious repercussions on the League’s future as well as on the joint Arab action and Arab national security.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the government considered the AL resolution as “unprecedented” in the League’s history “for it blatantly violates the AL Charter and its statutes and the rules of the joint Arab action.”

The statement slammed the resolution for targeting “Syria’s role, position and approach of resistance,” lashing out at the AL resolutions “which have contributed to increasing the bloodshed in Syria, encouraging terrorism and terrorists and hindering the latest real efforts exerted by the countries and parties which care for Syria to find a political solution.”

Syria's opposition took over the country's seat for the first time at an Arab summit Tuesday in a diplomatic triumph marred by severe divisions in the ranks of the Western-backed opposition alliance. The opposition's ascension to representing the country at the summit in Qatar, a key backer of the those fighting to topple President Bashar Assad. However, Russia reacted negatively and said that the move is illegal by international laws and void. (thesantosrepublic.com)
Syria’s opposition took over the country’s seat for the first time at an Arab summit Tuesday in a diplomatic triumph marred by severe divisions in the ranks of the Western-backed opposition alliance. The opposition’s ascension to representing the country at the summit in Qatar, a key backer of the those fighting to topple President Bashar Assad. However, Russia reacted negatively and said that the move is illegal by international laws and void. (thesantosrepublic.com)SANT

The statement decried the AL for having gone too far to “give Syria’s seat at the (Arab) summit to an illegitimate party and raise a flag other than the Syrian national flag in a flagrant violation of the AL Charter and its statutes towards a founding member.”

The government reiterated that the AL resolution is “a dangerous precedent that’s destructive to the League making it lose the credibility it has left and taking it off its track.”

It warned that the AL resolution constitutes “a threat to the Arab regime” as other countries will be targeted tomorrow in the same way Syria is being targeted now.

The government’s statement said the most dangerous about the AL approach is that “it consolidated subordination and submission to the carrot-and-stick policy followed by some countries, particularly Qatar.”

“With its resolution, the Doha Summit has encouraged the approach of violence, extremism and terrorism that poses a threaten not only to Syria but also to all of the Arab nation and the world as a whole,” said the government.

It stressed that the AL resolution “provides a false cover to some countries which have publically announced their support to terrorism in Syria and offering of money and arms to the terrorist groups, including those with links to al-Qaeda.”

“This leads to putting an end to any role the Arab League could play in solving the crisis in Syria by political means and makes (the Arab League) part of the crisis and not part of the solution,” said the statement.

The government reiterated its warning that “those countries which play with fire through arming, funding, training and harboring terrorists won’t be safe when this fire stretches to them.”

It stressed that Syria will continue work to establish security and stability, protect the homeland and Syrian citizens and combat terrorism in preservation of its independence, sovereignty and unity.

The government concluded its statement by stressing that “Syria completely rejects the Doha summit resolutions on Syria and all dangerous repercussions that could result from them, and keeps its right to take whatever measures it sees suitable in defense of its sovereignty and the interests of its people.”

Russia calls Arab Summit Decisions over Syria Illegal and Void

Russian Foreign Ministry criticized the decisions taken by the Arab League yesterday on Syria, affirming that they were illegal, slamming at the decision taken by the UN Human Rights council on Syria, describing it as “politicized.”

Russia Today Website quoted the Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Alexander Lukashevich as saying that what happened in the Arab Summit in Doha and the decisions that were made in it despite some members’ objection raise questions and cause surprise.

He said that these decisions constitute a clear and undisputed encouragement for the forces that are still betting on a military solution for the crisis in Syria, heedless of the suffering of Syrians.

Lukashevich said that the Arab League’s decisions on Syria violate international law, since the Syrian government was and still is the country’s representative at the UN, affirming that these decisions contradict the concept of peaceful political settlement according to the Geneva statement which stipulates for reaching agreement between the Syrian government and all opposition groups, not confront the legitimate Syrian government with another structure legitimized by foreign sides.

He added that the mission of UN Envoy to Syria Lakhdar Ibrahimi has collapsed, stressing that Moscow is confident that only political settlement can end bloodshed and achieve peace and security in Syria, not encouraging destructive military scenarios.

Lukashevich asserted that Russia will continue exerting all possible efforts to realize a political settlement, urging relevant regional and international sides to do likewise.

On the UN Human Rights Council resolution on Syria, Lukashevich said “unfortunately this document, as other previous decisions, bears a politicized, unbalanced feature as responsibility for what has happened are blamed on the government side while the war crimes, explosions and others acts of the armed illegal groups are deliberately disregarded.”

Gatilov: UN Mission for Investigating Chemical Weapons Use in Syria Could Be Formed in the Next Few Days

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said that the UN technical mission for investigating the use of chemical weapons in Syria could be formed within the next few days.

In statements to journalists, Gatilov said that the issue is currently begin addressed by the UN Secretary-General who is forming the mission and who promised that it will be balanced, noting that the mission won’t necessarily contain representatives of the five permanent Security Council members, but it should be balanced in general.

He said that as far as he knows, this issue will be settled within the next few days, and that Russia had voiced readiness to send a Russian expert to take part in the mission, as did China.

On the other side, Gatilov said that Moscow doesn’t see any basis for giving Syria seat at the UN to the Syrian opposition.  

“We believe there is no justification for that as there is a legitimate representative  for Syria  at the UN which is the Syrian government, and at the current time changing Syria representation at the UN is not proposed,” Gatilov added.   

Churkin: Giving Syria’s seat at the Arab League Doha Coalition is of no help to solution

Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, criticized giving Syria’s seat at the Arab League (AL) to the opposition ‘Doha Coalition’, saying this is of no help to the efforts seeking a political solution to the crisis in Syria.

“This means that the Arab League has got out of the process of searching for a political settlement to the crisis,” Churkin was quoted by Russia Today website as saying in a statement.

He added that the AL, in dealing with the Syrian issue, “has form the very beginning come under the influence of certain extremist forces and countries with special agendas.”

He pointed out that handing Syria’s seat to the ‘Doha Coalition’ contradicts the laws, stressing that Syria’s membership in the AL was not dropped but only suspended.

“The issue of freezing Syria’s AL membership from the start indicated that the AL is not inclined towards a serious negotiated solution,” said the Russian official.

He cited other steps taken by the AL which raised Moscow’s wonder, referring particularly to the AL resolution in 2011 to send observers to Syria and then terminating their mission when they conveyed objective information on the events in the country.

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