In an interview with al-Binaa Newspaper on Wednesday, al-Jaafari said that some countries are trying to use the terms “foreign fighters”, “insurgents”, “rebels” or “jihadists” to avoid admitting the true nature of those terrorists, adding that Syria’s geopolitical location has always set it in the face of grave challenges, and that what Syria is facing now has a very minor internal aspect compared to its regional and international dimensions.

Al-Jaafari said that certain countries are still obstinate in their aggressive approach towards Syria which serves their schemes and Israel’s interests in the region.

He said the UN Secretariat and its Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, have overlooked facts, and that in his reports, Ban has repeatedly considered terrorist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and listed as terrorist organizations like the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and al-Nusra Front as armed Syrian opposition.

He expressed disappointment that the UN overlooked facts conveyed to it by more than 500 official messages from Syria to the UN Secretary-General and several heads of the UN Security Council, adding that the UN has overlooked many reports made by foreign and interior ministries in Europe, Australia, the US, Canada, Tunisia, Morocco, Turkey, and Persian Gulf states on the phenomenon of the “foreign terrorist fighters”, adding that those terrorists have come to Syria after being trained and funded by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Israel and under direct Western sponsorship.

Al-Jaafari stressed that the reason for the Russian-Chinese vetoes is their adherence to international law and the UN Charter, adding that Moscow and Beijing know that Syria’s defeat at the hands of terrorism would mean that the entire world will lose the battle against terrorism.

On the role of the UN regarding pan-Arab issues, al-Jaafari said the crisis in Syria has revealed the weakness of the UN and the strong influence of a few countries over it, adding that the UN should preserve the interests of all its 193 member states, not just a handful of countries.

Syria has been gripped by the foreign-hatched conflict since 2011. Over 160,000 people have reportedly been killed and millions displaced due to the violence fueled by Western-backed militants.

NTJ/NJF