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Ron Prosor
Photo: Shahar Azran

Prosor: 'Trio of terror' must be held accountable

Israel's ambassador to United Nations tells General Assembly that Syria, Iran and Hezbollah pose most immediate threat to international peace and security

WASHINGTON — Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations Ron Prosor told the General Assembly on Friday that Syrian Ambassador Bashar Jafari deserves an Olympic medal for distortion of the truth.

 

"If lying was an Olympic event, I have no doubt that the Syrian regime and its representatives could easily win a gold medal," he said during a special session in which the General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to condemn the Syrian government and demanded a political transition in Syria.

 

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Prosor referred to Syrian President Bashar Assad's inclination to blame others for his own wrongdoing, saying "behind every rock and building in Syria, Assad sees not only Israelis, Brits, and Frenchmen – but also Saudis, Qataris, Kuwaitis, and Turks. He says that the slaughter in Syria is a Western and Arab Conspiracy — and has nothing to do with him personally.

 

"It is clear that the men, women and children of Syria are not the indiscriminate victims of a natural disaster. They are not the accidental casualties of a war. The civilians of Syria are the deliberate targets of a brutal regime and its evil allies, who will commit any crime to keep Bashar Assad in power."

 

The chemical lie

The Israeli ambassador blamed Iran and Hezbollah for aiding the Assad regime, and urged the UN to take immediate action before the situation in Syria deteriorates even further: "While the Security Council remains paralyzed in New York, Assad’s Council of Terror continues to operate ruthlessly in Damascus.

 

"On Assad’s advisory board sit Ahmadinejad and Nasrallah, who offer him guidance on how to butcher the Syrian people more effectively…It is time for the international community to hold all three members of this “trio of terror” accountable for their crimes. This trio poses the most immediate threat to international peace and security," Prosor said.

 


ילדים על טנק של צבא אסד בחלב (צילום: AFP)

Syrian children on abandoned tanks (Photo: AFP)

 

Prosor also addressed concerns over Syria's chemical weapons, saying that "for years, Assad repeatedly denied that he held chemical weapons. Surprise, surprise…last week we heard a new revelation from Syrian officials: Assad has chemical weapons – and his government is prepared to use them.

 

"The world should wake up to this dangerous reality today, not tomorrow. We should not pretend that a regime that cuts the throats of children today will not be prepared to gas them tomorrow. Assad must know that he will be held accountable for using these weapons. He must understand that transferring chemical weapons to Hezbollah or other terrorist organizations is a red line that he cannot cross."

 

'Grave concern'

The 193-nation assembly approved the Saudi-drafted non-binding resolution, which expressed "grave concern" at the escalation of violence in Syria, with 133 votes in favor, 12 against and 31 abstentions.

 

The resolution also had the assembly "deploring the failure of the Security Council to agree on measures to ensure the compliance of Syrian authorities with its decisions."

 

The resolution backs Annan's "demand that the first step in the cessation of violence has to be made by the Syrian authorities." It also demands the lockdown of the regime's chemical and biological weapons.

 


שכונת סלאח א-דין בחלב. כך היא נראתה השבוע (צילום: רויטרס) 

Destruction in Aleppo's Salah al-Din neighborhood (Photo: Reuters)

 

It denounces attacks on children as young as 9 by the Syrian government, military intelligence services and militias. It condemns the increasing Syrian military reliance on heavy weapons, including tanks and helicopters, and "failure to withdraw its troops and heavy weapons to their barracks" in line with Annan's proposals.

 

Before Prosor took the stage, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the 193-nation UN General Assembly that "the acts of brutality that are being reported may constituted crimes against humanity or war crimes.

 

"Such acts must be investigated and the perpetrators held to account," he added.

 

On Thursday, Kofi Annan submitted his resignation as special envoy to Syria, saying he plans to step down effective Aug. 31.

 

"When the Syrian people desperately need action, there continues to be finger pointing and name calling in the Security Council," Annan told reporters in Geneva. "It is impossible for me or anyone to compel the Syrian government and also the opposition to take the steps to bring about the political process."

 

"As an envoy, I can't want peace more than the protagonists, more than Security council or the international community, for that matter," he added.

 

 

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 08.03.12, 22:59
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