United Nations, Oct 1

The conflict ravaging Syria is not a civil war but "a war against terror," the country's deputy prime minister said Monday at the UN, while calling on the global community to act to cut off some countries' support to terrorists in his country.

"There is no civil war in Syria, but it is a war against terror that recognises no values, nor justice, nor equality, and disregards any rights or laws," reported Xinhua citing Walid Al-Moualem, who is also minister for foreign affairs and expatriates, during his speech at the UN General Assembly.

Pointing out that Al-Qaeda and its offshoots, such as Jabhat A1-Nusrah, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and the Brigade of Islam, of fighting in Syria, he said, many countries did not want to recognise this fact, despite the scenes of murder, manslaughter and "eating human hearts" that were shown on TV screens.

"Confronting this terror in my country requires the international community to act in accordance with relevant resolutions on counter-terrorism," Al-Moualem said. 

He appealed "to take necessary and prompt measures to compel those well-known countries that finance, arm, train and provide a safe haven and passage for terrorists coming from different countries of the world".

As for the use chemical weapons in Syria, which UN inspectors have confirmed, he said that it was Syria that first requested an investigation into the use of the poisonous gas months ago.

"We are the ones who were targeted by poisonous gases in Khan A1-Assal, near Aleppo," he said. "We have asked for an Investigation Mission, and demanded inclusion in its mandate the ability to determine who used chemical weapons."

A fact-finding UN group has confirmed the Aug. 21 use of chemical weapons out the Syrian capital of Damascus, but without laying blame at any party. 

The UN Security Council Friday night adopted a resolution to rid Syria of chemical weapons.

Al-Moualem called on the international community to shoulder its responsibility to establish a zone free of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, stressing that it was "unachievable without the accession of Israel".

By:IANS