The Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani addresses the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in New York, yesterday.
UNITED NATIONS: Arab nations should intervene in Syria given the UN Security Council’s failure to stop the civil war in the country, the Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani said yesterday.
“The Security Council failed to reach an effective position. In view of this, I think that it is better for the Arab countries themselves to interfere out of their national, humanitarian, political and military duties and do what is necessary to stop the bloodshed in Syria,” the Emir said in a UN General Assembly speech.
Emir stressed that the situation in Syria has reached an “unacceptable phase” as hundreds of innocent Syrians are killed every day by the Syrian regime that “does not hesitate to use all sorts of weapons against its people.”
Western powers have made clear they are opposed to direct intervention and the Security Council will not sanction action against the wishes of Russia and China.
US President Barack Obama yesterday called again for the ouster of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad but provided no clear direction forward.
The Emir suggested that bypassing the UN Security Council would enable a peaceful transition of power in Syria.
“We had a similar precedent when Arab forces intervened in Lebanon in the mid-’70s ... to stop internal fighting there in a step that proved to be effective and useful,” he added.
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa further urged all countries that believe in the cause of the Syrian people to provide “all sorts of support” to Syrians until they gain legitimate rights.
Speaking on the Palestinian issue, the Emir blamed Israel for the stoppage of peace process as Israel insists on “continuing the policy of settlement in the Palestinian Territories and Jerusalem and refusing to cede them.”
The Emir highlighted that the Middle East’s core issue remains “the Palestinian question and the continued Israeli occupation of the Arab territories in the West Bank, the Golan and Shebaa Farms in Southern Lebanon in addition to the stifling blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip and the continued arrest and imprisonment of thousands of Palestinians.”
“I would like to ask why does the International Community not do something to implement the relevant resolutions of legitimacy in the Middle East and why does the Security Council not adopt a resolution under Chapter VII that forces Israel to stop the blockade of Gaza and the settlements and return the peace process to its comprehensive track instead of the partial solutions that have not lead to any results. And I find no answer to my question,” the Emir said.
QNA / Agencies
