Press Statement “Original in Arabic”

Syrian National Coalition

Media Office

December 23, 2015

In a new act of defiance against and a complete mockery of UN Security Council resolutions, and amid renewed push by the UN Security Council to find a political solution in Syria, the Assad regime and its Russian allies once again resorted to the use of internationally prohibited weapons against Syrian civilians. Yesterday, regime forces targeted the district of Moadamiya near Damascus with sarin-filled shells, killing ten people, including women and children, and injuring over 30 others.

While the Syrian Coalition strongly condemns this crime, it denounces the international community’s silence over this heinous act. This continued silence is seen by Assad as a green light to commit more crimes against the Syrian people. Yesterday’s chemical weapon attack on Moadamiya represented yet a new violation of UN Security Council resolutions 2118, 2209, and 2254.

We call for the convening of an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to condemn this crime and to take measures under Chapter VII in order to deter the Assad regime and protect civilians in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 2118.

The crimes committed by Assad with the backing of Russia and Iran against the Syrian people are the root cause behind the spread of terrorism in the region. Any political approach that does not achieve justice for the victims in Syria is doomed to fail. The crimes committed by Assad and his backers must not be condoned under the pretext of fighting terrorism; which is a direct result of the Assad terrorism and tyranny. To defeat terrorism and put an end the foreign invasion in Syria, the Syrian people need international support in their battle for freedom.