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Damascus, SANA- Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi stressed that the Syrians cannot accept the idea of dividing Syria and those who imagine that the terrorist organization of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria “ISIS” could transform into a state are mistaken, calling upon everyone to confront terrorism.
In an interview with the Syrian TV Saturday night, Minister al-Zoubi said that the International Alliance is selective in targeting ISIS for gaining more time and exercising political blackmailing.
“Throughout decades, Syria has been an obsession to the Israelis and the West, and now it is paying for its independent decision and opinion” al-Zoubi said, adding .. conspiracies and aggression (against Syria) did not stop at all, rather they had different shapes, but today the conspiracy is a large-scale one including all dimensions and spheres.
On ISIS attack against the northeastern province of Hasaka, the Minister clarified that attacking several areas goes in the same framework- the modern weapons, the heavy fire coverage, the huge numbers of attackers and the unprecedented armed entrance from Jordan and Turkey as well as the huge amounts of funds spent- yet on the other hand, there are people resisting the economic sanctions imposed on them, and an army and people enduring psychological, living and economic difficulties and offering martyrs for the fifth year, so no one can claim that Syrians were defeated because they have achieved the balance of resilience and steadfastness, which is the beginning of victory.
“Syrian Kurds are part and parcel of the Syrian national fabric, and any talks about division are a sort of political sadism” Minister al-Zoubi affirmed, indicating at the same time that “most of Syrian Kurds are against any talks related to split of any part of the country from it”.
The Minister added that on the international level, all UN resolutions stipulate for and stem from the principle of the integrity and sovereignty of the Syrian territories affirming that “the Syrians -whether they are Arabs, Kurds or from any other ethnic group- do not accept division”.
The information minister added that those who imagine that ISIS could be transformed into a state are mistaken.
Al-Zoubi pointed out that all Syrian provinces are demographically mixed and there is no map set according to ethnic, sectarian or religious basis, and that is one of the secrets of Syria’s resilience, adding that no one is excluded from defending the homeland.
“The clans in the northeastern area should fight ISIS and defend the towns, villages and locals by the side of the Syrian Arab Army, and no one should be content with only waiting or anticipating,” the Minister added.
On what has happened in the southern province of Sweida, Minister al-Zoubi said that patriotism has always been the motto of Sweida locals, clarifying that what happened was an attempt to renew talking on the sectarian and religious dimensions but that was undermined although it was well-prepared for with the aim of targeting the city and storming al-Tha’ala Airport and the surrounding areas, yet that was divulged thanks to the steadfastness of the Syrian Arab Army and the residents of Sweida.
On Erdogan’s denial of supporting ISIS, the Information Minister said that Turkey has no other choice but to deny that, stressing that “the Syrian government has big data related to banks and figures representing the Turkish intelligence that proves their involvement in supporting terrorism”.
He revealed that the Syrian government has huge information related to terrorists as well, saying that all will need to resort to and coordinate with us for getting information and “those who want that should admit their mistake towards Syria and be politically open to it”.
Answering a question on joint Iranian-Syrian-Iraqi steps in the upcoming days, al-Zoubi clarified that the Iranian-Syrian coordination is high, expressing hope that the Syrian-Iraqi coordination would reach the required level as both countries are exposed to common dangers.
Rasha Milhem/ Barry
