West must counter terrorism in Syria

A senior Iranian diplomat has condemned the expulsion of Syrian envoys from a number of Western countries, calling on the West to shift its focus onto the prevention of terrorist operations in Syria. “Instead of expelling the Syrian ambassadors, the Westerners should oppose the armed activities of the terrorists against the Syrian people,” Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Thursday. “Some parties seek to interfere in the internal affairs of Syria by spreading insecurity, arming the terrorists and creating tension, measures that only serve the objectives of the enemies of the region,” he added. The Iranian diplomat was making reference to the recent measure by the US and a number of other countries, including France, Britain, Spain, Germany, Italy, Canada, Australia, and Switzerland, to expel Syrian ambassadors and diplomats. The move was made following the recent massacre in the Syrian town of Houla, which the aforementioned countries claim was carried out by Syrian security forces. Abdollahian also lashed out at some Western and regional countries for their meddling in Syria aimed at hampering the efforts of UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan in the country. The Iranian diplomat praised the Syrian nation for its long-time resistance against Israel’s hegemony and expressed optimism that, under the Syrian government’s reform plan, the nation will make headway in its path to resistance, stability and stable growth. On Sunday, the head of the UN observer mission in Syria, Major General Robert Mood, said during a briefing via videoconference to the UN Security Council that the UN observers in Syria estimate that 108 people, including 49 children and 34 women were killed in the Houla massacre. The UN Security Council condemned the violence in Houla during an emergency meeting on Sunday, saying the clashes “involved a series of government artillery and tank shelling on a residential neighborhood.” However, Syrian Ambassador to the UN Bashar Ja’afari censured the “tsunami of lies” by some members of the Security Council and said Syrian forces were not to blame for the violence. The clashes between Syrian forces and armed groups broke out despite Annan’s six-point peace plan that took effect on April 12.