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On Damascus Bombings, UN SC Sympathizes With Syria People But Not Gov't

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, December 23 -- When Russia circulated a draft press statement on Friday about the bombings in Damascus, Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told the press that it omitted two words from the "standard" Security Council condemnation of terrorist attacks, that should make it palatable to even the most anti-Assad members.

  Sure enough, when the approved Council press statement was emailed out past 5 pm on Friday, it expressed "deep sympathy and sincere condolences to the victims of these heinous acts and to their families, and to the people of Syria" -- but NOT the Government of Syria.

This differs from other recent statements, which for example expressed condolences to "the people and Government of India" (Delhi bombing, September 2011), to "the people and Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria" (Abuja bombing, August 2011) and to "to the people and Government of Morocco" (Marrakesh bombing, April 2011).

It's worth noting that each of those three are ongoing, outgoing or incoming Security Council members; Syria is not.

  Also in the Syria press statement, unlike recent press statements on India and Russia, is the sentence reminding "States that they must ensure that measures taken to combat terrorism comply with all their obligations under international law, in particular international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law."

  (Click here for Inner City Press' modified story on omission of human rights in the Council's August 2011 India statement.)

   Now, does the phrase's inclusion in the Council's Decmeber 23 Syria statement mean that human rights proviso is now (again?) the standard?

(c) UN Photo
Churkin and Susan Rice: human rights in, Syria gov't not shown

  Here is the Council's Syria press statement:

Security Council Press Statement on terrorist attacks in Damascus

23 December 2011

The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks that occurred in Damascus, Syria on 23 December, causing scores of deaths and injuries. They expressed their deep sympathy and sincere condolences to the victims of these heinous acts and to their families, and to the people of Syria.

The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed.

The members of the Security Council reiterated their determination to combat all forms of terrorism, in accordance with its responsibilities under the Charter of the United Nations.

The members of the Security Council reminded States that they must ensure that measures taken to combat terrorism comply with all their obligations under international law, in particular international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law.

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These reports are usually also available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis.

Click here for a Reuters AlertNet piece by this correspondent about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click here for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali National Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an undefined trust fund.  Video Analysis here

Click here for Sept 26, 2011 New Yorker on Inner City Press at UN

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