I congratulate you, Madam President, and
your fraternal country, Bahrain, on your election to the
presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty-first
session. You are the first Arab woman ever to assume
this high position. Your selection to this post is proof
that the empowerment of women has become an
integral part of the Arab experience.
I should be remiss if I failed to express to your
predecessor, Mr. Jan Eliasson, our sincere appreciation
for the efforts he made to bring a successful conclusion
to the work of last session. I also express our thanks to
Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United
Nations, for his efforts leading the Organization for the
past ten years. We appreciate the constructive efforts
he exerted during his last visit to the Middle East.
For decades the Middle East region has been the
stage for many daunting and exacerbated challenges. It
has endured continued Israeli occupation of Arab
territories since 1967 and the denial of the legitimate
rights of the Palestinian people. Peoples of our region
have lost hope of realizing their aspirations to justice,
peace and security. A short time ago Israel launched its
destructive war against Lebanon. The Palestinian
situation, in the grip of Israeli occupation, continues to
deteriorate. Acts of aggression are on the rise while the
rights of the people continue to be trampled under foot.
Palestinians are subjected to a crippling blockade
because the advocates of democracy were dissatisfied
with the results of elections in the Palestinian
territories.
Our region is in the grip of a volatile situation
brought about by a protracted and relentless
occupation. There are few, if any, prospects for change
that will hold the promise of a safe, just and stable life
for our people. Can we turn the current situation into a
prelude to the solution rather than a consecration of
tension and confrontation?
That important question is essential to
understanding the suffering of our peoples. For decades
they have been yearning for the realization of a just
and comprehensive peace through a settlement of the
Arab-Israeli conflict that will end occupation, restore
rights, and allow for the realization of the objectives of
development. That is the path to take in order to
address the root causes of the problems of the region
before talking about a new or a greater Middle East.
The international community must realize that
continued Israeli occupation of Arab territories is the
hotbed of all the problems of the region. It is the origin
of the encompassing anger that consumes its peoples. I
wonder, is the region destined to live one endless war
after another? Can any one expect our people to draw
comfort and satisfaction from the occupation of their
territories and the violation of their rights? Are they
expected to exalt the financers and supporters of this
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persistent injustice, who can redress it only if they are
willing? Is the region destined to endure a new war,
complementing the war against Lebanon, in favour of a
new Middle East, and recalling once again the
birthpangs of bloodshed and destruction during the war
against Lebanon, instead of embracing the opportunity
to open the door to peace in the region?
The suffering of the Palestinian people continues
and their tragedy has heightened over the years. Some
members of the international community have become
accustomed to dealing with the suffering as if it were a
natural phenomenon, not an unprecedented
humanitarian and national tragedy. We in Syria are
victims of that tragedy in all its aspects and are
influenced by its repercussions. We support the efforts
of our Palestinian brothers to close their ranks and
encourage them to form a Government of national
unity. The suffering of our people in the occupied
Syrian Golan continues as well and all Syrians suffer
because of this occupation.
From this rostrum I salute the struggle and
steadfastness of our people in the Golan and in
Palestine in the face of the Israeli policies of tyranny
and terrorism. It is extremely important for the
international community to recognize that the deep-
rooted anger and resentment consuming our region,
particularly after the senseless war against Lebanon,
and the continued logjam in efforts for peace,
constitute a dangerous and complex situation and can
only lead to confrontation instead of peace. This will
not serve the interests of anyone, inside the region or
outside it. We too want a new Middle East, one where a
just and comprehensive peace prevails, based on right,
justice, and guaranteeing the same security to all.
Fifteen years ago Syria declared that the
establishment of a just and comprehensive peace was
its strategic choice. It took part in the peace process
that began in Madrid, based on Security Council
resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) and on the
principle of land for peace. Negotiations continued for
10 years but did not bear fruit. The Syrian Golan
continues to be under occupation and peace remains
elusive. It was clear beyond any doubt that the Israeli
political will to make peace was non-existent.
Peacemaking first requires political will, to be
followed by the implementation of the resolutions of
international legitimacy.
Israel launched a brutal war against Lebanon,
destroying life and property. Thanks to the courageous
Lebanese resistance, its honourable steadfastness and
its national unity, Lebanon warded off the aggression
and defeated the aggressor. The Security Council
ultimately adopted its long-awaited resolution 1701
(2006), and my country, Syria, said it would cooperate
with the United Nations to implement that resolution.
Syria adopted the necessary measures to control
its borders with fraternal Lebanon. Syria is committed
to Lebanon’s independence and sovereignty and
demands the withdrawal of Israel from all Lebanese
occupied territories, including from the Lebanese
Sheba’a farms. We hope that Lebanon will be able to
overcome the consequences of the Israeli aggression
through the unity of its people and the assistance
provided by its brothers, friends, and the international
community, so that it will recover and be prosperous
again. I stress here Syria’s commitment to the
establishment of good relations with Lebanon in the
interests of the two fraternal peoples and countries.
On the other side of the Syrian border, Iraq is
enduring extremely distressing circumstances that are
causing us serious concern as both a brother of Iraq
and a neighbouring country. Syria supported the
political process in Iraq. I reaffirm today our support
for the Iraqi Government that came to power after
elections in which all segments of the Iraqi people
participated. We express Syria’s readiness to cooperate
with this Government in all fields. We support the Iraqi
Government’s plan for national reconciliation and
stand ready to provide all the necessary support,
because we are committed to the unity of Iraq and its
people.
Drawing up a schedule for the withdrawal of
foreign troops from Iraq is essential, since it will assist
in curbing the violence and ensuring the safety and
security of its citizens. Syria, which mourns every drop
of Iraqi blood shed, repeats its condemnation of all the
terrorist acts that have been and continue to be
perpetrated in Iraq, resulting in a high toll among
innocent Iraqi citizens.
Five years have passed since the terrorist criminal
act of 11 September 2001, which left thousands of
innocent people dead. I repeat our condemnation of
that act and our sympathy with the victims of that
heinous terrorist crime. To the American people, who
were the force behind great scientific achievements
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that benefited humanity, I say, “You are the victims of
policies that were proved wrong in the Arab and other
regions of the world.” Many innocent people in places
so distant from the United States of America have
unfortunately paid the price and suffered the dire
consequences of those failed policies.
Tragically enough, we all end up paying a heavy
price when the decision makers in Washington believe
that they know better and are in a better position to
understand and grasp the needs and circumstances of
the Arabs. They diagnose the ambitions and aspirations
of the Arab individual in a manner that is tailored to
their own vision.
The fact is that we, the people of the region,
know our circumstances and the priorities of the
millions angered by the denial of their sovereign,
national rights. If anyone asked the angry millions
about their priorities and objectives, the sure answer
would be “We want an end to the Israeli occupation of
our lands in Palestine, Lebanon and the Golan. We
want to recover all our usurped rights. We want the
flow of American weapons to Israel, which are sowing
death and destruction, to stop. We refuse hegemony
over our resources and interference in our affairs. We
want a Middle East governed by peace and built on
right and justice, a Middle East where people can
dedicate all their energies and resources to
development and progress and embrace the positive
trends in contemporary human thought and endeavour.”
After years of the war on terror, one asks “Has
the world become a safer place?” It is clear that the
war did not achieve its objective and that terror has
become more widespread. That could be explained by
the fact that combating terrorism exclusively through
the use of force accomplishes nothing unless the root
causes of terrorism are addressed. We must mobilize
the efforts of the international community to deal with
this dangerous scourge, taking into account the need to
distinguish between fighting terrorism and people’s
legitimate right to resist foreign occupation.
We also believe that the war on terror has been
misused at times. It looked as if it was masking the
clash of cultures and civilizations, which eventually
not only proved detrimental to the interests of all the
parties concerned but also played into the hands of
terrorists and terrorism.
Israel is the sole Power in possession of nuclear
weapons in the Middle East. It refuses to adhere to the
Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
and to submit to the comprehensive safeguards regime
of the International Atomic Energy Agency. That poses
a threat to peace and security in the region. On
29 December 2003, on behalf of the Arab Group, Syria
submitted to the Security Council a draft resolution to
rid the Middle East region of all weapons of mass
destruction. We still hope to adopt that resolution as
soon as possible.
My country joins many other developing
countries that have expressed concern over the
restrictions on access by Member States, particularly
developing countries, to nuclear technology for
peaceful purposes.
In conclusion I stress that the Middle East
currently stands at a crossroads. It has the option either
to take the road to justice, peace and security, or be
faced, even more than before, with tension and
confrontation that would not be in the interests of any
party inside or outside the region. It is up to the parties
concerned to understand the danger inherent in turning
our backs on the road to peace, not yet taken.
Everything also hinges on the active role that our
international Organization must play to maintain
international peace and security, beginning with the
implementation of Security Council resolutions 242
(1967) and 338 (1973). I hope that objectivity and the
desire for peace will trump other options so that the
Middle East can be ushered into a new, secure and
prosperous era after decades of suffering.