Al-Jubeir: Syrian People Cannot Accept Bashar in Power

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel Ahmed Al-Jubeir has stressed that the Syrian people cannot accept Bashar al-Assad in the power after killing, displacement and destruction inflicted on their country and that the Syrian people will decide to start a political transition period, which should be without Bashar, stressing that "Geneva 1" Declaration called for transferring power from Bashar Al-Assad before leaving the Syrian territory.

This came in interviews Al-Jubeir held at the headquarters of Saudi Embassy here today with a number of British and Arab journalists and media men and carried by Saudi Press Agency SPA.

On changes in Syrian affairs after the meeting held recently in London on Syria, he said that the situation has not changed, and Bashar al-Assad's regime is still practicing repression of civilians, believing that Bashar won't change his approach during the coming period.

On the situation in Yemen, the Foreign Minister Al-Jubeir said that the war was not initiated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but by Houthis and Ali Saleh, who seized the legitimate authority, and violated the agreement that has been reached through national dialogue conference, as they have also violated UN Resolution 2216, SPA reported. 

He further said that this war is a defensive war to protect legitimacy of Yemen and to deter the threat targeting the Kingdom's borders at a time the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia supported the Yemeni negotiations, but the Houthis and Ali Saleh rejected the proposal which put forward by UN Special Envoy to Yemen. 

He pointed out that the Kingdom has announced three months cease-fire, but Houthis and Saleh had fired more than 20 ballistic missiles towards the territory of the kingdom and killed forces stationed on the border. 

However, the Kingdom has committed to the principle of restraint, and when negotiations failed it has the right to defend its borders, Al-Jubeir stressed.  

In response to allegations that the kingdom targets hospitals and schools, Al-Jubeir said that the accusations are inaccurate, unfair and biased as these claims are based on one-side and do not look at the truth as a whole and the Kingdom conducts necessary investigations in this regard, but should be taken into account that Houthis use hospitals and schools as arsenal for weapons and when these hospitals and schools became as arsenal and were militaryly targeted as military facilities, the Houthis get the world imagining that the targeted are hospitals and schools, but the Kingdom is seeking to clarify the image and address the situation if any, based on international laws, citing mistakes committed by the US and Britain in Iraq and Afghanistan wars, SP[A reported.

On Iranian interference in the affairs of other countries, the Minister Al-Jubeir said that the communiqu? issued by Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)'s Summit, which was held in Istanbul in last April condemned Iran's interference in the affairs of the region and its support of terrorist organizations, as also condemned the so-called Hezbollah, and Iran's use of sectarianism, reported SPA, He explained that the communiqu? was approved by more than 50 member countries in the Organization, and this pointed to Iran's isolation in the region as many countries severed relations with Iran, such as Somalia, Sudan, Djibouti and other countries and gives a clear message to Iran to cease its actions. 

On hajj, he explained that Iran is trying to politicize the hajj obligation to achieve political gains, a matter rejected by the Islamic world, pointing out, in this regard, to Iran's refusal to sign the pilgrimage agreement in spite of the huge facilities provided by the Government of the Kingdom, preventing Iranian pilgrims who intend to perform Hajj this year from that and even there are problems for the Iranians who may intend to come to Hajj in the coming year.

On the issue of Iraq, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Adel Al-Jubeir said that the problem of Iraq is Iran and its interference in Iraqi affairs in addition to managing the Shiite militias responsible for many of the massacres that took place in Iraq, which in turn has led to an escalation of sectarian conflict, allowing ISIS "Daesh" terrorist organization to thrive, SPA reported. 

He explained that due to the Iranian interference in Iraq and the massacres committed in Fallujah and elsewhere, many of Sunni Iraqis joined THE ISIS group (Daesh) if this sectarian division led by Iran wouldn't put under control, then, the Iraqi dilemma will have no solution.

Source : QNA