UNSC condemns ISIL for Iraq attacks

The Security Council late Friday condemned the attacks being perpetrated by Al-Qaeda affiliate, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), against the Iraqi people, in an attempt to destabilize the country and the region, and urged all the Iraqis to unite and continue their national dialogue.In a US-drafted statement read out in a Council open meeting, Council President Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al-Hussein of Jordan said the Council "recognizes that Iraqi security forces, local police and tribes in Anbar province are showing "great courage" as they fight to defeat ISIL in the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah in Anbar province.The Council urged the Iraqi people, including tribes, local leaders, and government forces in Anbar province, to continue, expand and strengthen their cooperation against violence and terror, and stressed the "critical importance of continued national dialogue and unity." The Council welcomed comments from Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani welcoming internally displaced residents of Anbar to Najaf and Karbala, as well as the commitment of a number of communities - Sunni, Shiite and Kurd - to meet whatever humanitarian needs they may have. It expressed its "strong support for the continued efforts of the Iraqi Government to help meet the security needs of the entire population of Iraq, and acknowledged the efforts of the Iraqi security forces and Iraqi local police, whose members are also being targeted and killed in ongoing attacks by terrorists." The Council also welcomed the commitment of the Iraqi Government to protect the civilian population in Fallujah and elsewhere and to provide them with humanitarian aid, in cooperation with the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the humanitarian agencies in the country.It expressed concern about the impact of the violence on civilians, and encouraged the safe passage of civilians trapped in conflict areas, as well as the safe return of internally displaced persons as conditions allow.It stressed the "critical importance" of an inclusive political process, the holding of free and fair elections in April 2014, and the right to peaceful protests as guaranteed under the Iraqi Constitution. "The Security Council believes that this is vital to underpin a unified national stance against terrorism, and to ensure Iraq's long-term security," the statement said. The Council reaffirmed the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these "reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice," reaffirmed that ISIL is subject to the arms embargo and assets freeze imposed by relevant Council resolutions, and underlined the importance of "prompt and effective implementation" of these measures.It once again stressed the need to combat "by all means," threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, and that any acts of terrorism are "criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed." It finally reaffirmed its support for the independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Iraq, and stressed that "no terrorist act can reverse the path towards peace, democracy and reconstruction in Iraq, which is supported by the Iraqi people and Government and by the international community.Iraqi Ambassador Mohammed Al-Hakim thanked the Council for issuing the Presidential Statement on Iraq and for working tirelessly to have it approved quickly.He later told reporters that Iraq is "very grateful" to issue it at this point in time because the situation is "very dangerous" right now in those cities, and it is "very crucial" for Iraq to have the Council's support. "We need the Council support continuously to fight terrorism. Terrorism in the area is very dangerous, especially in Syria situation," he said, recalling that Iraq had already warned that the terrorism in Syria would move to Iraq.