UK's UN evnoy Karen Pierce
The UK's UN ambassador "strongly" agreed with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday amid a mounting offensive on northwestern Syria's Idlib province.
“We strongly agree with President Erdogan,” Karen Pierce told the UN Security Council citing an op-ed penned by Erdoğan.
Erdogan on Monday said in the Wall Street Journal: “All members of the international community must understand their responsibilities as the assault on Idlib looms. The consequences of inaction are immense.”
“A regime assault [in Idlib] would also create serious humanitarian and security risks for Turkey, the rest of Europe and beyond,” he added.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday it is "absolutely essential" for a full-blown military offensive to be avoided in northwestern Syria's Idlib province."This would unleash a humanitarian nightmare unlike any seen in the blood-soaked Syrian conflict," Guterres told reporters at the UN's New York headquarters. "It must not be transformed into a blood bath."The UN warned Monday at least 30,000 residents in Idlib have been displaced in the first nine days of September amid the Russian and regime air campaign there.Guterres said half of the 2.9 million people living in Idlib have gone to the northwestern province after fleeing violence elsewhere in Syria."They include close to 1 million children. Their lives have been upended and they have nowhere to go," he said. "I understand that the present situation in Idlib is not sustainable and the presence of terrorist groups cannot be tolerated. But fighting terrorism does not absolve warring parties of their core obligations under international law."Guterres made a particular appeal to Turkey, Iran and Russia -- known as the Astana guarantors. You should "spare no effort to find solutions that protect civilians. Preserve basic services and hospitals. Ensure full respect for international humanitarian law"."I think it is absolutely essential [for] Russia, Iran, and Turkey, not to mention other countries directly or indirectly involved in this situation, to really come together at the present moment more than ever because Idlib is such a mess that, without a strong commitment of all these parties, we could be moving into a situation that would lead to the kind of massive battle that would have unpredictable consequences," he said.The UN warned last week an offensive on Idlib would likely lead to the “worst humanitarian catastrophe of the 21st century.”
UN chief says 'essential' to avoid Idlib 'bloodbath'
The U.S. on Tuesday blasted Russia, Iran and the Syrian regime amid a growing military offensive in northwestern Syria's Idlib province.“Russia, Iran and Assad are demolishing Idlib and asking us to call it peace,” Nikki Haley, the U.S.'s UN envoy said in remarks before the Security Council.Since the beginning of September, at least 30 civilians have been killed in Idlib and Hama, and dozens injured, by airstrikes and attacks by the regime and Russian warplanes, according to the White Helmets civil defense agency.UN chief says 'essential' to avoid Idlib 'bloodbath''Attack on Idlib to sabotage ongoing political process’The UN warned Monday at least 30,000 residents in Idlib have been displaced in the first nine days of this month amid a Russian and regime air campaign there.Haley blamed Russia and the regime for allegedly carrying out more than 100 airstrikes, some of which she said were "ruthless double tap" strikes targeting first responders.“It is a disgusting tactic of terrorists, not professional soldiers,” she said.She alleged Moscow, Tehran and Damascus are not interested in pursuing a political solution to the Syrian crisis, saying “Turkey learned this lesson last week” during trilateral talks in the Iranian capital.“The United States is long past taking Russia and Iran at their word that they are interested in protecting civilians in Idlib from further violence," she said. "If Assad, Russia, and Iran continue down the path they are on, the consequences will be dire. The world will hold them responsible. And no number of Security Council meetings will ever change that.”Vasily Nebenzia, Russia's UN ambassador, defended the deteriorating security situation in Idlib, which is an established "de-escalation zone" as part of the trilateral talks."Sooner or later," Nebenzia said, such areas "were to be replaced first by local truces, and in cases where that did not take place, a counter-terrorist operation.”“The Astana process is ongoing, and with the help of the process we will have tangible results,” he said, referring to the trilateral process with Iran and Turkey.Last week, the UN warned an offensive on Idlib would likely lead to the “worst humanitarian catastrophe of the 21st century”.
US rips Russia, Iran, Assad regime amid Idlib offensive
He noted the regime's criminal acts -- arbitrary arrests, systematic torture, summary executions, barrel bombs, chemical and conventional weapons -- which targeted Syrians for seven years.
"As a result of the Syrian civil war, which the United Nations Human Rights Council calls ‘the worst man-made disaster since World War II’, millions of innocent people have become refugees or have been internally displaced," he said.
He also noted Turkey's role in protecting the Syrian people, as it hosts the largest number of refugees in the world at 3.5 million.
Pierce said the council faces "a choice", between a Syrian regime and Russian "military assault on Idlib in which, as many colleagues have said today, thousands of civilians will die," or "we allow Turkey and opposition groups the support, space and time to separate out the terrorists and tackle them themselves.
"Turkey has a plan, Madam President, in Idlib and it does involve reaching an agreement with the Syrian opposition whereby the regime refrains from attacking them while they combat terrorism," she said referring to Nikki Haley, the U.S.'s UN envoy and council president.
"This is what we should be discussing today, Madam President, but I think it has been absent from the briefing we received from Russia just now," Pierce added.
Haley further blamed Russia and the regime for allegedly carrying out more than 100 airstrikes, some of which she said were "ruthless double tap" strikes targeting first responders.
“It is a disgusting tactic of terrorists, not professional soldiers,” she said.
She alleged Moscow, Tehran and Damascus are not interested in pursuing a political solution to the Syrian crisis, saying “Turkey learned this lesson last week” during trilateral talks in the Iranian capital.
“The United States is long past taking Russia and Iran at their word that they are interested in protecting civilians in Idlib from further violence," she said. "If Assad, Russia, and Iran continue down the path they are on, the consequences will be dire. The world will hold them responsible. And no number of Security Council meetings will ever change that.”
The UN warned Monday at least 30,000 residents in Idlib have been displaced in the first nine days this month amid the Russian and regime air campaign there.