Syria, 2006

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.