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Syria No-Fly Zone Would Be a Mistake

Syria No-Fly Zone Would Be a Mistake
Syria No-Fly Zone Would Be a Mistake

The foreign minister for Arab and African Affairs rejected the idea of setting up a no-fly zone over Syria as a "repetitive mistake" not helping with the situation in the region.

"Considering the establishment of buffer and no-fly zones in Syria is a repetitive mistake which will not contribute to regional security and stability," Hossein Amir Abdollahian was quoted by IRNA as saying.

He made the remarks on the sidelines of a ministerial meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Kuwait on Thursday.

Reiterating that the Syrian crisis can only be resolved through a "political solution", Amir Abdollahian said, "To adopt a political solution, it is essential to tighten control over Syria's borders to prevent terrorists from crossing."

He warned that the policy being followed by some countries to support terrorists will backfire, an incident that will ultimately exacerbate the situation in the region.

Before it will join a US-led coalition staging air strikes on Islamic State (IS) militants, Ankara wants an air exclusion zone and also a buffer zone along its border with Syria.

Turkey also wants moderate Syrian rebel groups to be trained to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, according to AFP.

At the end of last year, the United States said a no-fly zone would not work because of the presence of more than a million Syrian refugees along the frontier.

"A no-fly zone is a resource intensive undertaking... That's not something we're looking at right now in this context," Lieutenant General John Nicholson, the head of Land Command (LANDCOM), the standing headquarters for NATO land forces which may be assigned as necessary, told Reuters on November 26, 2014.  

"Unless (the countries backing terrorism) immediately stop continuing the mistake of using terrorism as a tool in regional countries, namely Syria, Yemen and Iraq, (to advance their interests), terrorists' imminent move against their current backers will further damage regional security and stability."

***Self-Determination     

Denouncing the Saudi aggression against Yemen, he said, "The attack by a Muslim Arab country against another Muslim Arab nation which boasts an Islamic history, civilization and culture in the region is the result of adopting another wrong approach."

He pointed to the humanitarian situation in Yemen, stressing that the Yemeni nation should not be withheld their right to decide the future of their own land.

"The United Nations should be allowed to concentrate its efforts on a political solution to address the human catastrophe in the war-wracked country," Amir Abdollahian said, adding, "Yemen's political future should be determined by its nation through the participation of all Yemeni groups and making use of established means to complete the political process."

Amir Abdollahian also met Qatari Foreign Minister Khalid Al Attiyah to discuss the latest developments in the region and the world.

Attiyah stressed the need to help promote cooperation and consultation among regional countries in the campaign against the "serious threat" of terrorism.

"The security of every regional country is interlinked with that of others and insecurity will be to the detriment of every country in the region."

In another development, the deputy foreign minister sat down with Djiboutian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mahamoud Ali Youssouf.

In the meeting, Amir Abdollahian expressed Iran's readiness to send humanitarian aid to Yemen through Djibouti, extending his gratitude to the African country's officials for their efforts so far to help facilitate the delivery of humanitarian relief to the war-hit Yemeni people.

Meanwhile, Fars news agency reported on Friday that a cargo plane of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, loaded with aid for Yemen, landed in Djibouti's International Airport.

 

Financialtribune.com