Mr. Struan Stevenson, President of the European Iraqi Freedom Association (EIFA), issued a statement concerning the horrific chemical attack in Syria, the following is the full text:
We strongly condemn the gas attack in Khan Sheikhoun, Idlib Province on Tuesday and call for urgent and effective action by the UN Security Council to punish Bashar al-Assad.
This attack, which left hundreds dead and injured, is a war crime. The international community’s silence and inaction in responding to this massacre will simply embolden the Syrian dictator and his allies to continue to expand their war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Assad has slaughtered tens of thousands of Syrians with bombs, bullets, torture and poison gas. A similar attack took place in Eastern Ghouta in 2013, after which the US administration did nothing, despite Barack Obama having said that any use of chemical weapons would cross a red line. His failure to act led to 4 more years of ongoing atrocities in Syria.
Raed Al Saleh the head of the Syrian Civil Defence or White Helmets has said: “I am horrified at reports that certain leading European politicians want to consider a deal with the Assad regime. It is beyond belief that the perpetrators of most of the violence could effectively be rewarded and even propped up, for their brutal crimes.”
It is important to point out that war crimes in Syria have taken place with the full cognizance and support of the Iranian regime and the active presence and involvement of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its affiliated militias. Therefore the UN, US and EU must combine their political will and use all their resources to expel the Iranian regime’s forces and militias from Syria as the first essential step for toppling Assad and establishing peace and democracy in Syria.
The European Iraqi Freedom Association (EIFA) extends its condolences to the families of the victims.
Struan Stevenson, President, European Iraqi Freedom Association (EIFA)
Struan Stevenson was a member of the European Parliament representing Scotland (1999-2014), President of the Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Iraq (2009-14) and Chairman of Friends of a Free Iran Intergroup (2004-14). He is a lecturer on Middle East policy and President of the European Iraqi Freedom Association (EIFA).
