On
Damascus
Bombings, UN
SC Sympathizes
With Syria
People But Not
Gov't
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 23 --
When Russia
circulated a
draft press
statement on
Friday about
the bombings
in Damascus,
Ambassador
Vitaly
Churkin told
the press that
it omitted two
words from the
"standard"
Security
Council
condemnation
of terrorist
attacks, that
should make
it palatable
to even the
most
anti-Assad
members.
Sure
enough, when
the approved
Council press
statement was
emailed out
past 5 pm on
Friday, it
expressed
"deep sympathy
and sincere
condolences to
the victims of
these heinous
acts and to
their
families, and
to the
people of
Syria" -- but
NOT the
Government of
Syria.
This
differs from
other recent
statements,
which for
example
expressed
condolences to
"the
people and
Government of
India" (Delhi
bombing,
September 2011),
to "the people
and Government
of the Federal
Republic of
Nigeria"
(Abuja
bombing,
August 2011)
and to "to
the people and
Government
of Morocco"
(Marrakesh
bombing, April
2011).
It's
worth noting
that each of
those three
are ongoing,
outgoing or
incoming
Security
Council
members; Syria
is not.
Also in the
Syria press
statement,
unlike recent
press
statements on
India
and Russia, is
the sentence
reminding
"States that
they must
ensure that
measures taken
to
combat
terrorism
comply with
all their
obligations
under
international
law, in
particular
international
human rights,
refugee
and
humanitarian
law."
(Click
here for
Inner City
Press' modified
story on
omission of
human rights
in the
Council's
August 2011
India
statement.)
Now,
does the
phrase's
inclusion in
the Council's
Decmeber 23
Syria
statement mean
that human
rights proviso
is now
(again?) the
standard?
(c) UN Photo
Churkin and
Susan Rice:
human rights
in, Syria
gov't not
shown
Here is the
Council's
Syria press
statement:
Security
Council
Press
Statement on
terrorist
attacks in
Damascus
23
December
2011
The
members
of the
Security
Council
condemned in
the strongest
terms the
terrorist
attacks that
occurred in
Damascus,
Syria on 23
December,
causing scores
of deaths and
injuries. They
expressed
their deep
sympathy and
sincere
condolences to
the victims of
these heinous
acts
and to their
families, and
to the people
of Syria.
The
members
of the
Security
Council
reaffirmed
that terrorism
in all its
forms and
manifestations
constitutes
one of the
most serious
threats
to
international
peace and
security, and
that any acts
of terrorism
are criminal
and
unjustifiable,
regardless of
their
motivation,
wherever,
whenever and
by whomsoever
committed.
The
members
of the
Security
Council
reiterated
their
determination
to
combat all
forms of
terrorism, in
accordance
with its
responsibilities
under the
Charter of the
United
Nations.
The
members
of the
Security
Council
reminded
States that
they must
ensure
that measures
taken to
combat
terrorism
comply with
all their
obligations
under
international
law, in
particular
international
human rights,
refugee and
humanitarian
law.
, 
