By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
September 25
-- When the
Syrian
National
Coalition's
Hadi al Bahra
belatedly held
an open press
conference at
the UN on
September 24,
Inner City
Press asked
him about the
place of the
Kurds of
Rojava in the
SNC, and about
the deadly
measles
vaccination
campaign
undertaken in
territory
ostensibly
controlled by
the
opposition.
See below.
Hours after
this press
conference,
the Syrian Coalition
issued this:
Syrian
Coalition
Calls on the
International
Coalition to
Neutralize
Civilian
Targets
The
Syrian
Coalition’s
delegation,
headed by Hadi
al Bahra, met
with the US
special envoy
to Syria
Daniel
Rubenstein and
officials of
the US State
Department in
New York
yesterday. The
meetings
discussed the
situation in
Syria,
especially the
US-led
international
campaign
against ISIS
and Khorasan,
a terrorist
organization
that is
regarded the
biggest threat
to the United
States and
Europe, and
also the Assad
regime’s
ongoing war on
the Syrian
people. The
American
officials
strongly
denied the
Assad regime’s
claims that
the United
States is
coordinating
with it with
regard to the
anti-ISIS
campaign or
that the
United States
asked for the
Assad regime’s
approval to
carry out the
strikes
against ISIS
positions in
Syria.
On the
contrary, the
United States
Obama had
publicly
warned the
Assad regime
in advance not
to interfere
with any U.S.
operations
against ISIS,
saying the
Pentagon would
respond
forcefully.
The meeting
also discussed
the Obama
administration’s
plan to arm
and train the
Free Syrian
Army, and the
situation in
the town of
Ayn al-Arab
(Kobanî)
northeast of
Aleppo. During
a meeting with
representatives
of the Friends
of Syria
group, Bahra
called on the
representatives
of the United
States,
Britain,
France,
Germany,
Italy, Turkey,
Saudi Arabia,
UAE, Jordan,
and Qatar to
step up
humanitarian
aid to the
Syrian people
and to take
tangible steps
to stop
Assad’s crimes
against the
Syrian
people.
"terrorist,
after he threw
light on the
events in
Syria and
Kobanî on in
particular.
Moreover, the
Syrian
Coalition’s
delegation
held meetings
with
Luxembourg’s
Foreign
Minister Jean
Asselborn,
Britain's
Foreign
Secretary
Philip
Hammond, and
with French
President
Francois
Hollande and
his Foreign
Minister
Laurent
Fabius.
The
French
president
expressed
France's
willingness to
train and
equip the Free
Syrian Army.
Bahra is going
to deliver a
speech in New
York this
evening to
explain the
position of
the Syrian
Coalition
towards the
US-led
international
coalition’s
military
strikes
against ISIS
in Syria and
to reiterate
the Syrian
Coalition’s
calls for
giving support
for the FSA
that has been
battling both
ISIS and the
Assad regime.
Bahra will
also call upon
the
international;
coalition to
neutralize the
civilians
areas and will
express regret
at the death
of civilians
during the
anti-ISIS
campaign.
(Source:
Syrian
Coalition)
What does it
mean to "neutralize
the civilian
areas" then
express
regret? And
are those al
Bahra met with
the ones to
choose Syria's
leaders?
At his
September 24
press
conference,
Hadi al Bahra
said that
Kurds “in the
KNC” are in
the Coalition,
and claimed
that they
don't want
their own
territory,
only
federalism.
“Kurds are in
the coalition
itself. Our
vice president
represents
Kurdish
National
Council, they
do not look
for separate
government or
piece of
land.” That
might be some
Kurds -- but
not all. We'll
have more on
this.
On the
deadly
“vaccination”
campaign, Hadi
al Bahra
precisely like
Ban Ki-moon's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric
called it only
human error,
“not correct
labeling,
having two
types of
medicine in
the same
cabinet.” That
would be,
muscle relaxes
injected into
children. What
does this
portend? This
is a test
case.
Hadi al Bahra
said that the
US is in
consultation
with the SNC
as it conducts
airstrikes.
Inner City
Press understands
that the US
only told
Syria's
government
once, the
first time
-- and did not
tell Russia at
all.
Footnote:
The first two
questions to
Hadi al Bahra
were from US
state owned
media, and
France 24.
Then later
came RFI. This
is part of why
the Free
UN Coalition
for Access
complained
about Hadi al
Bahra
initially, and
Ahmad Jarba
throughout his
tenure, only
taking
questions in
these media's
clubhouse of
UNCA, the UN's
Censorship
Alliance. They
only publicize
the events to
those who paid
them money;
the UNCA
Executive
Committee
tried to get
the
investigative
Press thrown
out fo the UN.
It is good
that Hadi al
Bahra, hosted
by the UK,
held an open
briefing. But
what about the
answers? We'll
have more on
these.
, 
