Further to our numerous previous letters regarding the savage crimes that are being committed by the “international coalition” led by the United States of America and that coalition’s continued attacks against the sovereignty and territorial unity and integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic and against innocent Syrian civilians, I should like to inform that, on Wednesday, 13 December 2017, the illegitimate coalition led by the United States of America once again massacred Syrian civilians when its warplanes bombed residential neighbourhoods in the village of Jurdi al-Sharqi, Dayr al-Zawr governorate, killing 23 civilians, among whom were 8 children and 6 women, and destroying civilian homes and property and village infrastructure.

The international coalition decided to commit this heinous crime just as the Syrian Arab Army and its allies succeeded in defeating the terrorist organization Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and driving it out of the main cities of Dayr al-Zawr governorate, in order to give the impression that the coalition air force is combating ISIL. However, the coalition air force is in fact transporting the terrorists to safe locations and protecting them. This move comes after the failure of the frenzied efforts of the coalition and its militia proxies and allies to prevent the Syrian Arab Army and its allies from achieving victory over ISIL.

The Syrian Arab Republic strongly condemns the acts of aggression, war crimes and crimes against humanity that the international coalition has committed against Syrian civilians. It also condemns the fact that many actors who claim to uphold “the rule of law”, human rights and international humanitarian law have turned a blind eye to the massacres that the coalition committed in Raqqah and Dayr al-Zawr governorates.

The Government of the Syrian Arab Republic considers the decision of certain States members of that coalition not to distance themselves from the crimes that the coalition is committing in their names to be tantamount to participating in the commission of those crimes and massacres. It is no longer a secret just how suspect and dangerous this coalition is. It supports terrorism and attacks the Syrian people and destroys their capacities. Indeed, its intentions have been confirmed by recent events and numerous reports, aerial photographs and witness statements proving that the coalition and its allied militias on the ground have made deals and are coordinating with the ISIL terrorist organization to have the latter’s terrorists attack the Syrian Arab Army and its allies, and to help those terrorists flee to other areas.

The Security Council has not yet taken any action to stop the international coalition from attacking the Syrian Arab Republic and the peaceful civilians of the region, including women and children, because of the deceptive conduct of the United States of America and its allies, which falsely claim that they are combating ISIL and boast of their triumphs over it. The opposite is, in fact, true. It is the Syrian Arab Army and its allies and friendly forces that defeated ISIL and other terrorist groups.

I should be grateful if the present letter could be issued as a document of the Security Council.

Mounzer Mounzer