Syria criticizes EU June report, urges condemning US
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The Syrian Parliament voiced its concern regarding the EU's humanitarian situation in Syria report, saying it seeks to fortify policies implemented by the enemies of Syria and does not serve the interest of the people.
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US occupation soldiers sit in a military vehicle in Hassakeh, Syria, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022. (AP)
The Syrian Parliament, in a statement on Sunday, criticized the European Parliament's June report regarding the humanitarian situation in Syria and urged the bloc to be "objective" and denounce Washington's theft of Syrian energy and agriculture in its place.
Syria's Parliament underscored that the report contained "inaccuracies and distortions of facts" that serve policies implemented by meant by and in favor of Western countries' interests as opposed to those of the Syrian people.
“If the European Parliament wants to be objective in its humanitarian perspective, it should condemn the illegal plundering of Syria’s energy resources and agricultural wealth by US military forces,” the statement read.
The parliament proceeded to underscore the disastrous effects of sanctions imposed unilaterally by Western nations on Syria in a number of industries, including transportation, water services, healthcare, and education.
Read more: US, proxies fortify occupation bases in Syria: Sources to Al Mayadeen
The Syrian Parliament stated that “Such measures violate international law and the United Nations Charter."
According to the report, the so-called exclusions and exceptions from unilaterally imposed sanctions under the guise of humanitarian considerations are only "lip service" and have resulted in no impact.
Furthermore, the statement urged the European Parliament to take a fresh strategy consistent with international law and humanitarian standards, putting pressure on the EU to quickly and unconditionally lift sanctions against Syria.
US' cruel sanctions on Syria ineffective: Op-ed
According to Doug Bandow of the Cato Institute, the US sanctions on Syria have proven ineffectual and catastrophic for its people as the country has suffered from war for more than a decade.
Bandow expressed that Syria's neighbors attempt to reach an agreement with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad while the US expects Syria's neighbors to uphold its brutal sanctions against the country.
In an op-ed for The American Conservative, Bandow, on June 1st, called Syria "an enormous tragedy," detailing how it is the most disastrous nation in the Arab Spring.
According to him, the US had "no serious security interests at stake but advanced a complicated, even exotic agenda. Successive administrations sought to simultaneously oust Assad, defeat the Islamic State, and expel Iranian and Russian forces. "
Along the way, the US-sponsored extremist insurgents backed Syrian Kurds, while Ankara collaborated with the Islamic State. He claims that these muddles prolonged the devastating, multi-sided civil war, causing the death of thousands of Syrians.
He articulates that despite his support for leaving Syria, President Donald Trump inexplicably appointed hawks like 'Never Trumper' James Jeffrey, who aggressively opposed government plans. To frustrate Trump's pullout plans, Jeffrey and other officials shamelessly lied to the president about the United States' troop presence in Syria and used Trump's desire to pillage Syrian oil.
Congress responded by applying the Caesar sanctions, which went into effect in 2020. The policy severely impoverished Syria's already destitute inhabitants, drawing plaudits from Jeffrey and another Trump ambassador, Joel Rayburn.
As a result, Bandow states that the strategy was "both inhumane and maladroit."
Read more: US wants to further sanction Syria amid reconciliation efforts
