No justification for "barbarity" of extremist groups in Syria - Ban

NEW YORK, Sept 23 (KUNA) -- The rise of extremist groups in Syria is a consequence and not a cause of Syria's tragic civil war, there can be no justification for their barbarity and the suffering they impose on Syrian people, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said.
A multi-facetted approach is required to confront terrorist groups operating in Syria, he urged during a press conference held today on Climate Summit. The approach to be designed to address the immediate security risks, to stop atrocity crimes, and -over the longer term- to eliminate the conditions in which these groups take root, he added.
For more than a year, "I have sounded the alarm bells about the brutality of extremist armed groups in Syria and the critical threat they pose to Syria and to international peace and security," he said.
Ban welcomed the international solidarity to confront this challenge, as demonstrated by the unanimous passage of Security Council Resolution 2170.
He urged the world leaders gathered in New York, especially those participating in tomorrow's Security Council Summit on foreign terrorist fighters, to come together decisively in support of efforts to confront these groups.
As the custodian of the principles of the United Nations, "I would like to underscore the importance that all measures must be fully in line with the Charter of the United Nations and need to operate strictly in accordance with international humanitarian law," he said.
He have placed the protection of civilians at the top of his agenda.
In the case of Syria, there can be no genuine protection if extremist groups are permitted to act with impunity and if the Syrian Government continues to commit gross human rights violations against its own citizens, stressed. Therefore, protecting the Syrian people requires immediate action, but action that is rooted in the principles of the United Nations.
He expressed regret on the loss of any civilian lives as a result of strikes against targets in Syria. The parties involved in this campaign he said, must abide by international humanitarian law and take all necessary precautions to avoid and minimize civilian casualties.
"I am aware that today's strikes were not carried out at the direct request of the Syrian Government, but I note that the Government was informed beforehand." Ban noted that the strikes took place in areas no longer under the effective control of that Government, "think it is undeniable - and the subject of broad international consensus - that these extremist groups pose an immediate threat to international peace and security," he concluded. (end) mao