Refer War Crimes in Syria to ICC, U.N. Secretary-General Urges
United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon asked the Security Council on Monday to officially request war crimes investigations in Syria by the International Criminal Court (ICC), AFP reported.
The council previously requested an investigation in 2014, but was blocked by Russia and China, two veto-holding members of the 15-member council.
“I ask and urge the Security Council to bring this matter to the ICC. I am urging them again,” Ban said.
Ban also expressed his disappointment that two resolutions were defeated in a prior Security Council meeting on Saturday, when Russia vetoed a French resolution demanding an end to aerial bombardment of Aleppo, and a Russian push for a cease-fire was also not agreed upon.
“There is no such time to debate and disagree,” Ban said, describing the situation in Aleppo as “heartbreaking.”
The U.N. Security Council has previously referred Libya and Darfur in Sudan to the ICC in the Hague for war crimes investigations.
Russia and Turkey Meet to Discuss Syria, Sign Gas Deal
Russia and Turkey promised to find common ground on the war in Syria and signed a deal for a massive undersea gas pipeline, Reuters reported.
Russian president Vladimir Putin visited his Turkish counterpart in Istanbul, nearly one year after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane.
“Today has been a full day with President Putin discussing Russia–Turkish relations … I have full confidence that the normalization of Turkish–Russian ties will continue at a fast pace,” Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan told a joint press conference.
The gas pipeline, TurkStream, will bolster Russia’s standing in the European gas market, which has been trying to decrease its reliance on Russian gas, usually supplied through Ukraine.
The two countries have stood on opposing sides of the Syrian conflict, with Russia backing the government of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, and Turkey supporting rebels fighting to oust him.
“We have a common position that everything must be done to deliver humanitarian aid to Aleppo. The only issue is … ensuring the safety of aid delivery,” Putin said.
Military contacts will be strengthened, Putin said, while Erdogan said the topic of Syria was “very sensitive.”
“We discussed … how we can cooperate on this matter, especially on humanitarian aid to Aleppo, what strategy can we implement so people in Aleppo can find peace,” Erdogan said. “We will come together with our foreign ministries and top military leaders and intelligence officers.”
Syrian Government Forces Regain Territory in Hama Amid Rebel Infighting
Syrian government forces and allied militias made significant advances in Hama province over the weekend, taking advantage of rebel infighting, Syria Direct reported.
In late August, rebel factions and Islamist forces, including Jund al-Aqsa and Ahrar al-Sham, launched an offensive on government troops in the northern Hama suburbs. The rebels made short-lived advances, ending this weekend when government forces took back five villages on Sunday.
Jund al-Aqsa and Ahrar al-Sham withdrew their forces this weekend from the Hama front lines to fight each other, amid accusations of kidnappings and executions.
“Units of the military and armed forces, in cooperation with allied forces” took control of several villages in northern Hama province on Sunday, Syrian state news agency SANA reported.
Recommended Reads:
- The Washington Post: Trump Has No Idea What’s Going on in Syria
- Al Monitor: Ankara’s Policies in Iraq, Syria, Perplex U.S.
- The Telegraph: Mikhail Gorbachev Warns World Is At ‘Dangerous Point’ Amid U.S.–Russian Face Off Over Syria
- Carnegie: Why Local Tribal Calculations Will Determine What Happens Outside Syria’s Heartland
- Newsweek: Putin’s War in Syria: Why Russians Don’t Seem to Care About It