S/2018/839 - Letter by Syria regarding the involvement of the Dutch government in supporting, financing and providing logistical assistance to a number of terrorist armed groups in Syria.

United Nations
Security Council

S/2018/839

Distr.: General
13 September 2018
Original: English

Letter dated 12 September 2018 from the Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council

I would like to draw the attention of the members of the Security Council and the Chair of its Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) to the news reports published by the Dutch newspapers Nieuwsuur and Trouw, which exposed the involvement of the Dutch Government in supporting, financing and providing logistical assistance to a number of terrorist armed groups in Syria. The Dutch General Prosecutor classified some of these armed groups as terrorist entities related to Salafist jihadism. You can find the first news reports that exposed this story at https://nos.nl/nieuwsuur/artikel/2249806-nederland-steunde-terreurbeweging-in-syrie.html and https://nos.nl/nieuwsuur/artikel/2249849-zo-hebben-we-het-onderzoek-naar-syrische-rebellengroepen-aangepakt.html.

These legal, political and diplomatic violations committed by the Dutch Government provoked public opinion in the Netherlands and many States members of the European Union. The Dutch and European media continue to publish reports on this political scandal, providing more details about the involvement of the Government of the Netherlands, a non-permanent member of the Security Council, in supporting and financing terrorist organizations operating in Syria. On Dutch television, a series of news reports is currently being shown about this scandal, with enough evidence to convict the Dutch Government of the commission of these heinous acts, by financing and assisting many terrorist armed groups, including Aljabha Alshamya, Ahrar Alsham, Sokour Jabal Azzawya, Lewaa Sultan Murad, Ansar Alsharyaa, Shouhadaa Alyarmouk, Faylaq Alsham, Jaysh Alsunnah, Nour Addin Zinki, Jaysh Alfateh, Suleiman Shah, Jaysh Alislam, Fastakem, Lewaa Sokour Aljabal and Jaysh Idleb Alhurr.

The news reports on Dutch television indicate that the Dutch Government provided money and assistance to many terrorist armed groups in Syria, without following government procedures for providing funds and assistance to foreign parties, where it did not follow the opinion of its legal and international advisers and did not bring the matter before the Dutch parliament.

I bring this matter to the attention of the Security Council and the Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) in order to take appropriate action with regard to the implementation of Security Council resolutions relating to counter-terrorism. At the same time, I would like to inform you of the violations committed by the Government of one of the non-permanent members of the Security Council against its obligations and responsibilities, the foremost of which is the maintenance of international peace and security, and adherence to the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations, in particular Article II, in which the duty of each Member State not to interfere in the internal affairs of other Member States is set out.

The Dutch Government's policy of supporting and financing terrorist armed groups in Syria is the main explanation for its negative, partial and unfair performance within the framework of the Security Council and the General Assembly with regard to the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic.

It would be highly appreciated if the present letter could be circulated as a document of the Security Council.

(Signed) Bashar Ja'afari
Ambassador
Permanent Representative

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13Sep18

Letter by Syria regarding the involvement of the Dutch government in supporting, financing and providing logistical assistance to a number of terrorist armed groups in Syria