UNITED NATIONS, November 1 (RIA Novosti) — Amid reports of mass executions of Sunni tribesmen in Iraq's Anbar province, the UN Security Council on Friday unanimously agreed to a press statement condemning the killings.
The members of the Security Council in their statement “condemned the kidnappings and murders of scores of Sunni tribesmen in Anbar province, perpetrated by the terrorist organization, operating under the name 'Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant,' whose bodies were discovered in mass graves. Many of these tribesmen had been combating terrorism, together with the Government of Iraq. This crime, like the Camp Speicher massacre in Tikrit, once again demonstrated ISIL’s brutality, clearly showing that terrorist groups in Iraq target all segments and sects of the Iraqi population.”
Naming some of the targeted groups, the Security Council on Friday “condemned the systematic persecution of individuals from minority populations, such as Yezidis and Christians, and those, who refuse its extremist ideology in Iraq by ISIL and associated armed groups. The members of the Security Council reiterated that widespread or systematic attacks, directed against any civilian populations, may constitute a crime against humanity, for which those responsible must be held accountable. All parties, including ISIL and associated armed groups, must abide by international humanitarian law, including the obligation to protect the civilian population. The members of the Security Council also urged all parties to stop human rights violations and abuses, ensure humanitarian access, and facilitate the delivery of assistance to those fleeing violence.”
Citing international law, the Security Council “called upon the Government of Iraq and the international community to work towards ensuring that all perpetrators are brought to justice. The members of the Security Council urged the international community, in accordance with international law to further strengthen and expand support for the Government of Iraq, including Iraqi Security Forces, in the fight against ISIL and associated armed groups.”
Moving beyond ISIL to the Al Nusra Front, the members of the Security Council “stressed that ISIL must be defeated and that the intolerance, violence and hatred it espouses must be stamped out. The members of the Council further emphasized that there has to be a common effort amongst governments and institutions, including those in the region most affected, to counter ISIL, Al-Nusra Front and all other individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with Al-Qaida.”
The members of the Security Council on Friday also “welcomed the appointments of the Defense and Interior Ministers and the swearing-in of the Kurdish Ministers, which completed the formation of an inclusive Government that represents all segments of the Iraqi population and that contributes to finding a viable and sustainable solution to the country’s current challenges”.
The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS), or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), has been fighting the Syrian government since 2012. In June 2014, the group extended its attacks to northern and western Iraq, declaring a caliphate on the territories that had fallen under its control.
Hundreds of people have been killed by the ISIL, thousands have been forced to flee their homes amid fears of the group, which mainly targets ethnic and religious minorities.
