MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Iraq and Syria, and the ISIS offensive, including the persecution of minorities
16.9.2014 - (2014/2843(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 123(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Fabio Massimo Castaldo, Ignazio Corrao, Valentinas Mazuronis on behalf of the EFDD Group
B8‑0137/2014
European Parliament resolution on the situation in Iraq and Syria, and the ISIS offensive, including the persecution of minorities
(2014/2843(RSP))
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its resolution of 17 July 2014 on the situation in Iraq[1],
– having regard to the statement of 29 August 2014 by the EEAS Spokesperson on the detention of 43 United Nations Disengagement Observer Force peacekeepers in the Golan Heights by armed militants,
– having regard to the statement of 9 September 2014 by the EEAS on the formation of the new government in Iraq,
– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948,
– having regard to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities of 18 December 1992,
– having regard to the EU Guidelines on the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief, adopted on 24 June 2013,
– having regard to UN Security Council resolutions 2169 of 30 July 2014 on Iraq (S/RES/2169/2014) and 2170 of 15 August 2014 on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts (S/RES/2170/2014),
– having regard to the Jeddah Communiqué of 11 September 2014 on terrorism,
– having regard to the statement of 10 September 2014 by the President of the United States on ISIL,
– having regard to Human Rights Council resolution of 1 September 2014 on the human rights situation in Iraq in the light of abuses committed by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and associated groups,
– having regard to the Eighth Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic of 13 August 2014,
– having regard to Rule 123(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas on 29 June 2014 the IS proclaimed a ‘caliphate’, or ‘Islamic state’ in the territories under its control in Iraq and Syria and since then there has been a sharp escalation of violence in the area;
B. whereas areas under the control of the IS are regularly marked by executions, crimes against women, including kidnap and rape, amputations and public lashings; whereas ethnic and religious minorities have been targeted through particularly brutal persecution, as the IS has ruthlessly carried out what could amount to ethnic and religious cleansing in areas under its control;
C. whereas recent airstrikes by the Syrian regime against the IS reportedly killed at least 60 civilians; whereas a report by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) found compelling evidence that a toxic chemical has been used ‘repeatedly’ as a weapon in Syria;
D. whereas the UN has placed the number of Syrian refugees at over three million, most of whom find their way to neighbouring countries such as Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, putting a huge strain on host countries’ economies;
E. whereas the US military has conducted more than 150 air strikes in Iraq and US President Obama has announced his intention to expand the campaign in Syria with systematic airstrikes targeting the IS, as well as his intention to increase support for Iraqi, Kurdish and Syrian opposition forces; whereas the US strategy aims to form a broad coalition of partners to divide up operations against the IS;
F. whereas on 8 September 2014 the Iraqi parliament officially approved Haider al-Habadi as the country’s new prime minister and approved most of his proposed cabinet;
G. whereas the Kurdish movement in Syria has taken control of the majority of the Kurdish region in the country, resulting in the construction of an autonomous region (Rojava) divided into three autonomous cantons, each with democratic autonomous self‑administration;
H. whereas the self-proclaimed autonomous region of Rojava is based on the Charter of Social Contract, an inclusive and democratic agreement between different ethnic groups that lays down the principles of ecological balance, freedom of religions and beliefs and equality without discrimination on the basis of race, religion, creed, doctrine or gender; whereas it appears that women truly have been included and empowered in the administration of the autonomous region;
I. whereas on 13 September 2014 the IS released footage which claimed show the beheading of British hostage David Haines;
1. Is outraged by the brutal executions of David Haines, Steven Sotloff and James Foley by the IS; expresses its deep sympathy and condolences to the families of these victims and to the families of all victims of the conflict;
2. Condemns in the strongest terms the atrocities and systematic violations of human rights committed by the IS and other associated armed groups, including the violence against persons based on their religious or ethnic affiliation, and violence against women and children; believes that these acts could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity and, as such, should be investigated so that the perpetrators are held accountable;
3. Condemns in the strongest terms the campaign of violence against the Syrian people by the Assad regime, whose reckless actions caused the current chaos and devastation in the country and whose acts of sectarian violence and oppression created a prime opportunity for the rise of the IS;
4. Is deeply worried by the reports of the use of chemical weapons in Syria; urges the Syrian Government under Assad to take steps to fully comply with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, UN Security Council resolution 2118 and OPCW Executive Council decisions;
5. Welcomes the commitment of additional European funds for the humanitarian crisis; strongly supports the idea of establishing a humanitarian air bridge to northern Iraq to provide assistance to populations in need; believes that the EU, together with international partners, should focus on the coordination of humanitarian assistance, including the possibility of opening humanitarian corridors to bring assistance to endangered communities;
6. Welcomes the formation of the new Iraqi Government; requests that Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi operate in the spirit of compromise and true inclusiveness; reminds him that only through cross-sectarian representation will it be possible to prevent a repetition of the errors of the past;
7. Welcomes the outcome of the Jeddah ministerial meeting, notably the decisions on stopping the flow of foreign fighters through neighbouring countries and countering the financing of the IS and other violent extremists; notes with concern the decision to join, as appropriate, in the various aspects of a coordinated military campaign against the IS; notes of Turkey’s decision not to sign the joint declaration;
8. Welcomes the decision by the Arab League to take all necessary measures to confront IS militants and cooperate with all international, regional and national actors in the efforts to combat militant groups; believes that the Arab League should do everything in its power to target the financial flows, recruitment activity and social media campaigns of the IS and similar groups;
9. Notes the decision by certain Member States to arm the Kurdish regional authorities, and the US strategy to carry out airstrikes and at the same time arming militant groups which oppose the IS; is concerned, considering the volatility of the situation on the ground, by the possibility that weapons provided for use against the IS could easily be by the IS itself or by other violent radical groups; believes that any support should be limited to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets, defensive equipment and equipment to remove or render harmless mines and booby traps;
10. Believes that any operation against the IS should take place under the umbrella of the United Nations;
11. Commends the role of Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey in accepting refugees; calls on the international community to step up to the challenge and be more active and forthcoming in burden sharing and to provide direct financial support to the host countries;
12. Believes that the progressive experiment in Rojava of autonomous self‑government could be a model for democratic confederalism in the Middle East; calls on the EU and the international community to support such a model in general and the autonomy project in Rojava in particular;
13. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council, the Commission, the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Government and Council of Representatives of Iraq, the Arab League, the Regional Government of Kurdistan, the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the United Nations Human Rights Council.
- [1] Texts adopted, P8_TA(2014)0011.