UN General-Secretary Says Syria Informed in Advance About US Airstrikes Against ISIS/ISIL Targets...

Damascus was informed in advance of US-led airstrikes against Islamic State (IS) targets on the territory of Syria, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday.

"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 Ki-moon said at the Climate Summit press conference.

The UN chief underlined that the protection of civilians should be a top priority for all parties involved in this campaign.

"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… The parties involved in this campaign must abide by international humanitarian law and take all necessary precautions to avoid and minimize civilian casualties," Ban Ki-moon said...................http://en.ria.ru/politics/20140923/193215793/UN-General-Secretary-Says-Syria-Informed-in-Advance-About-US.html
23/9/14
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• The United States told the United Nations on Tuesday it led airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Syria because President Bashar Assad's government had failed to wipe out safe havens used by the group to launch attacks on Iraq.

In a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power wrote: "The Syrian regime has shown that it cannot and will not confront these safe havens effectively itself."
The strikes were needed to eliminate a threat to Iraq, the United States and its allies, she wrote, citing Article 51 of the UN Charter, which covers an individual or collective right to self-defense against armed attack.

"States must be able to defend themselves ... when, as is the case here, the government of the state where the threat is located is unwilling or unable to prevent the use of its territory for such attacks," Power wrote in the letter obtained by Reuters.

"Accordingly, the United States has initiated necessary and proportionate military actions in Syria in order to eliminate the ongoing (Islamic State) threat to Iraq," she wrote, adding that action was taken also against al Qaeda elements in Syria known as Khorasan "to address terrorist threats that they pose to the United States and our partners and allies." [jpost.com] 23/9/14
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Related:

• U.S. begins airstrikes against ISIS/ISIL in Syria

• Putin: Airstrikes Against ISIS/ISIL in Syria Should Not Be Conducted Without Government Consent. (inadmissible without Damascus consent)

• IDF shoots down Syrian fighter plane infiltrating Israeli territory