Shanmugam
Shanmugam
Shanmugam
“Their unspeakable cruelty, including abductions and brutal murders of civilians, constitute crimes against humanity,” Minister of Foreign Affairs, K Shanmugam, told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
He was referring to the militant group, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
“It is brutal, cruel and a travesty of all that religion stands for.”
Mr Shanmugam says that “Singapore firmly supports all international and regional cooperation efforts” to combat ISIS, but does not say if Singapore will be sending troops to help in these efforts.
His remarks come about two weeks after Singapore’s Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, said the Southeast Asian country has “not reached a point of making a decision yet” on whether it would join the international fight against ISIS.
“How we can support the American-led effort? That’s something we can discuss,” he said on 19 September.
About 50 countries so far, including nations from the Arab League, have pledged their support for the United States-led campaign to wipe out the terrorist group which has swept across and taken large swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria.
In his speech on Tuesday, Mr Shanmugam said “Singapore condemns these terrorist actions in the strongest possible terms” and welcomes “the strong leadership of the United States, in particular the formation of the international coalition to combat the ISIS threat.”
Singapore also supports the Jeddah declaration by Arab countries to stand united against ISIS.
Mr Shanmugam also said that the fight against ISIS should not be limited to just the military front.
Other areas included cutting off financial and material support for the group.
“The United Nations Security Council Resolution 2178 this year, on foreign terrorist fighters, which Singapore co-sponsored, is an important step to combat global terrorism, and it will be critical for: cutting off financial aid and material support for ISIS and preventing the movement of foreign terrorist fighters,” Mr Shanmugam said.
Still, the fight goes beyond this, and should also address the radical ideology which ISIS is spreading through the world.
“The threat of such terrorism and radical ideology is not confined to the Middle East,” Mr Shanmugam said. “It affects the whole world. An estimated 15,000 foreigners from at least 80 countries, including from Southeast Asia, have travelled to fight in Syria and Iraq.  That ISIS can attract so many foreign fighters highlights the need for a comprehensive strategy to counter them.  In addition to military and intelligence efforts, we must also combat the radical ideology used to recruit foreign fighters, and which fuels their extremist agenda.”
He said that “no country can insulate itself from these problems.”
“We need to combat them at all levels,” Mr Shanmugam said. “Critically: fair economic development, good governance, political and, social stability will increase a country’s resilience against these threats.”
Al-Moualem
Al-Moualem
Also at the UN Assembly on Tuesday, the much awaited speech by the Syrian representative, Deputy Prime Minister Walid Al-Moualem.
Mr Al-Moualem spoke several hours before Mr Shanmugam, and his eagerly anticipated speech would indicate the Syrian government’s position on the air strikes which the US and its coalition partners have launched against ISIS militants in Syria.
Referring to ISIS, he said its advance in Iraq and Syria “might have surprised many of the countries present here, but not…us.”
“We have spoken on more than one occasion and on more than one international platform about the grave danger of the terrorism striking Syria,” said Mr Al-Moualem, who is also Syria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.
In a passionate speech, Mr Al-Moualem said ISIS is “unrivalled in funding and brutality”, which include acts of enslaving women, raping them and selling them in slave markets; cutting off heads and limbs of those who do not abide by their dictates, and that ISIS is teaching children slaughter and murder; and destroying historical and cultural monuments, as well as Islamic and Christian symbols in the land it occupies.
“Has not the moment of truth arrived for us all to admit that ISIL, A1-NusrahFront and the rest of A1-Qaeda affiliates, will not be limited within the borders of Syria and Iraq, but will spread to every spot it can reach, starting with Europe and America?” he asked.
“Is it not due time…for all of us to stand as one in the face of this serious menace of terrorist Takfiri ideology worldwide?” he asked.
Mr Al-Moualem’s speech did not directly address or state the Syrian’s government position on the US-led air strikes, and is seen as tacit acceptance of the international operation inside Syrian territory.
In an interview with the international media on the same day, he urged the US to widen its military campaign to target other terrorist groups as well.
“They have the same ideology. They have the same extremist ideology,” he told AFP, urging the US-led air strikes to hit all Islamic rebel factions fighting Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government.
As for the political turmoil in Syria itself, Mr Al-Moualem said his government is ready and even “striving for a political solution in Syria and in dialogue with all honourable national opposition members opposing terrorism in Syria, and among Syrians themselves and on Syrian territory.”
Read Mr Shanmugam’s speech in full here: Shanmugam, UN.
Read UN’s report on Mr Al-Moualem’s speech here: Al-Moualem, UN.
Read AFP’s report here: US should hit all militants in Syria.

Subscribe
Notify of
68 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
You May Also Like

Civil servants to receive one-off bonus of $500 for SG50

The Public Service Division (PSD) announced on Wednesday that civil servants will…

英相“放任式防疫”反其道而行? 英国民众吓到不敢出门

武汉冠状病毒(COVID-19)疫情肆虐全球,各国对于抗疫过程也绷紧神经,丝毫不敢松懈,采取颜值控管出入境、限制边境、甚至封国封城防疫,然而在英国却选择另类的防疫方式,一开始开启“放任式防疫”,即只有症状严重者才需要做筛检,不再计算感染人数,也不禁止大型集会活动,随即引起各界批评。 直到两天前(16日),英国首相鲍里斯·约翰逊才肯呼吁当地民众,减少非必要外出和与人接触;昨天宣布英国需像“战时政府”一样应对疫情,以及公布经济纾困计划。 目前英国已知确诊病例超过1960例,死亡人数60人。而当局以武汉冠病死亡率仅1巴仙为由,使用的“群体免疫”策略也引来医学界炮轰,但相信此举有助缓解因果医疗系统压力。 然而,在这样“放任式的防疫”下,有居住在英国的网友观察发现,这样的方式可能对英国民众反而凑效。 网友表示,他是从台湾搬到英国,所以也在观察两国的防疫设施,他发现两国的防疫措施上采取截然不同的方式。 对于台湾而言,在疫情开始时便积极准备,步步紧盯,对于每一例都紧密追踪,所以在过去两个与内,其防疫控管做得滴水不漏。 英国不停课、各行业照常营运、不检测 反观英国,在过去几周内确诊病例突然激增,却开始选择不作为的形式来选择防疫,即不取消任何聚会活动、不停课停班、各行各业照常营运、不做检测停止计算感染人数、生病自己在家休息不要到医院也不用通报的方式。 此言一出,也引发了英国陷入大恐慌,也掀起当地的抢购潮。 虽然招来很多的斥责但网友却表示,对于“耳朵一向很硬”,嘴里不停说该来的就会来、keep calm &…

Harvard study: Singapore’s Covid-19 detection capacity the ‘gold standard’ globally

Based on the new study by Harvard University, the approach adopted by…

Upcoming National Day gazetted as Special Event

The Singapore Police Force has declared that the upcoming National Day Parade…