by Hummam Sheikh Ali, Wang Jian
HASAKAH, Syria, May 23 (NNN-XINHUA) – Syrians slammed a recent Pentagon inquiry, which rejects accusation that the United States covered up civilian deaths in Syria, saying, the United States has been targeting civilians in Syria for a long time.
In the government-controlled parts of the north-eastern province of Hasakah, where the United States has several bases in the Kurdish-controlled zones, Syrians expressed dismay and anger, at the Pentagon’s claims that U.S. forces were not responsible for a massacre, that took place in the town of Baghouz in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour, in 2019.
They accused the United States of violating human rights, stealing Syrian resources and endangering the lives of civilians.
Many had even witnessed innocent civilians living in northern and north-eastern Syria being killed by U.S. strikes, targeting Daesh-controlled areas.
Ghaleb al-Anzi, a displaced man from the countryside of Deir al-Zour, told Xinhua, the United States doesn’t care about protecting civilians in Syria, since he had witnessed what it did.
He said, civilians in Deir al-Zour had been targeted by all kinds of weapons fired by the U.S. in wars ostensibly targeting the Daesh, but which destructed homes and infrastructure, displaced civilians and killed many more.
Al-Anzi said the United States struck Baghouz without a flinch.
“There is no law in the U.S. Army to protect civilians. Everyone is targeted by the United States which uses heavy and light and all kinds of weapons. The United States doesn’t abide by anything called human rights … As Syrian citizens, we are all targeted by the U.S,” al-Anzi said.
Abdulkarim Dlaimy, another displaced man living in Hasakah, told Xinhua, he was displaced because of the U.S. strikes in north Syria, adding, there is no safety in U.S.-controlled areas.
Dlaimy said, the United States spearheaded the massacre in Baghouz, which was targeted by the U.S.-led coalition.
He slammed the U.S. claim of protecting civilians, saying that, the United States should have opened safe passages for civilians to flee Daesh-controlled areas, before sending barrages of gunfire to kill all living things on the ground.
“If the United States came to protect the civilians, it would have withdrawn from Syria because as long as the United States stays here, there will be no protection for the civilians,” he added.
Ghassan Khalil, the governor of Hasakah, told Xinhua, the U.S. had levelled several towns in the northern and north-eastern Syria, without any consideration for the civilians living there.
“The U.S. presence in Syria is illegitimate. They created illegitimate bases and also prisons. They stole the harvests of wheat and the oil reserves and practiced all kinds of things that run against the people’s rights in the eastern region,” he said.
“The practices of the U.S. occupiers are hostile and are incompatible with the international law,” he stressed.
The New York Times had reported that, the U.S. Air Force carried out a raid, on Mar 18, 2019, on a camp housing the families of Daesh terrorist fighters in the Baghouz area of Deir al-Zour, killing nearly 70 civilians, including women and children. However, the Pentagon claimed that most of the killed were Daesh fighters.
Pentagon spokesman, John Kirby, said in his press conference that, 52 Daesh fighters were killed in the raid, including one boy. He said that four civilians – a woman and three children – were also killed.
He said that, 15 civilians – 11 women and four children – were wounded, adding that, investigation did not conclude that any person should be held responsible.– NNN-XINHUA
