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Western-instigated war created refugee crisis: Analyst

A Syrian woman reacts as she arrives with other refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos, after crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey, October 18, 2015. (Photo by AFP)

Press TV has interviewed Ryan Dawson, a human rights activist in Nara, Japan, to discuss the recent remarks by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon about the humanitarian situation in Syria.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: Four million people have, in the words of the UN Chief, fled the ongoing conflict in Syria. Those are serious numbers.

Dawson: Yes; and it is very difficult to deal with such a crisis but what else are these people to do? They have terrorists all over Syria that are murdering civilians, so they are running for their lives. This is different than a lot of asylum seekers or some refugees who are just looking for better work or better place to live or better social benefits. These are people running away from a war, where foreign intelligence agencies have backed mercenaries in their country to kill people.

Press TV: Ban Ki-moon has expressed concern for those suffering from the war on Syria. Of course, one fact that cannot be denied is that the international community, the United Nations and certain donor countries have failed to live up to their obligations and promises when it comes to aiding the Syrian people.

Dawson: Well, they are trying to do two things at once. They want to aid the Syrian people. You know, a lot of these states are backing ISIL and the other terrorists at the same time.

So, the governments need to get their policies straight. Either you are going to fight the terrorists or you are not. You have to expect refugees if you are going to continue to back these rebel groups. Whether you call them moderate or not, everybody knows the facts on the ground. That has to end. They are starting the story in the middle. There would not be a refugee crisis if there was not a war and there would not be a war without support of foreign states.


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