Douma attack a horrific crime: PM

Manama : Bahrain’s Cabinet, chaired by His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, strongly condemned the chemical attack on Douma, East Ghouta, Syria yesterday. 

Describing the attack as a horrific crime, HRH the Premier urged rapid action by the international community to stop such tragedies and to protect civilians across the Syrian territories, in accordance with relevant international resolutions.

The weekly Cabinet session was held at Gudaibiya Palace. 

According to rescuers and medics in Douma, the suspected attack over the weekend killed at least 60 people and injured more than 1,000. 

However, the Syrian regime and its ally Russia have rejected claims of an attack, with Moscow arguing against jumping to any “dangerous” conclusions.

Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry, in a statement issued earlier, stressed the need to speed up efforts to protect civilians throughout the Syrian territory and to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis based on the principles of the Geneva Declaration (1) and UN Security Council Resolution 2254, thus guaranteeing Syria’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.

Council of Shura also expressed strong condemnation of the chemical attack and called for “intensifying international efforts to stop this barbaric war”. 

The statement urged to exert extra efforts to protect the civilians from armed conflicts and to provide access to deliver humanitarian aid to innocent people. 

The General Secretariat of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also expressed its denunciation of the attack using internationally banned chemical weapons in Eastern Ghouta Region of Damascus. 

The OIC considered the attack as falling within the act of a war crime and a crime against humanity. OIC Secretary General, Dr Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen denounced the Syrian regime’s insistence on continuing to bomb residential neighbourhoods and targeting unarmed civilians.

Al-Othaimeen confirmed the OIC’s position endorsed by the resolutions of the Islamic Summit and ministerial meetings in support of a political solution to the Syrian crisis in the context of the Geneva Declaration I and the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, including 2254 of 2015 and 2401 of 2018. 

F1 success hailed 

The outstanding success of the Formula 1 Grand Prix races, hosted by Bahrain was hailed by Prime Minister HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa yesterday. 

Praising the 14th edition of the Bahrain Grand Prix race’s outstanding preparation, organisation and massive turnout, HRH the PM extended profound congratulations to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier. 

The recent race, Prince Khalifa said, has affirmed the Kingdom’s success in organising F1 events, and “promoted it as a major host of such a popular sport.”