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STORY: UN / SYRIA US JEFFREY
TRT: 1:35
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 22 NOVEMBER 2019, NEW YORK CITY
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, UNHQ exterior
22 NOVEMBER 2019, NEW YORK CITY
2. Pan left, Jeffrey approaching stakeout
3. SOUNDBITE (English) James Franklin Jeffrey, Special Representative for Syria Engagement, United States:
“I met with UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen earlier today. We consider him the architect of this. It’s an extraordinary diplomatic achievement that we want to honour, and as well as having other contacts up here. But at the same time, the US wants to work with the United Nations to move this political process forward. We have an opportunity with this first step to execute UN resolution 2254 which is now, next month, four years old with very little progress until this launch.”
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
4. Close up, journalist’s notes
22 NOVEMBER 2019, NEW YORK CITY
5. SOUNDBITE (English) James Franklin Jeffrey, Special Representative for Syria Engagement, United States:
“Let me be clear, the United States supports Israel’s right to self-defence, and that includes supporting Israel’s acting in its self-defence. We’ve made this clear to everybody, including the Russians, and through them we believe it’s been passed on to the Syrians.”
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
6. Close up, camera
22 NOVEMBER 2019, NEW YORK CITY
7. SOUNDBITE (English) James Franklin Jeffrey, Special Representative for Syria Engagement, United States:
“The oil belongs, in the Syrian constitution, to the Syrian people. Elements of the Syrian people are now exploiting those oil fields, gaining revenue from those oil fields. We think it’s important that that continues unchallenged by Da’esh or other actors. That’s what we are doing in the north-east as concerns that particular economic asset.”
8. Pan right, Jeffrey leaving stakeout
The United States Special Representative for Syria said the launch of the UN-facilitated Constitutional Committee is an “extraordinary diplomatic achievement,” adding that “we have an opportunity with this first step to execute UN resolution 2254 which is now, next month, four years old with very little progress until this launch.”
Speaking to reporters in New York today (22 Nov), James Jeffrey said he wanted to give credit to the UN for the launch of the Syrian Constitutional Committee describing UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen as the “architect” of this achievement. He said the US wanted to work with United Nations to move this political process forward, adding that the current situation in Syria was concerning to all.
Jeffrey said the Syrian Government launched an SS-21 missile yesterday, which is normally used for nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction, against a hospital and IDP camp in Idlib and stressed that such actions much stop. He emphasized the need for a nationwide ceasefire starting in Idlib.
The US Special Representative said Iran was introducing long range weapons systems into the theatre of operation, mainly Syria, and as such is threating US allies, including Israel and Saudi Arabia. He said the US “supports Israel’s right to self-defence, and that includes supporting Israel’s acting in its self-defence. We’ve made this clear to everybody, including the Russians, and through them we believe it’s been passed on to the Syrians.”
Asked about President Trump’s stated strategy of seizing the oil fields in north-eastern Syria, Jeffrey said he had every belief that the strategy was in fact legal. He said the US military’s mission is to remain and ensure that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is a viable player in the fight against Da’esh, which requires maintaining control of these oil fields. He added that this would keep the fields out of the hands of Da’esh and other nefarious actors in Syria.
Asked about the revenue being generated from the oil fields, the US Special Representative said, “The oil belongs, in the Syrian constitution, to the Syrian people. Elements of the Syrian people are now exploiting those oil fields, gaining revenue from those oil fields. We think it’s important that that continues unchallenged by Da’esh or other actors. That’s what we are doing in the north-east as concerns that particular economic asset.”
