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Bert Koenders (Photo: Rijksoverheid.nl/Wikimedia Commons)
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Bert Koenders (Photo: Rijksoverheid.nl/Wikimedia Commons)
Friday, 18 December 2015 - 16:20
Netherlands hits back at "completely absurd" Assad assertions
Minister Bert Koenders of Foreign Affairs thinks that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's statements that the Netherlands will be violating international law if the government decides to start bombing terrorist organization ISIS in Syria is "completely absurd".
The Minister told broadcaster NOS that it is "absurd" that a man guilty of "throwing bombs on his own nation, mass murder and the large numbers of refugees" is trying to lecture the Netherlands about what is and is not allowed under international law.
Defense Minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert agrees with Koenders. She thinks it's high time that Assad himself starts following international law. According to her there is indeed a legal mandate for bombing ISIS targets in Syria.