Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I compliment the Tánaiste, who has been very sure-footed on this issue. His analysis both today and previously has been impressive. In addition, the part played by Russia in this regard in recent weeks has been highly constructive. While one may disagree about what the Russians have been doing at the United Nations Security Council, the manner in which they took up the issue of the United Nations becoming involved in putting beyond use chemical weapons was very good. The Tánaiste might comment on how this came about on foot of what some people saw as a faux pas. I watched the press conference at which US Secretary of State, John Kerry, was asked the question by the American journalist to which he gave what I considered to be a realistic and reasonable answer. However, it appears to have got his Administration on the wrong foot. I ask the Tánaiste to comment on that.

With regard to the plight of Christians generally across the Middle East but particularly now in Syria, I attended a conference a week and a half ago at which one of the keynote speakers was a Syrian Christian. When talking to some Christian groups, I have discerned a conflict in respect of supporting regimes which are known to be far from benevolent but which are very oppressive. Nevertheless, because of their secularist approach Christians at least have been able to survive under such administrations. However, under some Middle Eastern Islamist-led governments, they have become subjected to murder and persecution.

My question arises from comments made at that conference, but also from observations I myself have made. How is it that no politicians in any country, particularly Christian countries, are standing up to raise the plight of the Christians or doing anything to protect them? It is a travesty, right across the Middle East. Why is that the case? In that regard, would the Minister welcome that Pope Francis, on 7 September, held a day of prayer and fasting for peace and for all those who have been persecuted, particularly in Syria?

My other question is to do with the fragility, in particular, of Jordan and Lebanon, and of Turkey and Iraq, which are mentioned as well. Having visited two refugee camps adjacent, in both countries, to the Syrian border, I was struck by the fact that the international community should be endeavouring to achieve a situation, working with both sides in the Syrian conflict, in which no-conflict areas are established within Syria but adjacent to other countries where international refugee camps could be established, so that at least there would not be the overspill into neighbouring countries which, in many ways, we would look to as templates for what we would like to see happening in many of the conflict areas in the Middle East. Both Jordan and Lebanon could be models driving international policy.

Geneva II has been mentioned. I wonder if the Minister would comment on the concerns mentioned by some of the opposition advocacy groups in Syria that the opposition leaders in Syria may well be reluctant to become involved in these negotiations as they feel let down by the new accord between the United States and Russia. Some of the jingoistic language that was being used, particularly from the American side, probably gave expectations to the opposition that the Assad regime would be attacked and, from the point of view of the conflict, they would have welcomed that. Will their reaction in some way now be contrary to constructive participation in the Geneva II process? In that regard, the free Syria media have issued comments to the effect that refugees, both within Syria and displaced into other countries, share that view also.

At the conference I mentioned, I was interested to hear the views of a former European Commissioner who in recent years had met President Bashar al-Assad and the military and come away with the view that Assad was really a puppet for the military regime. The former Commissioner was of the view that, similar to the situation in Egypt, unless one can get to the military and involve it in negotiations, there may not be a way of achieving direct involvement to reach agreement. I would be interested in the Minister's view in that regard.