Ignatius Aphrem II:

I will because there were a couple of questions addressed directly to me. First, I do not agree that Ireland is a small country that cannot do much. It can do a lot. There is a saying related to Gaelic football, that it is important to get the points and not to worry about the goals, that the goals can come later. We can start, little by little, which is very important.

I agree with the points made about the cessation of war and the need for dialogue and respect for difference. That is also our mission and our demand. We want a new Syria, a Syria for all Syrians that respects diversity and gives a chance to all Syrians to serve their country. However, we do not think that having an opposition that is armed will help Syria. No country in the world would accept an opposition, moderate or otherwise, that is armed and killing people. I said there should be no more use of the word "opposition" because, as President Obama said, it is a fantasy. That said, President Obama and the US Government trained thousands of people and spent $500 million on the so-called "moderate" opposition but they all joined Daesh and al-Nusra, except for five or six individuals. I say this on the basis of US reports and information. It is not my information but comes from the US administration.