August 28, 2014 - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today released the following statement:
“Canada strongly condemns the capture of United Nations military personnel from the UN Disengagement Observer Force [UNDOF], as well as the forced restrictions of movement by armed opposition forces in the Golan Heights.
“We are appalled at the brazen attack on this important operation, and we call on all parties to respect the impartiality of UN peacekeepers and their freedom of movement, safety and security.
“The Assad regime is solely to blame for the spiralling violence and the diminished security situation. It continues to wage a war on its own people while terrorist groups operate freely within its borders.
“We call on all parties to bring a swift end to this war, which has led to so much death and destruction and continues to pose a real threat to the security and stability of the entire region.”
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