Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

As Aleppo Bleeds…Moscow, They Are Terrorists | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
Select Page
Media ID: 55350124
Caption:

A man crosses the Al-Haj highway, which is closed because of sniper fire by forces loyal to Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad, in Aleppo, January 20, 2015. REUTERS/Jalal Al-Mamo


Moscow- Russia, yesterday, stepped up its defense bolstering the Syrian regime by excusing the butchering committed by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s administration in Aleppo.

As the largest city in Syria bleeds out, Russia’s deputy minister of foreign affairs Gennady M. Gatilov, in an interview with the Russian Interfax news outlet, went out saying that Moscow does not intend to pressure Assad’s government concerning the massacres in Aleppo. Gatilov labeled the murders ravaging Aleppo as a “war launched against terrorists.”

When asked on the Syrian Opposition’s High Negotiations Committee(HNC) threatening to walk out on the political process in Geneva if Assad’s military campaign does not cease operations in Aleppo, and on whether Moocow will use its influence on Assad’s regime after facing the HNC threats; Gatilov denied.

“We will not practice any pressure since there should be an understanding that what is happening is to square up to terrorism; and such an argument is not, to an extent, to determine the fate of the negotiations, because the U.N. Security Council’s resolution has supported the Vienna joint statement on ceasefire which also gave emphasis to the war on terrorism carrying on, and defined clearly the enemy in that case, whether it be Al-Nusra Front or ISIS,” he said.

Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper received word from a well-informed source attending the Geneva talks, who only spoke, under the condition of anonymity, that Moscow wants any operation conducted by the U.S. military aircrafts in Syria to first seek approval of Assad’s regime.

The source confirmed that he heard particular well-involved figureheads at the talks saying that Russia is saving no effort in pushing the U.S. towards opening up to authorities in Damascus (Assad’s administration) and staging out a collaborative mechanism under the slogan of “confronting terrorist groups.”