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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Russia both ‘arsonist and fireman' in Syria crisis, top U.S. general says |
| 2018-03-01 |
| [Wash Times] Russia is either unwilling or unable to halt the violence in Syria’s bloody civil war, the top U.S. military commander in the Middle East told Congress on Tuesday, warning that Moscow’s support of the Syrian military’s recent bombardment of rebel-held areas has pushed a peace deal further beyond reach. Gen. Joseph Votel, who heads U.S. Central Command, told the House Armed Services Committee that Moscow is trying to be both "arsonist and fireman" in Syria as part of an apparent strategy to extend its influence over the nation’s future. A five-hour truce called by Russian President Vladimir Putin to allow civilians to flee a besieged, opposition-held enclave near Damascus failed to result in aid deliveries or medical evacuations Tuesday, while fighting in the region continued unabated, The Associated Press reported. The United Nations and aid agencies criticized the unilateral arrangement for a daily "humanitarian pause" announced by Mr. Putin, saying it gave no guarantees of safety for tens of thousands of residents of eastern Ghouta, where they have been trapped for weeks under intense attack by the Syrian government. Gen. Votel said Moscow had only halfheartedly promoted the truce while the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad called the Ghouta campaign a "counterterrorism operation" that was carried out with Moscow’s blessing. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #1 |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2018-03-01 07:51 |