Russia-Established Humanitarian Pause in Eastern Ghouta
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
On Monday, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu announced a daily five-hour humanitarian pause in Eastern Ghouta, beginning February 27.
Syria agreed to observe it, including a humanitarian corridor linking Eastern Ghouta with Damascus – enforced by Russian military police and Syrian military forces.
Buses are being provided for transport. A mobile medical station will provide immediate care as needed.
Will the plan work? Not easily, for sure. After failed late 2016 efforts in Aleppo, a similar plan succeeded in enabling trapped residents to leave.
A deal was struck with terrorists holding them captive, agreeing to be safely transported to Idlib locations. Others wanting to return to normal life were promised pardons.
At the time, Washington, Britain and France blocked a Russian draft Security Council resolution, endorsing the Aleppo humanitarian mission – showing they want endless war, not resolution. Their imperial agenda is unchanged.
It’s unclear whether Eastern Ghouta residents will be as fortunate as Aleppo ones.
Not on Tuesday, according to Russian General Viktor Pankov, saying:
“At 9:00 AM on February 27, a humanitarian corridor was opened for the release of civilians from the (Eastern Ghouta) zone of de-escalation.”
“Currently, militants launched intense shelling and not a single civilian has come out.”
A Syrian military statement was similar, accusing jihadists of preventing trapped Eastern Ghouta residents from leaving.
Russia intends trying to establish another humanitarian corridor for trapped Syrian Rukban refugees, held hostage by US forces illegally occupying At Tanf – a 55 square km area in southeastern Syria near the Iraqi border.
Russia’s General Staff earlier accused the Pentagon of training terrorists at its illegally established At Tanf base – calling the area a staging ground for US armed struggle against Syrian sovereign independence.
According to Russian General Staff chief General Valery Gerasimov, US special forces airlifted ISIS terrorists from Deir Ezzor to At Tanf.
The area is a heavily guarded US exclusion zone, terrorists trained to use heavy weapons, including tanks, large-caliber mortars, HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems, as well as anti-aircraft artillery and missiles – for use against government and allied troops.
Over 60,000 Rukban camp refugees lack essentials to life, US forces blocking humanitarian aid. Pentagon/CIA-supported terrorists infest the camp.
Refugees are being recruited to combat their government. Russia hopes to establish a humanitarian corridor for them to “freely return to their home and to peaceful life.”
Earlier attempts by Russian and Syrian humanitarian convoys to reach the camp were blocked by US forces.
They’ll likely try preventing a Russian humanitarian corridor to end their suffering.
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