Russian Foreign Ministry on Syria and RT America
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)
There’s good news and bad in Syria. Despite attempts to disrupt the Astana peace process, talks continue making incremental progress - short of a significant breakthrough, Washington the main obstacle, continuing to stoke conflict, opposing resolution.
Russian aerial and naval operations “are tasked with stopping the terrorists and causing them maximum damage,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova explained.
“These tasks are being successfully carried out. The terrorists are suffering serious losses in manpower and equipment.”
Washington continues supporting ISIS and other terrorist groups in the country it claims to oppose. Its actions prove otherwise.
Only one policy is acceptable, said Zakharova - “the establishment of practical coordination and interaction in the fight against terrorists and honest and mutually respectful cooperation in facilitating a political settlement in Syria as soon as possible based on UN Security Council Resolution 2254.”
“For our part, we are ready for this, as we have repeatedly said and confirmed in practice.” Washington has other ideas, why liberating Syria entirely remains elusive.
The Trump administration has been blocking humanitarian aid from reaching over 60,000 displaced Syrians for months, enduring deplorable conditions in the Rukban refugee camp - “in the so-called security zone arbitrarily established by the US military around al-Tanf in southern Syria,” Zakharova explained, adding:
“(T)his state of affairs is absolutely unacceptable.” Moscow welcomes Syrian Foreign Minister al-Moallem’s outreach to the nation’s Kurdish people, willing to discuss their self-governance once ISIS is defeated.
An initiative to facilitate humanitarian access in areas badly needing it was established. Russia leads the effort to aid Syrians devastated by US aggression. More help is needed.
US demanding a company providing services to RT America register as a foreign agent is unacceptable.
“On the one hand, this is clearly a policy of double standards. It could be categorized as one, if the situation wasn’t in fact far more serious, multilayered and complex,” said Zakharova.
“(D)emands placed on RT and Sputnik contradict the principles of freedom of speech…guaranteed by the US Constitution.”
US actions may result in “serious legal consequences, and pose risks to” their staff by requiring disclosure of operating data and personal information about their employees.
Accusing RT and Sputnik of spreading Russian propaganda is malicious rubbish, typical of how America and its complicit major media operate.
Washington’s intelligence community found no evidence suggesting RT and Sputnik report fake news or interfered in America’s presidential election.
“(T)here is not a single item of so-called fake news distributed by Russian (media) in the US,” Zakharova stressed.
“They couldn’t find one. It just doesn’t exist. It’s another matter if there was something they didn’t like. Still, they could not provide any evidence to support the accusations.”
Gratuitous vilification of Russia, its officials and English-language media persist, along with other hostile actions, Washington heading recklessly toward direct confrontation.
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