Putin Warns West: Intervention in Iran, Syria Catastrophic
Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and expected new President warned Monday against a military intervention in Syria and an attack on Iran.
In an article published in the Moscow News daily, Putin accused the West "of backing the Arab Spring revolts to advance its interests in the region."
As the article outlined Putin's foreign policy platform ahead of next Sunday's election, Putin stated that "instead of promoting democracy the Arab Spring had given rise to religious extremism."
Putin defended a Russia-China veto of a United Nations resolution condemning Syrian leadership, Putin affirmed that "Moscow wouldn't allow the replay of what happened in Libya."
"Learning from that bitter experience, we are against any UN Security Council resolutions that could be interpreted as a signal for a military interference into domestic processes in Syria," Putin said.
He said that any attempt to launch a military action without a UN approval would undermine the world body's role and hurt global security.
"I strongly hope that the United States and other nations will learn from the sad experience and wouldn't try to resort to a forceful scenario in Syria," Putin said. "I can't understand that bellicose itch."
The Russian PM called "both the government and opposition forces to pull out of populated areas to end bloodshed," pointing out that the "Western refusal to demand that from al-Assad's opponents was cynical."
"It seems that in countries that went through the Arab Spring - just as had been the case in Iraq - Russia ended up losing its position on local markets that it had worked on developing for decades," said Putin.
"One can get the idea that these tragic events were to a certain extent stimulated not by concern for human rights but by someone's market interests."
Putin also issued a stark warning against strikes on Iran over its nuclear program.
"Russia is unquestionably worried about the mounting threat of a military strike against this country," said Putin.
"If this happens, then the consequences will be truly catastrophic. Their real extent will be impossible to imagine."
Source: News Agencies, Edited by moqawama.org
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