‘Best Gift to Terrorists’ would be US Boycott of Syria Peace Effort - Moscow

Local Editor

The US' refusal to cooperate with Russia would be a real "gift" to terrorists in Syria, on a par with its failure to separate "moderates" from terrorists and the recent airstrike against Syrian army, Moscow said in response to a barrage of criticism from Washington.

US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power accused the Syrian and Russian governments of carrying out a "soul-shattering" air campaign in Aleppo, saying that their anti-terror efforts would only lead to more "radicalization" and a greater refugee flow out of Syria.

"What they are doing is a gift to [Daesh] and [al-Nusra Front], the groups that they claim that they want to stop," Power said Thursday.

This outburst by the US led Moscow to express puzzlement, with Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova saying that it is the US who is offering "gifts" to terrorists.

Commenting on the diplomatic deadlock, Zakharova recalled how Washington denied the existence of terrorists in Syria until the fact became too obvious, and the US had to switch the narrative to accusing Russia and Damascus of bombing so-called "moderates."

"The best gift [to terrorists] would be Washington's refusal to cooperate with Russia on Syria's settlement."

"If Washington's threat to terminate interaction is formalized, then there will be no doubt left that White House has taken militants under its wing, and the sun shines down the terrorist street," Zakharova added.

The latest seven-day truce in Syria brokered by US and Russia expired on September 19 - two days after a US-led coalition airstrike on Syrian army positions near Daesh [ISIS/ISIL] frontline at Deir Ezzor killed over 60 soldiers.

On Thursday, Moscow offered to impose 48-hour ‘breaks' in military operations in Aleppo instead of week-long ceasefires, and once again voiced hope that Washington would finally honor their obligations and separate the so-called "moderate rebels" which they support from terrorist units on the ground.

Meanwhile, the US is seriously considering a non-diplomatic solution to the crisis, with Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken telling the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that President Barack Obama had asked staff to look at how Washington might respond.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team