Contents tagged with Syria
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Samantha Power criticizes Russia for calling emergency Security Council meeting
US Permanent Representative to the UN Samantha Power heavily criticized the Russian initiative to hold an emergency Security Council conference on Saturday to discuss an incident connected with the air raid on Deir ez-Zor, during which 62 Syrian soldiers were killed. The US claims that positions of the so-called Islamic State were targeted, and the deaths of the Syrian soldiers was an accident. Power has told reporters that Russia's actions are a ruse, the real purpose of which is to distract …
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US reconnaissance planes circles over Russia's bases in Syria
On Saturday, a US reconnaissance plane flew a short distance from Russia’s Hmeymim air base in the Syrian province of Latakia. It also approached the the logistics facilities of the Russian Navy in Syria's Tartus. The information was published by the web sites that track the movements of military aircraft. The P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine aircraft of the US Navy with registration number 168858 took off from the Sigonella air base in Sicily. Within an hour, the aircraft was flying over the …
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Putin says he hopes the US will stick to its commitments in Syria
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he hopes the US will stick to its commitments in Syria, Reuters reported. Putin noted that he believes the US and Russia share a common interest in securing a truce in the war torn country.
While Moscow insists that Russian airstrikes in Syria are carried out primarily against extremist groups, including but not limited to the so-called Islamic State, Washington has accused Russia of targeting US-backed rebel groups.
Putin told reporters in Bishkek on …
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US/Russia-backed Syrian ceasefire to begin at sundown
A country-wide ceasefire in Syria is scheduled to begin at sundown on Monday (approximately 12:00 EST). The United States and Russia both agreed to the parameters of the ceasefire, which call on the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to cease all combat operations against rebel groups. By doing so, Moscow and Washington hope to map out which areas are held by extremist forces such as the so-called Islamic State, and which are not.
US Secretary of State John Kerry, while announcing the …
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Putin: Russia knew about Turkey's operations in Syria
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that sending Turkish troops to Syria was not a surprise for Russia. He stated this after the G20 Summit in Hangzhou.
“As for the surprises, we’ve got the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and special services for such cases, to have fewer surprises. In principle, we understood what was happening, and where it all led. Everything is visible: movements, aspirations, even the problems happening in the very same Turkey due to the events in Syria are visible,” Putin …
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Russia refuses to recognize UN Commission's conclusions on chemical weapons in Syria
Russia supported its ally Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at the UN Security Council on August 30 in New York. Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN Vitaly Churkin refused to accept the facts provided in the report of the UN and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
After the meeting of the UN Security Council, he rejected the US and other countries demands to condemn the chemical attacks and punish al-Assad's regime for the use of chemical weapons. The …
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NATO's involvement in the fight against ISIS will weaken airspace control over Eastern Europe
NATO’s participation in the fight against the so-called Islamic State will lead to a loosening of NATO airspace control in eastern and central Europe, the DPA news agency reported on Saturday, August 27, citing sources in military circles.
According to the agency, the alliance does not have enough AWACS radio detection aircraft systems to comply with US demands to continue the fight against the so-called Islamic State, without reducing activity in the other areas. Therefore, military experts …
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Lavrov: Russia prevented a US attack on Syria in 2013
According to an article published by TASS, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Russia prevented the USA’s attack on Syria in 2013 by convincing the President of the Syrian Arab Republic Bashar al-Assad to abandon the use of chemical weapons.
“Of course, the consequences could have been more devastating if Russia had not prevented the USA’s attack on Syria three years ago by convincing al-Assad to rid Syria of its chemical weapons stockpiles,” he said.
On August 15th, the …
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New commander of US forces in Syria issues warning to Russia
The new Commander of the US forces in Syria and Iraq, General Steve Townsend, has warned Moscow and Damascus that the US will protect its special forces in northern Syria if artillery attacks are carried out on areas where their forces are located.
“We have informed Russian servicemen of where we are. Russians have also told us that they have informed the Syrian side of this. I want to emphasize that we will defend ourselves if we feel a threat,” CNN quoted Townsend as saying.
CNN also …
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Yildrim: Turkey is open to allowing Russia to use NATO's Incirlik airbase
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said Ankara would not object to allowing Russia to use the Incirlik airbase to carry out airstrikes against the so-called Islamic State, Anadolu reported.
Responding to question posed by journalists, Yıldırım said Russia has not requested use of the base.
“Turkey opened Incirlik airbase to fight Islamic State terrorists. It is being used by the US and Qatar. Other nations might also wish to use the airbase, which the Germans are also now using,” Yıldırım …