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Conflict in Syria

US seeks to keep 'anti-Assad armed potential' in Syria, says Russian legislator

The US "is once again acting for the terrorists," Alexey Pushkov said

© © AP Photo/Susannah George

MOSCOW, March 5. /TASS/. Accusations from the US that Russia is allegedly failing to comply with the ceasefire provision of the UN Security Council Resolution are an ideological attack reflecting Washington’s political goal - preserving the armed potential to attempt to overthrow the government of Bashar al-Assad, Head of the Federation Council’s Commission for Information Policy and Mass Media Relations Alexey Pushkov told TASS on Monday.

White House Spokeswoman Sarah Sanders claimed on Sunday that Russia had ignored the terms of the UN resolution on ending combat actions in Syria and that led to the deaths of civilians in Eastern Ghouta.

The same terrorists

"As for the substance of the issue, the US should have paid attention to the fact that the [UN Security Council] resolution does not involve the terrorist organizations that, by the way, are recognized as such by the US itself," Pushkov noted. He said he was referring, in particular, to Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham. "This is technically the renamed Jabhat al-Nusra, and changing the order of the addends does not change the sum," he went on to say. "Jabhat al-Nusra is recognized as a terrorist organization, and none of the UN resolution says warfare should be stopped against terrorists," the senator said.

New Aleppo

Besides, the US "is once again acting for the terrorists," he summed up. "All reports coming on the situation around Eastern Ghouta say that civilians are suffering and dying there - which is true," he stated. "But for a certain reason nothing is said about 9,000 to 15,000 excellently trained armed militants stationed there, who are getting ammunition and financing from somewhere," he said.

Read also

Russian Defense Ministry accuses US of ignoring UNSC resolution on Syrian ceasefire

"Who are these financing parties?" the legislator asked. "I believe the US is having a direct role in supporting terrorist and military activity in Eastern Ghouta". "Upon that, they are accusing us of wanting to help the Syrian government to put an end to this activity," he added.

He sees the developments as "the start of a new fight". "We saw the fight for Aleppo, when we were accused of the same thing. Aleppo was liberated and is now getting back to normal life," he said. "Now we have Eastern Ghouta," he added.

According to the senator, a fight is underway "to preserve the enclave of militants that could later be used against the Assad’s government".

"The US has not abandoned its idea to topple the Syrian government, and in this case their ideological attacks reflect this political goal," the senator stressed.

"That is why, the end justifies the means here - the aim is in maintaining the anti-Assad potential in Syria, while as for the means - it’s any accusations targeting Russia and the Syrian government that help keep afloat the militants who are gradually losing ground," he said.

"What is more, for some reason the US is not condemning militants for not letting civilians leave through humanitarian corridors," he stressed.

The sixth humanitarian pause began in Eastern Ghouta at 09:00 local time (19:00 Moscow time) on Sunday. Terrorists continue to hold local residents as a human shield, not letting them cross the humanitarian corridor. Only two children have managed to break free from the besieged area. On Saturday, militants unleashed sniper fire at the humanitarian corridor, wounding three civilians.

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Syrian conflict

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