US should keep in mind Russia’s reaction to airstrike on Syria, expert says

MOSCOW, April 14. /TASS/. The United States should keep in mind Russia’s reaction to the recent US missile strike on the Syrian government’s air base and avoid making similar moves in the future, a senior Russian political and security expert told TASS.

"If the United States continues its practices of delivering sudden airstrikes, it would undermine the possibility of teaming up. I hope the US take our reaction into account and avoid such actions in the future. That’s why we are reinstating the memorandum on mutual warning," Mikhail Fradkov, a former chief of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) and the director of the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, said commenting on the results of US top diplomat Rex Tillerson’s visit to Moscow.

"If the United States and their allies evade unbiased probes into the use of chemical weapons, it would indicate that a malicious intent took place (on their behalf). And the global community should make certain conclusions. (An investgiation) into this matter should be fully accomplished, until all circumstances are totally clear," the expert added.

"If the pretext that the United States used to bring the matter of the chemical weapons use in Syria before the UN Security Council turns out to be false, the entire framework of the global security will be put into question," Fradkov said. "This must be avoided."

On April 7, US President Donald Trump ordered a strike on Syria’s Shayrat military air base located in the Homs Governorate. The attack, involving 59 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM), came as a response to the alleged use of chemical weapons in the Idlib Governorate on April 4. The US authorities believe that the airstrike on Idlib was launched from the Shayrat air base.

On April 12, Russia blocked a Western resolution in the UN Security Council that condemns the purported use of chemical weapons in Idlib and demands that the Damascus government submit information on all of its aerial activities on the day of the incident.

Speaking after the vote, Russia’s deputy UN envoy Vladimir Safronkov said the adoption of the resolution would de-facto mean the legitimization of the US strike that was carried out in breach of international laws. He added that Moscow favors an unbiased probe into the reported attack, while the West fears that an objective investigation may reveal attempts to tamper with the chemical weapons issue.