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US, British, French Special Forces “Directly Involved” in Syria War

The US coalition is “illegitimate” from the standpoint of international law and the UN Charter, Lavrov said. “But we are realistic and understand that we wouldn’t fight with them. So we coordinate actions at least to prevent unintended clashes”
Sergey Lavrov
Sergey Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has condemned the illegal presence of US coalition troops in Syria, saying the western forces deployed on the ground amount to “a direct involvement in the war.”

“There are special forces on the ground in Syria from the US–they no longer deny it–the UK, France and a number of other countries,” Lavrov said in an interview to the Kazakh state broadcaster published on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s website on Saturday. “Thus, it’s not so much of a ‘proxy war,’ but rather a direct involvement in the war,” the diplomat stressed, RT reported.

The US coalition is “illegitimate” from the standpoint of international law and the UN Charter, Lavrov said. “But we are realistic and understand that we wouldn’t fight with them. So we coordinate actions at least to prevent unintended clashes. Our military always keeps in touch with the American commanders who lead the operation on Syrian territory.”

Moscow is also in “a permanent dialogue” with the US General Staff officials “who actually lead the operation on the ground,” the minister said.

Lavrov also stressed attacks on the Syrian and pro-Syrian forces in US-controlled areas deserve condemnation, given that Russia has been repeatedly and “solemnly” assured that the presence of the US military in Syria is aimed “exclusively” at fighting terrorists.

Lavrov criticized the remarks by the US envoy to the UN, Nikki Haley, about Washington’s readiness to “bomb Damascus and even the presidential palace of Bashar Assad, regardless [of the] presence of the Russian representatives there.”

“It is an absolutely irresponsible statement,” Lavrov said.

  US Prepared Militants for Chemical Attacks

Meanwhile, the Russian General Staff has said provocations by US-trained militants groups using chemical weapons will serve as a pretext for the United States to attack Syria, and Moscow has seen corresponding preparatory moves, including the formation of naval strike groups, Sputnik reported.

“We note the evidence of preparation for possible attacks. Strike groups of naval carriers with cruise missiles are being formed in the Eastern part of the Mediterranean, in the Persian Gulf and in the Red Sea,” chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the Russian General Staff Col. Gen. Sergey Rudskoy said.

He stressed that it is unclear, who the US wants to support in this case, Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists or their allies terrorizing Eastern Ghouta.

According to Rudskoy, militants of the al-Nusra Front from Eastern Ghouta have recently intensified the shelling of Damascus, the army is now conducting operations to eliminate the terrorists.

“Jabhat al-Nusra militants along with the White Helmets are preparing a staged chemical attack in the Alghabit and Kalbb Lusa communities situated 25 km (15 miles) to the North-West of Idlib. There are 20 chlorine containers in their possession,” said the Russian General Staff.

The General assured that such an incident would be widely broadcasted in foreign media.

“In the area of the city of At-Tanf, American instructors have prepared several groups of militants to carry out provocations in the south of Syria,” said Rudskoy.

According to Rudskoy, the toxic agents have been delivered to southern Syria under the guise of a humanitarian aid convoy.

Rudskoy noted that the provocations were also aimed at creating a pretext for US strikes against Syrian government.

 

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