PRESS RELEASE

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Lavrov: U.S. Applying Double Standards to Iraq and Syria

Dec. 2, 2016 (EIRNS)—Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov blasted the U.S. Administration, again, for failing to keep its promise to separate the jihadis from the "moderate" opposition. Actually, it’s now clear that the Russians and the Syrian military are accomplishing that task, as among the thousands of people that have fled out of jihadi held areas of Aleppo are, according to the Russian reconciliation center in Latakia, about 500 militants who have decided that there’s no future in staying with the jihadis.

"The task the Americans once pledged to cope with—to separate the moderate opposition from Jabhat al-Nusra has remained unresolved,"

Lavrov said, while in Antalya, Turkey, yesterday. From there, he went on to expose the double standards of the United States and its allies. In Iraq, these powers are calling on civilians to get out of Mosul so that they don’t get caught in the crossfire, but in Aleppo, they accuse the Syrian army of driving civilians out of the jihadi-held districts.

"A double standard is quite obvious. In either case terrorists in Iraq’s Mosul and in Syria’s Aleppo use civilians as a human shield," Lavrov said. "But we’ve helped the Syrian authorities upset terrorists’ attempts to block the exit of civilians from eastern Aleppo and even the exit of militants who were prepared to quit positions where Jabhat al-Nusra is in the commanding position," Lavrov said. "Many hundreds of civilians have managed to get out, including 500 militants from various groups that have broken with Jabhat al-Nusra."