Putin Dubs Syria Strike an ‘Act of Aggression against a Sovereign State,’ Recalls Earlier ‘Outrages’

FROM EIR DAILY ALERT

Putin Dubs Syria Strike an ‘Act of Aggression against a Sovereign State,’ Recalls Earlier ‘Outrages’

April 14, 2018 (EIRNS)—Russia’s President Vladimir Putin denounced the April 13-14 overnight attacks on Syria as an “act of aggression against a sovereign state,” and said that “Just as one year ago, when the Shayrat Airbase in Syria came under attack [on April 7, 2017], the U.S. used as a pretext a staged chemical attack against civilians, this time in Douma, a Damascus suburb.”

Putin pointed out the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) had dispatched its experts to Syria, but that “in a sign of cynical disdain, a group of Western countries decided to take military action without waiting for the results of the investigation. Russia condemns in the strongest possible terms the attack against Syria, where Russian military personnel are assisting the legitimate government in its counterterrorism efforts. Through its actions, the U.S. makes the already catastrophic humanitarian situation in Syria even worse and brings suffering to civilians. In fact, the U.S. panders to the terrorists who have been tormenting the Syrian people for seven years, leading to a wave of refugees fleeing this country and the region.

“The current escalation around Syria is destructive for the entire system of international relations. History will set things right, and Washington already bears the heavy responsibility for the bloody outrage in Yugoslavia, Iraq and Libya.”

Russia’s Ambassador in Washington Anatoly Antonov said in a late-night statement April 13, shortly after the attack, posted to the Embassy’s Twitter account:

“The worst apprehensions have come true. Our warnings have been left unheard.

“A pre-designed scenario is being acted on. Again, we are being threatened. We warned that such actions will not be left without consequences.

“All responsibility for them rests with Washington, London and Paris. Insulting the President of Russia is unacceptable and inadmissible. The U.S.—the possessor of the biggest arsenal of chemical weapons—has no moral right to blame other countries.”