Monday, August 26, 2013

Russia warns US of ‘extremely dangerous’ fallout of strike on Syria

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned the United States against the ‘extremely dangerous consequences’ of military action against Syria. Lavrov made the remarks during a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday. “Sergei Lavrov drew attention to the extremely dangerous consequences of a possible new military intervention for the whole Middle East and North Africa region,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. It added that Moscow was “deeply alarmed” by Washington’s statement about its readiness to intervene in Syria. Foreign Minister Lavrov urged restraint during the conversation with John Kerry, the statement said. US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on August 23 that the Pentagon was positioning military forces as part of “contingency options” provided to US President Barack Obama regarding Syria. France and the Israeli regime have also called for military action against the government of President Bashar al-Assad. Hagel’s comments have been interpreted as a tacit suggestion that the US may be preparing for a military strike on Syria. The US defense secretary repeated similar remarks on Sunday during a visit to Malaysia. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in a recent interview with the Russian newspaper Izvestia that any military intervention by the US would end in “failure.” The United Nations says over 100,000 people have been killed and a total of 7.8 million of others displaced due to the turmoil that has gripped Syria since March 2011.

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