Russian Foreign Ministry on Syria, Venezuela, CNN Rubbish, and US Targeting Russian Nationals
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova (MZ below) explained that “(h)otbeds of tension remain in areas that are not controlled by the Syrian Government,” notably Idlib (province) and northeastern Syria.”
The same is true in southern areas bordering Iraq and Jordan, notably US-controlled/terrorist infested At Tanf and surrounding areas near the border of both countries.
US military bases in Syria are used as platforms for endless war, waged by US-supported ISIS, al-Nusra, and other jihadists, aided by Pentagon-led terror-bombing.
MZ: Al Nusra terrorists
“continue to shell Syrian government forces’ positions and to attack the Russian Khmeimim air base with attack drones despite the ‘silence regime’ introduced around the Idlib de-escalation zone on August 3.”
In the first 10 days of September, US-supported jihadists launched “over 300 attacks” on government forces, civilians, and Russia’s Khmeimim air base, said MZ, adding:
“(A)bout 50,000 well-armed and experienced terrorists” infest Idlib alone, terrorizing are three million province civilians, holding them hostage — with full support and encouragement from Washington.
“The situation remains volatile in northeastern Syria which is illegally controlled by the United States. The terrorist underground and the so-called ISIS sleeper cells have stepped up their activities as well,” MZ stressed.
While peace, stability and rebuilding is ongoing in parts of war-ravaged Syria, conflict resolution remains unattainable because US hardliners and Israel reject it.
MZ expressed great concern about (US) attempts to further destabilize Venezuela.
Trump regime “plans for a rapid removal of the legitimate – I repeat, legitimate – government of President Nicolas Maduro have failed.”
US sanctions war and other hostile actions harm ordinary Venezuelans most. In cahoots with Trump hardliners, Colombia’s fascist Duque regime permitted CIA and Pentagon elements to train paramilitaries in the country for cross-border attacks.
After the US and OAS puppet regimes it controls invoked the long ago outdated 1947 Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (TIAR), a hostile act, Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza slammed the move, saying:
“We are ready to protect ourselves. We are ready to react We will let no one trample sacred Venezuelan soil. We will respond and hope that never happens.”
Venezuela’s military began exercises to protect areas vulnerable to cross-border attacks from Colombia.
MZ: “We believe (invoking TIAR) can have a dangerous effect on regional security and stability in South America.”
Only 16 of its original 35 member states remain part of the treaty. “Five years ago, in 2014, the Latin American and Caribbean countries proclaimed their region a zone of peace,” said MZ, adding:
“We believe it vitally important that no one rise to the provocation of creating a casus belli. This can meet someone’s interests, but definitely not the interests of Latin Americans.”
Asking Trump regime hardliners to respect international law and cease hostile actions against sovereign Venezuela, Iran, and other countries is an exercise in futility, a waste of time.
CNN is the most distrusted name in television propaganda — masquerading as news. MZ commented on its disinformation report about Russian national Oleg Smolenkov.
Sergey Lavrov said he never met him, saw him, or kept track of his career or movements.
MZ: He “and his family vanished in a foreign country, following which Russia promptly launched criminal proceedings. Two years later, US media reported that the man is staying in the United States,” citing no information verifying it.
CNN’s report was “classic propaganda.” Notoriously Russophobic, it operates as “a (US imperial) tool,” appealing to a know-nothing audience.
MZ explained that Russian national Alexander Korshunov was arrested by Italian authorities in Naples at the Trump regime’s request.
MZ: “We consider the arrest warrant issued by the United States for Korshunov to be a planned provocation,” adding:
Russian citizens traveling abroad legitimately, guilty of no wrongdoing, are extrajudicially abducted at Washington’s request for extradition to the US.
They’re “hunted, including direct kidnapping. Alexander Konshunov is the 48th Russian arrested at the request of the United States in a third country since 2008.”
These incidents are flagrant violations of international law and the rights of targeted individuals.
US “actions are politically biased and are designed to pressure Russia and Russians, along with the sanctions, as well as to raise tensions in our relations with other countries.”
The US is a warrior state, an imperial state, a rogue state at war on humanity, all nations it doesn’t control on its target list for regime change — notably Russia, China and Iran.
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