"We are not planning to expand our airstrikes to Iraq. We were not invited, we were not asked, and we are polite people, as you know. We do not come if not invited", Lavrov told a press conference at the United Nations.
Russian warplanes on Wednesday struck targets inside Syria for the first time. Moscow, a staunch ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, says the jets hit Daesh positions. U.S. and other allies expressed concern about reports that strikes were targeting non-Daesh opponents of Assad.
A U.S.-led coalition has been striking Daesh in Syria since September, building upon an aerial campaign already hitting the terrorist group in Iraq.
Lavrov said that Russian airstrikes were targeting only Daesh and affiliated terrorist groups.
"This is the same position which the Americans are taking", he said. "The representatives of the coalition command have always been saying that their targets are ISIL, al-Nusra and other terrorist goups. This is basically our position as well. We see eye-to-eye with the coalition on this one".
In response to a question who Russia considers as terrorists, Lavrov said: "If it acts like a terrorist, if it walks like a terrorist and if it fights like a terrorist - it is a terrorist."
According to the Syrian National Coalition, the main Western-backed opposition group, the Russian airstrikes resulted in the deaths of 36 civilians, including five children. The areas targeted by Russia were free of any Daesh or al-Qaeda presence, the group's chief, Khaled Khoja, said in New York on Wednesday.
"The Russian occupation will be met with a liberation movement from the Syrian people. We have the right to do it," Khoja said, adding that the Free Syrian Army is prepated to confront the Russian "occupation".
In response to a question, Lavrov said Russia does not consider the Free Syrian Army a terrorist group.
"We believe that the Free Syrian Army should be a part of the political process", he said.
Syria’s devastating civil war, now in its fifth year, has claimed more than 250,000 lives, according to UN figures, and made the country the world's single-largest source of refugees and displaced people.
www.aa.com.tr
1/10/15
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Russia is ready to consider expanding its new military campaign beyond Syria to launch airstrikes in Iraq if Baghdad asks it to do so, Moscow said Thursday....
ReplyDelete"If we get such a request from the Iraqi government or a Security Council resolution that depends decisively on the will of the Iraq government," Moscow would consider launching the strikes, senior foreign ministry official Ilya Rogachev, told the RIA Novosti state news agency.
AFP
Iraq PM open to Russian airstrikes on Islamic State militants...
ReplyDeleteIraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told FRANCE24 in an exclusive interview broadcast on Thursday that he is open to allowing Russia to carry out air strikes against Islamic State group militants in Iraq.
"Not yet. It is a possibility. If we get the offer, we will consider it," Abadi told FRANCE24.
"It is in our interest to share information with Russia. Russia has a lot of information. The more information we gather the more I can protect the Iraqi people," Abadi added.
On Wednesday, Russian warplanes began air strikes in neighbouring Syria, saying it would hit the Islamic State group "and other terrorist groups."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a news conference that Moscow was not planning to expand its air strikes to Iraq.
"We were not invited or asked," Lavrov said. "We don't come if we're not invited."..........france24.com
1/10/15