Russia
launched airstrikes on rebel groups in Syria for second day straight
Country
accused of targeting moderate rebels backed by U.S and not ISIS
Moscow
foreign minister Lavrov has rejected the 'rumours' as 'unfounded'
Hundreds
of Iranian and Hezbollah troops 'set to launch ground offensive'
Published:
02:23 EST, 1 October 2015 | Updated: 17:34 EST, 1 October 2015
Vladimir Putin has conscripted
150,000 new troops into the Russian army as the country unleashed a new wave of
airstrikes in Syria - while and Iran and Islamist group Hezbollah prepare for a
major ground offensive.
Hundreds
of Iranian troops have arrived in Syria over the last ten days, backed by the
country's Lebanese allies, Hezbollah, and rebel fighters from Iraq and
Afghanistan, two Lebanese sources claimed today.
One of
the sources said the Iranian ground forces were 'soldiers and officers', not
advisers, adding: 'We mean hundreds with equipment and weapons. They will be
followed by more.'
They are
being supported by Russia's warplanes who bombed camps of rebel fighters
trained by the CIA, one of the group's commanders claimed.
White
House spokesman Josh Earnest said Russia's airstrikes in Syria were
'indiscriminate' and risked prolonging the conflict 'indefinitely'.
He
claimed Russia's 'random' strikes on Syria's enemies would draw the country
deeper into the conflict.
A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed
the decree to conscript hundreds of thousands of new troops was not related to
the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Dmitry Peskov, who said Russia is targeting ISIS and
other extremist groups, told Sputnik News: 'This is a regular
document which the president signs twice a year.'
It came as Moscow claimed to have attacked 12 ISIS
targets including a command centre in Hama and ammunition depots in Idlib on
the second day of the aerial campaign.
The area targeted is largely made up of rebel insurgents
which, unlike Islamic State, are supported by United States allies such as the
Arab states and Turkey.
A Syrian security source said bombs were dropped on a
coalition of Islamist rebels including Al-Qaeda's Syrian branch, the so-called
Army of Conquest which fiercely opposes ISIS.
The head of another rebel group, Liwa Suqour al-Jabal,
which is part of the Free Syrian Army, said 20 missiles struck their Idlib base
in two separate raids
His fighters were trained by the CIA in Qatar and Saudi
Arabia as part of a programme Washington said was aimed at supporting groups
that oppose ISIS and President Assad.
But Syria's ambassador to Moscow, Riyad Hadded, claimed
the strikes were 'carried out exclusively against the positions of ISIS'.
A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed the decree to conscript hundreds of thousands of new troops was not related to the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Dmitry
Peskov, who said Russia is targeting ISIS and other extremist groups,
told Sputnik News: 'This is a
regular document which the president signs twice a year.'
It came
as Moscow claimed to have attacked 12 ISIS targets including a command centre
in Hama and ammunition depots in Idlib on the second day of the aerial
campaign.
The area
targeted is largely made up of rebel insurgents which, unlike Islamic State,
are supported by United States allies such as the Arab states and Turkey.
A Syrian
security source said bombs were dropped on a coalition of Islamist rebels
including Al-Qaeda's Syrian branch, the so-called Army of Conquest which
fiercely opposes ISIS.
The head
of another rebel group, Liwa Suqour al-Jabal, which is part of the Free Syrian
Army, said 20 missiles struck their Idlib base in two separate raids
His
fighters were trained by the CIA in Qatar and Saudi Arabia as part of a
programme Washington said was aimed at supporting groups that oppose ISIS and
President Assad.
But
Syria's ambassador to Moscow, Riyad Hadded, claimed the strikes were 'carried
out exclusively against the positions of ISIS'.
Taken
out: Moscow said it had damaged or destroyed 12 targets belonging to the
Islamic State, including a command centre in Hama and an ammunition depots in
Idlib
He added:
'The positions of Al-Qaeda are positions of ISIS. Carrying out strikes against
these positions is natural and logical, they are dictated by the fact that
these strikes are aimed also against other terrorist groups that support ISIS.'
Meanwhile
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has challenged the United States to
prove that Russia's operation was not targeting 'terrorists'.
Today,
Russia admitted the list of bombing targets were drawn up by the Syrian Defence
Ministry, while it also used its own military satellites to obtain
'intelligence' to pinpoint targets .
The
positions of Al-Qaeda are positions of ISIS. Carrying out strikes against these
positions is natural and logical, they are dictated by the fact that these
strikes are aimed also against other terrorist groups that support ISIS
Riyad
Hadded, Syria's ambassador to Moscow
Moscow
acknowledged it had moved marines to the war-torn country as the West fears
more land forces are on the way.
Putin
denied allegations that his pilots left a trail of death among civilians,
claiming this was 'information warfare' by the West.
French
President Francois Hollande said today that air strikes in Syria should only
target ISIS, not other groups.
However,
the Army of Conquest, which controls Idlib province, said on Twitter that
'Russian pigs' had flattened a mosque in Jisr al-Shughur.
The
British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also joined the condemnation
of Russian attacks by reporting US-backed rebel group Tajamu Alezzah was hit
today and on Wednesday.
The
conflict could escalate even more with the arrival of hundreds of Iranian
troops, who have arrived in Syria to join a major ground offensive on behalf of
President Bashar al-Assad's government.
They are
backed by Assad's Lebanese Islamist group Hezbollah and by Shi'ite fighters
from Iraq and Afghanistan, while the Russians would provide air support.
Hollande
will discuss the crisis with Putin on the sidelines of the Normandy Quartet
meeting tomorrow, a source in the Palace of Elysee told Sputnik News.
Leader:
Putin's appearance at the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human
Rights came as Syria's ambassador to Moscow, Riyad Hadded, claimed strikes were
'carried out exclusively' on ISIS positions
Putin and
Hollande will discuss the current situation in Syria, as well as bilateral
relations between Paris and Moscow.
German
Chancellor Angela Merkel is also expected to hold bilateral talks with Putin
the same day.
A picture
emerged today purporting to show heavy Russian military equipment in desert
camouflage being sent from the country's southern Novorossiysk port to Syria.
The image
may suggest Russia could be involved in significant land operations.
Patriotic
Russian blogger Boris Rozhin said the armour shown on this picture was spotted
moving through Krasnodar region towards Novorossiysk, a key Black Sea port.
Chechen
President Ramzan Kadyrov has called on Russian leader Vladimir Putin to send in
Muslim ground troops to fight the Islamic State in Syria
'The
column is rather big and consists only of new and modern machines - 10
KamAZ-43269 'Vystrel' (BMP-97), about 20 BTR-82, 4 BTR-80, 5 armoured Ural and
1 armoured staff-carrier,' he wrote.
'According
to the direction, the column was moving towards the port, to be loaded on cargo
ships.
'If you
take a close look at the photo and see the colours, you'll realize that
transport painted in this colours can only be used in a desert, where it will
blend with Syrian sand. From Russia with love!'
Earlier,
one of Vladimir Putin's closest allies has
called on the Russian president to deploy Muslim ground troops to defeat the
Islamic State.
Ramzan
Kadyrov, the strongman president of Chechnya, said Moscow should expand its
operations in Syria – which began yesterday with controversial airstrikes
on anti-government rebels in defiance of the West.
He said:
'I'm convinced that not only airborne should be used there, but also infantry,
because the faster we finish off ISIS, the more peacefully we'll live across
the territory of global community.
'We
Chechens as yet, unfortunately, have no opportunity to participate in the fight
against these evil spirits.'
Kadryov,
a Sunni Muslim who runs the province with an iron fist and is seen as one of
Putin's most loyal supporters, said Islamic fighters from Chechnya should be
sent to combat the jihadis.
The
Caucuses region of southern Russia – which includes Chechnya, Daghestan and
Ingushetia – has become a hotbed of Islamist extremism in recent years and in
the summer a major terror group with 15,000 fighters in the region pledged
allegiance to ISIS.
Kadyrov's
comments will be seen as an attempt to defuse further jihadi recruitment by
negating the argument that the conflict is fuelled by sectarianism.
Colourful
character: The former warlord (centre) seen in a bizarre Instagram snap
cuddling a tiger which even has lead round its neck. The brutal reality of how
Kadyrov maintains his grip on power has frequently been glossed over by his
social media skills and his voracious appetite for posting on picture-sharing
websites
Kadyrov
shows off his extensive collection of weapons in August 2005. He says Moscow
should massively expand its operations in Syria – which began yesterday with
controversial airstrikes on anti-Assad rebels
That has
also been the prevailing factor behind the West's refusal to put 'boots on the
ground' in Iraq or Syria, instead choosing to support Muslim troops in
combatting ISIS themselves.
Deploying
ground troops, however, would plunge relations with the West into further
crisis, but so far Putin has ruled out such a move, acutely aware of the Soviet
Union's disastrous decade-long presence in Afghanistan.
Speaking
to news outlet gazeta.ru, Kadyrov also claimed Putin had acted in line with
international law in contrast to Western action in Syria.
RUSSIAN
EMBASSY TAUNTS THE UK OVER 'ILLEGITIMATE' WAR IN SYRIA
Russia's
UK embassy has taunted Britain over claims it is conducting an apparently
'illegitimate' campaign in Syria.
In a
tweet to Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond from its official account , it said:
'Russian actions in Syria are legitimate by international law, unlike those of
others.
'We're
are acting on government request.'
The
message refers to a request made by Syrian President Bashar Al Assad for
support against rebel groups in its four-year civil war.
'I'm sure
that it will contribute to ensuring safety in entire world,' he added.
His
comments come after Russia was accused of 'pouring gasoline on the fire'
of Syria's civil war after it defied the West to drop bombs over the war-torn
state.
More than
20 Russian fighter jets attacked three provinces yesterday after the U.S. was
given just one hours' notice to remove its planes and officials from the
area.
The move
increased tensions between the two countries after the Washington accused
Moscow of only targeting areas held by moderate rebels rather than the Islamic
State.
Syrian
opposition chief Khaled Khoja said 36 civilians had been killed in the attacks,
which also apparently targeted a CIA-vetted Syrian rebel group that was
receiving U.S. missiles.
But
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov today rejected the claims, insisting:
'The rumours that the target of these airstrikes are not ISIS positions are
unfounded.'
The
Russian defence ministry said it carried out 20 flight missions and hit eight
ISIS targets.
Lavrov
said the Russian military only went after 'terrorist groups' and said that
Moscow had requested that American officials back up their accusations with
firm evidence.
Speaking
to journalists on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, he said the
Russian Air Forces were co-operating with the Syrian pro-government military to
target 'exclusively' ISIS targets.
Explosion: The
Russian Defence Ministry said it carried out 20 flights over Syria on Wednesday
but concerns were raised they were targeting anti-government rebels, many of
whom are backed by the U.S.-led coalition
U.S.
Defence Secretary Ash Carter yesterday said Moscow's entry into the bloody
conflict was akin to 'pouring gasoline on the fire'.
He added:
'The Russian approach here is doomed to fail. I hope that they come over to a
point of view where they try to pursue their objectives in a different way that
makes more sense.'
French Defence
Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian also said of the strikes: 'Curiously, they didn't
hit Islamic State. I will let you draw a certain number of conclusions
yourselves.'
U.S.
Secretary of State John Kerry said Washington was prepared to welcome Russian
military action in Syria as long as it is directed against ISIS and other Al
Qaeda affiliates, but would have 'grave concerns' if it conducted strikes
against other groups.
The U.S.
and Russia both agree on the need to fight the Islamic State but not about what
to do with Assad.
The
Syrian civil war, which grew out of an uprising against Assad, has killed more
than 250,000 people since March 2011 and sent millions of refugees fleeing to
other countries in the Middle East and Europe.
Russia
and United States agreed to call urgent military talks to head off the risk of
clashes between their forces after Moscow's dramatic entrance into the Syrian
war.
Senior
U.S. officials expressed alarm after Russian warplanes began their first
military engagement outside the former Soviet Union since the occupation of
Afghanistan in 1979.
The
Americans accused Russia of striking moderate rebel factions fighting Bashar
al-Assad's Syrian regime under cover of their claimed assault on the Islamic
State group.
And they
complained the U.S-led coalition already fighting its own air war against the
jihadists had only been given a heads-up by a Russian general in Baghdad one
hour before bombing began.
But,
after sharp public comments in Washington and the United Nations, U.S. Secretary
of State John Kerry and his Russian opposite number Sergei Lavrov put a brave
face on the dispute.
Appearing
together on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, they said
they would hold 'de-confliction' talks and had drawn up proposals to relaunch a
Syrian political peace process.
'We
agreed on the imperative of as soon as possible - perhaps even as soon as
tomorrow, but as soon as possible - having a military to military
de-confliction discussion,' Kerry said.
Lavrov
agreed their talks had been useful and both men said they would take their
ideas for the political process back to their respective presidents, Russia's
Vladimir Putin and the U.S's Barack Obama.
But the
narrow agreement to seek a mechanism to avoid accidental encounters between
Russian and U.S.-led forces could not disguise the deep divisions Moscow's
actions had revealed.
Both
Moscow and Damascus presented the operation as targeting Islamic State
militants, an idea disputed by U.S. officials.
And he
warned that Russia's arrival in the bloody four-year-long civil war would
'backfire' and only serve to prolong the conflict.
Kerry
told the United Nations Security Council that there would be 'grave concern' in
Washington if it turned out the targets were opposition fighter and not ISIS or
Al-Qaeda, as claimed.
France,
which on Sunday launched its first air strike against ISIS in Syria, also
raised doubts over Russia's objectives, echoing concerns that Moscow's aims
simply to keep Assad in power.
But the
head of Syria's main opposition group told AFP that one bombing run killed 36
civilians - including five children - in central Homs province.
'The
Russians struck northern Homs today and killed 36 innocent people... who fought
against extremism,' said Khaled Khoja, head of the National Coalition.
Western
powers consider Assad's military responsible for the vast majority of the
240,000 deaths in the war, and say his presence makes a political settlement
impossible.
Divisions:
After sharp public comments in Washington and the United Nations, U.S.
Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian opposite number Sergei Lavrov try
to put a brave face on the dispute
Russia,
meanwhile, is urging countries to join an intelligence task force Moscow is
setting up with Iran, Iraq and Syria, arguing that supporting Assad's
government is the only way to defeat ISIS.
Putin,
who obtained parliamentary permission to use force abroad just hours before the
strikes, warned that Moscow would hunt down IS militants before they target
Russia.
He
pledged his country would not get sucked into a protracted military campaign
and chief of staff Sergei Ivanov said the operation would be time-limited and
not involve ground forces.
Putin
also said Assad should be ready for compromise with the opposition, 'for the
sake of his country and his people.'
NATO
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expressed consternation.
'I'm
especially concerned because there has been no real effort by the Russian side
to de-conflict the Russian air strikes in Syria,' he said, referring to the
limited advance warning.
Putin
wants to muscle his way back onto the world stage after months of Western
isolation following Russia's seizure of Crimea and support for a separatist
insurgency in eastern Ukraine.
Russia's
powerful Orthodox Church voiced support for Moscow's air strikes, calling it a
'holy battle,' but some in Russia dared to accuse the Kremlin of
short-sightedness.
Alexander
Konovalov of the Strategic Analysis Institute said Russia wanted to end its
diplomatic isolation and may not realise the long-term consequences of
intervention in the Middle East.
'We were
going to Afghanistan for six months and stayed there for 10 years,' he told
AFP, referring to a conflict that killed over 14,000 Soviet troops between 1979
and 1989.
Sixty-nine
percent of Russians are against Moscow's deployment of troops in Syria, with
just 14 percent in favour, according to a recent poll by the Levada Centre.
Source:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3255876/Russia-pouring-gasoline-fire-Syria-s-civil-war-says-America-Putin-defies-West-drops-bombs-non-ISIS-forces-fighting-Assad.html?AID=7236
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