Russia Warns Washington Against Flirting With Terrorists

MOSCOW— Moscow warns Washington against flirting with an outlawed terrorist group Jabhat al-Nusra as it could lead to the creation of another “terrorist monster”, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday, Sputnik reported.

“A question emerges (and not only for us maybe): what is this: powerlessness of the United States or someone’s conscience line for the prolongation of the conflict? An attempt to play games with the Nusra [Front] militants could lead to the creation of another terrorist monster,” the statement read.

The ministry added that the United States was constantly looking for new ways to “give respite” for the terrorist organization.

 “Washington agrees that the Nusra Front, which recently changed its name to Jabhat Fatah Al-Sham, is a terrorist organization but refrains from carrying strikes against it.”

Zakharova: US-Russia Cooperation Hindered by Washington’s disability to dissociate “moderate opposition” from terrorists

Earlier in the day, Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the United States back in February promised that it would take two weeks to separate the terrorists from the so called “moderate opposition”.

US inability to dissociate Syrian “moderate opposition” from terrorists hinders US-Russia cooperation.

According to the spokeswoman, the key deterrent of Russian-US anti-terrorism cooperation is Washington’s inability to fulfill the pledge to dissociate “moderate opposition” from terrorists in Syria.

“We are being guided by assertions given to Russia by high-ranking American representatives that in order to separate terrorists and moderate opposition, Washington will need two weeks. It was in February-March. Now it’s late August,” she noted, according to Itar Tass.

H.M