Multinational Operation Against Islamic State Yet Another Mistake by West: Moscow

MOSCOW, (ST) — The multinational coalition’s operation against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria is yet another mistake by the West, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told RIA Novosti.

The situation surrounding airstrikes on the Syrian territory by the US and its allies under the pretext of fighting against international terrorism causes legitimate concerns. This is done without the legitimate Syrian government’s consent and without being properly authorized by the UN Security Council. There are fears that we, in fact, are witnessing yet another mistake by our Western partners, a mistake for which regional states or possibly an even wider group of nations will have to pay,” he said.

The Russian diplomat noted that “one cannot declare war on terrorism in the region and form a coalition for this purpose, ignoring the role of a number of leading regional states.”

“It is impossible to fight an such enemy as the Islamic State, which currently controls the territory equal to the size of Belgium with population of five to six million people, with airstrikes alone. In addition, the leaders of the self-proclaimed anti-terrorist coalition deny the Syrian government the right to be their partner in fighting terrorism even on the territory and airspace of Syria itself,” Bogdanov stressed.

He added that “using the war on terrorism slogan as a cover for geopolitical goals, violating states’ sovereignty, transforming the regions and creating unlawful precedents in international relations is unacceptable.”

The IS, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), has been fighting the Syrian government since 2012. In June 2014, the group extended its attacks to northern and western Iraq, declaring a caliphate on the territories over which it had control.

The United States launched airstrikes against the IS in Iraq on August 8, later initiating an international campaign to fight the IS threat and extending the operation into Syria.

The coalition currently comprises more than 60 countries, according to the State Department.

Ground Operation Against IS Must Have UN Peacekeeping Mandate

Russia would back a possible UN resolution on the use of ground forces against Islamic State militants only if the document includes a peacekeeping mandate approved by Iraq and Syria, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said on Wednesday.

“A lot would depend on the text of a draft resolution,” Bogdanov, the special envoy of the Russian president for the Middle East, said.

“In any case, under the UN Charter, a mandate for this kind of operation should be authorized by the UN Security Council, and contain fundamental peacekeeping provisions with mandatory approval of the governments of states where international military operations would be carried out,” Bogdanov continued.

Deputy Foreign Minister reiterated that Russia stands for a consistent fight against extremists and has been involved in a fierce battle against terrorism for a long time already. He reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to the principles of international law and stated that all international actions countering Islamic State should strictly comply with international law.

Russia Does Not Need to Be Invited to Fight Terrorism

The United States has been knocking on “all doors” in attempts to put together an alliance to fight the Islamic State (IS) extremists under the US aegis, but Russia joined the fight against terrorism long ago and does not need to be invited again, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said Wednesday.

“It is well known that the United States have been, as they say, “knocking on all doors”, trying to create an alliance under it aegis,” the diplomat said in an interview with RIA Novosti, while answering the question whether Russia has been invited to join the international coalition to combat the IS.

“We have been involved in a fierce fight against terrorism, including on the international arena, for a long time and we don’t need additional invitations [to join the US-led alliance],” Bogdanov added.

According to Bogdanov, Moscow insists that “any such actions must be carried out in strict adherence to the international law.”

“We support healthy constructive bilateral relations with Syria, Iraq and other countries in the region and we are and will be taking proactive measures, on clear legal basis and in strict compliance with our international obligations, to strengthen the capacity of these countries to cope with international terrorists and extremists,” the diplomat stressed.

Russia Planning to Send Humanitarian Aid to Iraq

Russia is planning to send humanitarian aid to Iraq to help the civilian population caught in the midst of armed clashes between Islamic State (IS) militants and government-led forces, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told RIA Novosti Wednesday.

“Russia has always supported and continues to consistently support the efforts by Iraqi authorities to fight Islamic State militants,” Bogdanov, who is the special envoy of the Russian president for the Middle East, said.

“We do realize that the country is facing a real humanitarian catastrophe, involving large numbers of refugees and internally displaced residents. We are planning to send a shipment of Russian humanitarian aid to Iraq in the near future,” the diplomat said.

UN Envoy to Syria to Visit Moscow by End of October

UN and Arab League Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura will visit Moscow for consultations on the settlement of the Syrian crisis by the end of October, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said Wednesday.

“He [de Mistura] is currently preparing to visit us in Moscow for consultations,” Bogdanov said in an interview with RIA Novosti, adding that the diplomat’s visit is expected by the end of October.

“We are ready to cooperate with him. We expect that his experience will help to find a path toward soonest political settlement,” he said.

The deputy foreign minister noted that Russia has always urged a peaceful settlement of all conflicts via dialogue that takes into account the interests of the people living in the country and considers interventionism in any form inadmissible.

Anti-government protests broke out in Syria in March 2011 and sparked an increasingly bloody civil war in the country. According to UN estimates, the conflict has claimed the lives of more than 191,000 people over a three-year period, forcing almost three million Syrians to flee the country.

The Syrian city of Kobani has been besieged by IS militants for three weeks. The US-led anti-IS coalition has conducted airstrikes on IS positions, but the siege of the city continues.

M. Wassouf