Zakharova Blasts Washington for Accusing Moscow of not Fixing US Blunders in Anti-ISIS Fight

MOSCOW- The recent statements made by the heads of the Pentagon and CIA about the war against the so-called “Islamic State (a terror group, outlawed in Russia) are nothing more than attempts to shift the blame on to Moscow for not cleaning up Washington’s own mess, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova wrote on her Facebook page, Itar Tass reported.

On January 8, while talking to NBC, US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter said that Russians had given “virtually zero” support to the United States in fighting the ISIS. On January 9, CIA Director John Brennan said in an interview with CNN that “if we knew then what we know now in terms of what ISIL was able to do, in terms of just this explosive growth in Iraq that then was able to lop over into Syria, would we have pursued the same course? Probably not.”

 “See? According to the US military’s logic, Russia is to blame for not correcting America’s mistakes,” Zakharova commented.

“Judging by these statements, either top members of the Obama administration don’t actually talk to each other (one can only guess why, although it is no surprise taking into account his inner circle, who have been running the office) or it is just their disastrous stupidity,” the Russian diplomat added.

“Then again, it could be both,” she concluded.

US Policy of Imposing Western-Style “Democracy” in Middle East Boosts Terrorism in Region

The US policy of imposing Western-style democracy in the Middle East has led to the emergence of terrorists in the region, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s commissioner for human rights, Konstantin Dolgov, said on Tuesday, according to Itar Tass.

“CIA Director (John Brennan) admitted in his revelations a “mistake” of the Barack Obama administration in imposing Western-style democracy in the Middle East and North Africa in the context of the Arab Spring,” Dolgov wrote on his Facebook page. “I want to say: it’s better than never.”

 The diplomat stressed that the consequences of this policy, namely the emergence of the so-called “Islamic State” terrorist group and other terrorist and extremist groups, are too “destructive.”

“Although even such a delayed and shy repentance of one of the key persons in the outgoing administration is indicative. Maybe he is afraid of becoming history with such a “luggage,” Dolgov wrote.

Brennan said on CNN’s Axe Files podcast on Monday he thinks that there were very, very unrealistic expectations in Washington, including in some parts of the administration, that the “Arab Spring” was going to push out what he called “authoritarian regimes” and “democracy” is going to flourish because that’s what people want.

H.M