Russia and US clash at UN Security Council over Syria
Russia and the US clashed at a UN Security Council meeting on December 3rd, with Russia claiming US will never sincerely combat terrorism, referring to the conflict in Syria, according to Reuters.
With Syrian insurgents led by the al-Qaeda breakaway Hayat Tahir al-Sham (HTS) capturing huge swathes of territory following the ceasefire in Lebanon, the meeting was convened to discuss the situation.
While Deputy US Ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, expressed concern at the UN Security Council that HTS, listed as a terrorist organisation by the US ans UN, was leading the offensive, he said it did not justify “further atrocities by the Assad regime and its Russian backers.”
Russia’s UN Ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, responded by slamming the US’s record on fighting terrorism, claiming it was “unable to summon the courage to condemn a clear terrorist attack undertaken against peaceful civilians in peaceful Syrian cities.”
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Nebenzia continued: “There are no illusions that Washington will ever be willing to sincerely combat international terrorism. To be frank we are pleased that we are on opposite sides of the barricades right now from you.”
Denying these accusations, Wood said: “the United States has for decades fought the scourge of terrorism and will continue to fight that scourge of terrorism.”
Moscow was in no position to lecture the US, having propped up many regimes around the world that sponsor terrorism, Wood added.
Reuters
