Poland: Russia is trying to divert attention from Ukraine
The article was published in Defence24. The point of view expressed in this article is authorial and do not necessarily reflect BM`s editorial stance.
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WARSAW, (BM) – In a unique statement on the problems of the return of Syrian refugees, the Russians, supported by the Syrians, directly accuse the Americans of deliberately destabilizing the region’s situation. It is believed that this appeal intends to divert the attention of international society from the actions of the Kremlin authorities towards its opposition and in the other areas of the world, especially in Ukraine.
The Russian defense ministry published on April 5 this year. A remarkable statement in which Western countries, including the United States, were accused of deliberately destabilizing the civilian population’s situation in Syria. The message was signed by the head of the inter-ministerial coordination staff of the Russian Federation for the return of refugees to the Territory of the Syrian Arab Republic – the director of the National Defense Management Center of the Russian Federation, Mikhail Mizintsev, and the head of the Syria inter-ministerial coordinating staff for the return of refugees to the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic – the Minister of the Environment of the Syrian Arab Republic of Hussein Makhlouf.
The Russians, with the support of the Syrian government, acted as standard. First, they described what they allegedly managed to do in stabilizing the situation in Syria and then blamed the Western countries for what they failed to do. The most important actors in this recovery operation are the inter-ministerial coordination centers of Russia and Syria, which “are constantly working to provide comprehensive assistance to Syrian citizens in returning to their homeland and restoring a peaceful life”.
As a result of these joint actions, the Russians reported that 2,237,410 Syrians “who had left the country because of the war on terrorism” returned to their previous places of residence. It was also indicated that “the Syrian state pays special attention to combating the spread of the coronavirus, stabilizing the security situation, employing citizens, restoring the economy, housing, and social info, structure.” From the statement of April 5 this year. All this shows that Syria’s government now intends to accelerate these activities, allocating additional funds for them. A large number of Syrian citizens live in neighboring countries, in refugee camps.
An obstacle in implementing these plans “despite the Syrian authorities’ enormous efforts” is a series of actions by the United States and its allies – including “an unprecedented propaganda campaign aimed at detaining refugees in the territory of countries neighboring Syria.” The Russians draw attention to the UN High Commissioner’s assessment for Refugees regarding the prospects of returning home of Syrian Arab citizens residing in the Middle East region, according to which more than 70% of Syrians hope to return their permanent places of residence.
The “most interesting” in all this Russian-Syrian analysis is the answer to the question, “why is this not happening so far?” Here, the Russian propaganda apparatus went all the way and directly points to the Americans for whom it is said: “it is beneficial to maintain the unstable situation in Syria.” The purpose of these actions is to “continue to justify the Americans’ illegal presence and continue the plunder of the Syrian people’s natural resources. To this end, US-controlled news agencies publish false information about Syria’s situation and prevent them from returning home. Also, sanctions policy against Syria is hampering large-scale economic projects that provide Syrians jobs and increase their incomes. “
The Russians emphasize that the situation is challenging in the Al-Haul refugee camp in an American-controlled territory in northeastern Syria. This camp is to be taken over by members of the so-called terrorist organization—the Islamic state. There, the terrorists were to obtain permission from the American side to organize a channel for the supply of weapons, ammunition, and communications to the camp. Also, jihadist courts are to operate in Al-Haul, and more and more often, there are murders and attacks on the lives of camp residents who do not support radical extremism. “Much attention is paid to the ideological” indoctrination “of minors to radio and supplement the ranks of militants.”
Taking all this into account, the Russians appealed to the international society, pointing out: “that the continued presence of the United States in Syria and the occupation of its territories and the lack of any effective steps practical problems of the refugee camps only exacerbate the criminal situation in Syria and contribute to the resume terrorist activity throughout the Middle East region. We call on the international community to consolidate efforts to provide real aid to the tangible people, restore the Syrian economy and take the necessary steps to lift illegal sanctions against Syria immediately.”
The moment when the Russian Ministry of Defense published the appeal is puzzling. Nothing so special has happened in Syria in recent times to call for an international response. Therefore, it is supposed that this is a typical distraction from the Russians’ actual plans in entirely different regions of the world – especially in Eastern Ukraine.
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