Syria not a bargaining chip in relations with West – Lavrov

After Hillary Clinton met with Russian officials last December and John Kerry met with Russian FM Sergei Lavrov in February of this year, rumours of a 'back room deal' between Russia and the US in which Russia would back off his defense of Syria. In an interview with Sibel Edmonds, a very well informed ex-CIA translator, she speculated that in such an agreement, the US might agree to quit its support of terrorists in Chechnya that have bedeveled Russia for decades.

Related: No sensation, only standing contracts – Lavrov on Russia’s weapons supplies to Syria

Syria not a 'bargaining chip': But in this latest report (below), Lavrov stated clearly that Syria is not a "bargaining chip" to fall victim to a US/Israeli invasion. On March 10 in a meeting in Moscow, Russia organized a delegation from the Syrian National Coordination Committee (NCC), composed of Haytham Mannaa and Raja Nasser, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his assistant Mikhail Bogdanov. The NCC is not recognized by the organizations attempting to overthrow the Syrian government.

Terrorists refuse Assad's offer to meet: The terrorist organizations attacking the Syrian people and Syrian military and government institutions have refused to meet with the Syrian government to discuss a negotiated settlement, "while tanks shell our towns, snipers shoot our women and children and many areas are cut off from the world by the regime without electricity, communications or water," In fact there is abundant evidence that it is these "rebels" sent into Syria for destabilization who have been terrorizing, torturing, raping and killing civilians and blaming their crimes on the Assad government, much like they did in Libya. Their refusal to negotiate a cease fire and peace agreement shows intent on overthrowing the government and they are actually complaining that the Syrian military has been systematically defeating them.

The Terrorists' Savagery: The following images of the terrorists in Syria executing captured Syrian soldiers were taken from a video uploaded on YouTube on May 16, 2013 and republished by RT News article today, "Rebels film execution of 11 Syrian soldiers, as Obama continues anti-Assad rhetoric."

An image grab taken from a video uploaded on YouTube on May 16, 2013 by user @dirtytrainers

RT news comments on the video:

"It comes after horrific footage was released on Sunday of a Syrian rebel commander apparently eating one of the lungs of a dead government fighter. Time magazine said they had first seen the footage in April and identified the man as Khaled al-Hamad. Hamad admitted to the magazine that he had mutilated the corpse of the soldier as an act of revenge for allegedly defiling a naked woman and her daughter."

Quoting the NYT today, the BBC reports that a recent Russian shipment to Syria included an advanced form of the Yakhont, a 6.7m-long (22ft) missile with a range of 290km (180 miles) and carrying either a high-explosive or armour-piercing warhead.

The Yakhont supersonic cruise missile that Russia has moved to Syria for defense against enemy ships launching missile attacks as they did in Libya.

Nick Brown, editor-in-chief of the influential military journal Jane's International Defence Review, described the Yakhont was "a real ship killer". He added,

"It enables the regime to deter foreign forces looking to supply the opposition from the sea, or from undertaking a more active role if a no-fly zone or a shipping embargo were to be declared at some point."

Sergei Lavrov said today that he doesn't understand "why the media is trying to create a sensation out of this," adding:

"We have not hidden that we supply weapons to Syria under signed contracts, without violating any international agreements, or our own legislation.... And we most importantly supply anti-aircraft system, and it doesn't create any imbalance of power in the region or any kind of advantages in the fight against the opposition."

Since the attempt to overthrow the Syrian government began, Axis of Logic has been reporting that it is being carried out by foreign terrorists, many of them who were involved in the overthrow of the Libyan government, including Al Queda. They are primarily armed and supported by the US, some European countries, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

According to Reuters, Russia says that the Assad government is battling against Al Queda-backed terrorists including at least 15,000 foreign fighters who it said would seize towns if Assad troops withdraw. In Geneva, Russia's deputy ambassador Mikhail Lebedev stated, "The flow of all kind of terrorists from some neighboring countries is always increasing," Russia's deputy ambassador Mikhail Lebedev said in Geneva." Russia also claims that the new US-backed Libyan regime is running camps to train and arm the terrorists in Syria.

We have also been reporting that the only thing that stands in the way of a full scale Libya-type no-fly-zone and subsequent destruction of the country has been Vladamir Putin's stance that Russia will protect the Libyan government at all cost. Russia's shipment of the Yakhont and other sophisticated defense weaponry to Syria and declaration that Syria will not be traded off as a 'bargaining chip' suggests that he is making good on his promise but only time will tell.

- Les Blough, Editor

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. (RIA Novosti / Eduard Pesov

Moscow will make no “backstage” agreements on Syria in exchange for Western concessions on missile defense or any other disputed issues, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.

“This is not serious. I think that those who try suggest that indulge in wishful thinking,” Lavrov said in an interview with Lebanon's Al Mayadeen TV channel.

“Everyone knows well that Russia’s stance on a whole range of crucial issues is not opportunistic,” the Russian top diplomat emphasized.

At the same time, he pointed out, this does not mean that Moscow’s position on such issues is definitive.

“We defend only the things that are in the basis of modern world order - the US Charter principles and other international legal documents, and we insist on their fulfillment,” Lavrov said. “We do not want and we will not put up with attempts to distort reached agreements, particularly the legally binding ones,” he underlined.

However, within the framework of these principles and agreements, Moscow is ready to look for compromises, acceptable primarily for the sides of the conflict.

Lavrov reiterated that Russia does not support President Bashar Assad in the Syrian conflict. He explained that Moscow acts not “for the sake of the regime or any person inside of at the top of this regime” but for the sake of the Syrians. The minister noted it was Russia’s aim to stop suffering and uphold the basic principles of international law - such as national sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference in internal affairs.

Syrian 'rebels' raise their weapons under a pre-Baath Syrian flag currently used by the opposition during an anti-regime protest in the northern city of Aleppo on March 22, 2013. (AFP Photo)

The fate of Assad is one of the main stumbling blocks in international efforts to bring the two-year long civil war in Syria to an end. While the US and other western powers insist the Syrian leader should step down, Moscow maintains that it is up to Syrian people to decide on that and that Assad’s resignation should not be a precondition for peace negotiations.

A new round of international talks on Syria is expected to take place in June. The fresh plans were announced by Lavrov and his American counterpart John Kerry after their meeting in Moscow on May 7. The conference will serve as a follow up to last year’s gathering in Geneva that led to the drafting of a peace plan known as the Geneva communiqué.

The joint initiative has been welcomed by Assad’s government and international players such as the UK and France. Syria's key National Coalition opposition group is scheduled to meet in Istanbul on May 23 to discuss the proposal.

Lavrov noted that in Russia’s view, representatives of all the Syrian opposition forces should take part in the talks. “

It is crucially important to know the unified opinion and position of all the opponents of the Syrian government and a team of negotiators which would represent all the opposition, ” the diplomat underlined.

"I wouldn’t exclude anyone [from the participation in the forum] except for terrorists. Such as, for instance, the Al-Nusra Front listed as terror group by the US. Its leaders openly say that they get orders from Al-Qaeda” the Russian minister noted. He explained that when referring to the opposition.

we talk about political – even armed – opposition but with understanding that there should be no place for terrorists at the negotiating table .”

In Moscow’s opinion Syria’s neighbors and other countries of the region, including Jordan, Lebanon and Iran, should also take part in the forum.

(Photo of Yakhont missile and related caption added by Axis of Logic)

Source: RT News