This is the last article you can read this month
You can read more article this month
You can read more articles this month
Sorry your limit is up for this month
Reset on:
Please help support the Morning Star by subscribing here
by James Tweedie
SYRIA accused the United States of “blatant aggression” yesterday as Britain admitted its warplanes took part in Saturday’s air raid in support of Islamic State.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad echoed government ministries and Iran in describing the attack on a key army position in the Isis-besieged city of Deir Ezzor as co-ordinated help for the terrorists.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Jaberi Ansari, meeting Mr Assad, vowed that Tehran would “give all possible support” to Syria against foreign terrorists.
Denmark said yesterday that two of its F-16 fighter-bombers had also joined the hour-long blitz on Tharda mountain overlooking the city’s airport, which ended just as Isis began its attack.
On Sunday, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he regretted “the loss of life and injury to any Syrian personnel affected” in the attack, which also involved planes from his country.
At least 62 Syrian defenders of the city were killed and more than 100 injured by the US-led coalition. The capture of their position left the airport, the only lifeline to 200,000 civilians trapped in the city, exposed to Isis fire.
Syria’s Foreign Ministry wrote to UN secretary-general Ban Ki Moon and security council on Sunday, saying: “The facts speak for themselves. This attack is deliberate and the US has plotted it in order to implement its strategy in continuing the terrorists’ war against the Syrian army.”
Also on Sunday, the Syrian People’s Assembly urged its sister parliaments worldwide to condemn the outrage and all terrorist attacks on Syria.
US Secretary of State John Kerry could only offer weasel words in return, claiming: “It happens when you have conflict” and calling Mr Assad a “spoiler” in the ceasefire.
But Russian General Sergei Rudskoi said yesterday that US-backed insurgents had killed 63 civilians and 153 soldiers during the week-old truce.
“It has become meaningless for the Syrian government forces to unilaterally observe the ceasefire,” he said, adding the US had failed to separate its favoured insurgents from al-Qaida as agreed.
George Sabra, whose Syrian National Council is part of the Saudi-convened High Negotiations Committee of rebel groups, said: “I believe that the truce is clinically dead.”
