- RIYADH: Following the failure of the attempt by EU countries at the UN Security Council to impose sanctions against Syria over the repression there on Tuesday, the Russian government has blamed much of the violence on what it called “terrorist organizations” and “armed extremists.”
In a press statement on developments in Syria issued Wednesday, the Russian Embassy in Riyadh claimed that extremists were being “encouraged” by foreign powers.
Asked who the foreign powers might be, a Russian embassy spokesman would not be specific.
The Russian statement was strongly supportive of the Assad government. It spoke of “friendly” Syria and claimed that Damascus had “undertaken some very important steps” toward major political and economic reforms. The problem lay with the opposition for refusing to participate in dialogue. Moscow, it said, “strongly urges the international community to influence the opposition to respond to the invitation of the authorities in Damascus for a dialogue on the urgent reforms.”
The opposition had to be drawn into the political process, the statement said.
The statement also called on the international community to use its influence with the opposition to reject those it referred to as “armed extremists.”
Their aim, it said, was to “provoke tensions with a view to reduplicate (sic) the Libyan scenario.”
The fact that there are already massive civilian casualties was not referred to.
