UN Syria Envoy Has Sent Invitations To Syria Talks
The UN's Syria envoy, Staffan de Mistura, has sent out invitations to the Syria talks, due to start on Friday.
But to whom has he sent them?
Russia Is Defending Its Own Interests In Syria: Former FSB Chief
The military defeat of the Syrian government would strengthen terrorist groups like IS and Al-Qaeda and increase threats to Russia, Nikolai Patrushev, the Chairman of Russia's Security Council and former FSB chief has said.
Patrushev describes Russia's military actions in Syria from within a counter terrorism perspective, arguing that Russia is defending its own interests by fighting terror outside its borders in Syria. The former FSB chief also paints Russia as a powerful global military power that is "defending other countries in the world against international terrorism."
Patrushev made his comments in an interview with Russian daily Moskovsky Komsomolets (MK), translated below:
MK: How realistic was Russia's assessment of the situation when it took the decision to begin its military operation in Syria? Aren't we doing someone else's dirty work for them [lit. "dragging someone else's chestnuts out of the fire] e.g. for Assad, Iran?
Patrushev: Recently in North Africa and the Middle East, international terror groups like IS, Al-Qaeda and the Al-Nusra Front have intensified. The scaling up of their activities represents a threat to many states including Russia. The military defeat of the Syrian Arab Republic and the possibility of its fall would inevitably lead to the strengthening of these groups and later to the refocussing of extremists to Russian territory.
Previously, we have encountered the actions of international terrorists in Russia. But this cannot be allowed [to happen again]. In regard to this we are fighting international terrorism outside our country. In Syria we are defending first and foremost our own interests and also the security of other countries from international terror.
MK: Don't our military actions in Syria fall into the category of those that are relatively easy to start but very difficult to complete properly? Won't we have to fight in this country for many years?
Patrushev: In Syria there are issues that we definitely must resolve. This requires some time, but the faster the military operation is completed, the better.
Dutch Labor Party Backs Syria Air Strikes
The Dutch Labor Party now supports air strikes against the IS group in Syria, creating a parliamentary majority for approval, an official has said, Reuters is reporting.
The Labor Party is the junior partner in the Dutch coalition government.
Mass Grave Of IS Victims Found In Iraq's Ramadi
Security forces say they have found a mass grave in the Iraqi city of Ramadi containing the remains of at least 18 people killed by IS militants.
Ramadi was recaptured from IS at the end of December.
Recruitment Of Children, Even As Suicide Bombers, Commonplace In Syria
Here are some tweets with key comments from this morning's Humanitarian Update on Syria by the UN.
IS uses Pankisi Gorge in Georgia: Lavrov (TASS)
Moscow has information that the IS group in Syria and Iraq is using the Pankisi Gorge in Georgia in its interests, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said, according to TASS.
Russia had obtained reports that IS was using the "hard to access terrain" to "train, rest and replenish their supplies," Lavrov said.
UAE Terror Suspect Tells Court He's An IS 'Emir'
A man on trial in the United Arab Emirates accused of plotting bomb attacks and an assassination told a court today that he has appointed himself the 'Emir' or leader of the IS group in the country.
The National reports:
M A H, 34, husband of Reem Island killer Alaa Al Hashemi, who was executed last year for the murder of American teacher Ibolya Ryan, is charged with seven terror-related offenses. These included a plan to bomb Yas Marina Circuit and Ikea, as well as plans to assassinate one of the UAE’s leaders.
Syria's Opposition To Meet In Riyadh, Cast Doubt On Talks
The Saudi-backed Syrian opposition has cast doubt on whether it would go to peace talks planned to start in Geneva on Jan. 29 and is meeting today to decide whether or not to go, according to Reuters.
UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura has said that he plans to issue invitations today. But it seems the Saudi-backed opposition may not show up.
Reuters reports:
Opposition official Asaad al-Zoubi told Arabic news channel Al-Hadath that he was pessimistic, though the final decision would be taken at the opposition meeting in Riyadh.
The opposition have accused U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry of threatening to stop aid unless they attended the peace talks with Arabic press reports saying Kerry was "carrying the dictates of Russia and Iran," according to Bloomberg.
Kerry dismissed the accusations this morning, saying that the "position of the United States is and hasn't changed; that we are still supporting the opposition politically, financially and militarily."
"I don't know where this is coming from. Maybe it's a pressure thing or maybe it's an internal political thing. Maybe it's a -- I don't know, but that is not the situation," CNN quoted Kerry as saying.
Lavrov Urges UN Not To Speculate On Situation In Syria's Madaya
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has also commented on the situation in the besieged rebel-held Syrian town of Madaya, saying that the issue of the besieged town had been "made into some sort of fetish" ahead of planned talks on Syria.
The town near the Lebanese border has been under siege by Syrian government forces and Hizbullah fighters for the past seven months.
The United Nations say that more than 30 people have died of severe malnutrition there, including five since the first aid trucks arrived earlier this month. Aid was also sent to two Shi'ite towns besieged by rebels including Al-Qaeda affiliate the Al-Nusra front.
Lavrov said that humanitarian aid to Madaya should not become the subject of speculation and a precondition for the start of talks on a political solution to the crisis in Syria.
"Regarding Madaya -- there was a package agreement: the Syrian government had to allow humanitarian aid into Madaya, and the militants had to allow humanitarian aid into two other towns. The UN acted as broker. The Syrian government ultimately allowed entrance [of aid] even though the militants refused to reciprocate at the last minute," Lavrov said.
The situation in Madaya had been turned into a "fetish" whereby "if humanitarian aid is allowed into Madaya then the talks will get off to a good start," Lavrov added.
"If not, then the opposition might not come and so on. We told our UN colleagues including representatives from the Human Rights Council, who made the relevant reports, where Madaya was practically the only point of concern, we told them that everything should be done honestly and that they should act as UN officials and not as the perpetrators of someone's order, the more to speculate about people's suffering," RIA quoted Lavrov as saying.
Lavrov's Main Points On Syria, IS
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov gave an annual press conference this morning. Here is a summary of his main points on Syria and the IS group, as reported by TASS.
-- According to unofficial reports, the first draft of the UN Security Council resolution on the suppression of terror financing does not mention "the facts of the smuggling of oil from Syria to Turkey." These "facts" "must be reflected in the report."
-- One of the key moments of 2015 was the initiative of Russian President Putin to form a broad anti-terror coalition under the auspices of the UN.
-- The Russian air force operations in Syria in response to a request from the Syrian government have helped change the situation in Syria and ensure that the area controlled by terrorists has been reduced.
-- "The picture has been clarified of who is fighting the terrorist and who are their accomplices and are trying to use them for their selfish purposes."
-- Syria talks without the Syrian Kurds cannot bring any result. "The Syrian Kurds are around 15 percent of the population and a significant, key territory."
-- The decision of whether the Kurds should participate in Syria talks should be taken by UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura.
-- Lavrov addressed Western media reports that ex-GRU chief Igor Sergun asked Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down. "I read the speculation that was spread regarding the late Igor Sergun, which alleged he made a special trip to Damascus and there asked President Assad to go. This is not true. Such a conversation with President Assad was not necessary."
-- Attempts to organize any joint war on terror in Syria on condition that Assad steps down is a "big mistake."