Alwaght- Russia slammed on Thursday the US intention to set-up a 30,000-strong Kurdish border force in northern Syria, saying the move will only result in the partition of the war-torn Arab country.
"In the wake of US Secretary of State's speech in Stanford and reports from US military sources about the creation of some armed groups under the US patronage to guard the border in northern Syria, populated mostly by Kurds, the new US strategy looks in no way other than a policy of dismembering that country," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said speaking at a news briefing,.
The Russian diplomats remarks came in reference to the US announcement that it will work, along with a coalition of its allies purportedly fighting the ISIS terrorist group, with militants of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), mainly Kurdish militants, to set up a new 30,000-strong “border security” force in Syria.
Tillerson also hinted at an open-ended military presence in Syria as part of a broader strategy to pave the way for the "eventual departure" of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
"But let us be clear: the United States will maintain a military presence in Syria," he said.
The US top diplomat further called for economic pressure on the Syrian government, saying, "Once Assad is gone from power, the United States will gladly encourage the normalization of economic relationships between Syria and other nations."
Zakharova stressed that Washington's stance on Syria violates international law.
"The US continues to proclaim the removal of the legally elected president of Syria from power," she said.
"We are convinced that such an approach contradicts international law and does not contribute to a political settlement of intra-Syrian problems on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution 2254," she added.
The Russian official also warned of the "dangerous challenges" of a delay in integrating the Syrian society.
.jpg "Shahid Jihad Mughniyeh Funeral")
