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The International Herald Tribune, France
December 22, 2012 Saturday
Chastising U.S., Putin defends Syria stance
Russian leader argues against military role by using Libya as example
by DAVID M. HERSZENHORN and NICK CUMMING-BRUCE
MOSCOW
ABSTRACT
The Russian leader reiterated his opposition to military intervention
in Syria and suggested that the U.S. role in toppling Col. Muammar
el-Qaddafi ultimately led to the Benghazi catastrophe.
FULL TEXT
President Vladimir V. Putin has strongly defended Russia's implacable
opposition to military intervention in Syria and sharply chastised the
United States for its role in toppling Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi of
Libya, describing that outcome as a mistake that created chaos and
ultimately led to the death of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens in
Benghazi.
However, speaking at his annual end-of-year news conference, Mr. Putin
made clear Thursday that Russia, a longtime ally of Syria, was now
mainly concerned about averting ''never-ending civil war,'' not
preserving the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.''We are not
concerned with the fate of Assad's regime,'' Mr. Putin said. ''Of
course, changes are being demanded, but it's something else that
concerns - what will happen next?''
In recent days, the Kremlin has sounded increasingly pessimistic about
Mr. Assad's government, and Russian officials have acknowledged
developing contingency plans to evacuate thousands of Russian
citizens, mostly women wed to Syrians who had studied at Russian
universities.
The West has been looking for signs that Russia might cease using its
veto power as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council to
defend the sovereignty of the Assad government and to block the more
aggressive intervention sought by the United States and many other
countries. Mr. Putin's comments against intervention left open the
uncertain possibility that Russia might persuade Mr. Assad to step
down.
Mr. Putin expressed worry that the Assad government and the Syrian
opposition could merely switch places, with the rebels in power but
with the fighting unabated. In answer to a question, he rejected an
assertion that Russia was making a mistake, potentially isolating
itself and at risk of losing influence in the Middle East, by opposing
intervention. Mr. Putin pointed to Libya as his evidence that
intervention by the NATO alliance of Western nations had caused more
harm than good.
''No matter how they explained their position, the state is falling
apart,'' he said. ''Interethnic, interclan and intertribal conflicts
continue. Moreover, it went as far as the murder of the United States
ambassador.'' He added, ''I was asked here about mistakes: Isn't it a
mistake? And you want us to constantly repeat these mistakes in other
countries?''
Russia has been a major Syria arms supplier and trade partner with the
Assad government and maintains a small naval refueling installation in
the Syrian port of Tartus. But on Thursday, Mr. Putin sought to
portray the relationship as transactional. ''Some special economic
relations?'' Mr. Putin asked rhetorically. ''No.''
His remarks about Syria came as U.N. human rights investigators said
in a new report that the Syria crisis had evolved from a battle to
oust Mr. Assad into more of a sectarian conflict, pitting entire
communities against one another and pulling in fighters from the
Middle East and North Africa.
As the conflict approaches the end of its second year, it ''has become
overtly sectarian in nature,'' said the report by a panel of the Human
Rights Council.
The panel, led by Paulo Pinheiro, a human rights investigator from
Brazil, said attacks and reprisals had led communities to arm
themselves and to be armed by different parties to the conflict.
''Entire communities are at risk of being forced out of the country or
killed inside the country,'' the panel wrote.
''Feeling threatened and under attack, ethnic and religious minority
groups have increasingly aligned themselves with parties to the
conflict, deepening sectarian divides,'' the panel said.
The sharpest split is between the ruling minority Alawite sect, a
Shiite Muslim offshoot from which Mr. Assad's most senior political
and military associates are drawn, and the country's Sunni Muslim
majority, mostly aligned with the opposition, the panel noted. But it
said the conflict had drawn in other minorities, including Armenians,
Christians, Druse, Palestinians, Kurds and Turkmens.
Most foreign fighters joining the conflict are Sunni Muslims from
Middle Eastern and North African countries, many of them linked to
extremist groups, the panel said, and often operating independently of
the opposition Free Syrian Army but coordinating attacks with its
forces.
Hezbollah, a Shiite group from Lebanon, confirmed that its members
were fighting for the Assad government, the panel said, and it was
investigating reports that Iraqi Shiites had also entered Syria. Iran
has also confirmed that members of its Revolutionary Guards Corps are
providing the Assad government with ''intellectual and advisory
support.''
Making their fourth submission to the Human Rights Council, the panel
of four investigators said that government forces and supporting
militias had attacked Sunni civilians and that opposition forces had
attacked Alawite and other pro-government communities. It said that
Kurdish groups had clashed with government and anti-government forces,
that Turkmen militias were fighting with anti-government forces and
that Palestinians, increasingly split in their views of the Assad
government, were being armed by both pro- and anti-government forces.
On Thursday, at the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp south of
Damascus, hundreds of residents who had fled fighting between factions
returned during a lull, after what Palestinian activists said was a
negotiated truce. A Palestinian activist with a pro-rebel faction said
that the negotiations had taken place in the in Damascus and that
armed gunmen had agreed to pull out of the camp.
''We have an urgent humanitarian crisis,'' said the activist, who used
the name Abu Khalid. ''We should solve it, and then talk about the
past mistakes of some factions. The camps should be secure and stable
areas for all unarmed Palestinians and Syrians.''
On Thursday, dozens of cars brought back families heeding Palestinian
activists' invitation, via the Internet, to return. Many stores were
open, and there was no sign of armed men on the streets. By nightfall,
activist groups were reporting that the camp was being shelled again.
December 22, 2012 Saturday
Chastising U.S., Putin defends Syria stance
Russian leader argues against military role by using Libya as example
by DAVID M. HERSZENHORN and NICK CUMMING-BRUCE
MOSCOW
ABSTRACT
The Russian leader reiterated his opposition to military intervention
in Syria and suggested that the U.S. role in toppling Col. Muammar
el-Qaddafi ultimately led to the Benghazi catastrophe.
FULL TEXT
President Vladimir V. Putin has strongly defended Russia's implacable
opposition to military intervention in Syria and sharply chastised the
United States for its role in toppling Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi of
Libya, describing that outcome as a mistake that created chaos and
ultimately led to the death of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens in
Benghazi.
However, speaking at his annual end-of-year news conference, Mr. Putin
made clear Thursday that Russia, a longtime ally of Syria, was now
mainly concerned about averting ''never-ending civil war,'' not
preserving the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.''We are not
concerned with the fate of Assad's regime,'' Mr. Putin said. ''Of
course, changes are being demanded, but it's something else that
concerns - what will happen next?''
In recent days, the Kremlin has sounded increasingly pessimistic about
Mr. Assad's government, and Russian officials have acknowledged
developing contingency plans to evacuate thousands of Russian
citizens, mostly women wed to Syrians who had studied at Russian
universities.
The West has been looking for signs that Russia might cease using its
veto power as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council to
defend the sovereignty of the Assad government and to block the more
aggressive intervention sought by the United States and many other
countries. Mr. Putin's comments against intervention left open the
uncertain possibility that Russia might persuade Mr. Assad to step
down.
Mr. Putin expressed worry that the Assad government and the Syrian
opposition could merely switch places, with the rebels in power but
with the fighting unabated. In answer to a question, he rejected an
assertion that Russia was making a mistake, potentially isolating
itself and at risk of losing influence in the Middle East, by opposing
intervention. Mr. Putin pointed to Libya as his evidence that
intervention by the NATO alliance of Western nations had caused more
harm than good.
''No matter how they explained their position, the state is falling
apart,'' he said. ''Interethnic, interclan and intertribal conflicts
continue. Moreover, it went as far as the murder of the United States
ambassador.'' He added, ''I was asked here about mistakes: Isn't it a
mistake? And you want us to constantly repeat these mistakes in other
countries?''
Russia has been a major Syria arms supplier and trade partner with the
Assad government and maintains a small naval refueling installation in
the Syrian port of Tartus. But on Thursday, Mr. Putin sought to
portray the relationship as transactional. ''Some special economic
relations?'' Mr. Putin asked rhetorically. ''No.''
His remarks about Syria came as U.N. human rights investigators said
in a new report that the Syria crisis had evolved from a battle to
oust Mr. Assad into more of a sectarian conflict, pitting entire
communities against one another and pulling in fighters from the
Middle East and North Africa.
As the conflict approaches the end of its second year, it ''has become
overtly sectarian in nature,'' said the report by a panel of the Human
Rights Council.
The panel, led by Paulo Pinheiro, a human rights investigator from
Brazil, said attacks and reprisals had led communities to arm
themselves and to be armed by different parties to the conflict.
''Entire communities are at risk of being forced out of the country or
killed inside the country,'' the panel wrote.
''Feeling threatened and under attack, ethnic and religious minority
groups have increasingly aligned themselves with parties to the
conflict, deepening sectarian divides,'' the panel said.
The sharpest split is between the ruling minority Alawite sect, a
Shiite Muslim offshoot from which Mr. Assad's most senior political
and military associates are drawn, and the country's Sunni Muslim
majority, mostly aligned with the opposition, the panel noted. But it
said the conflict had drawn in other minorities, including Armenians,
Christians, Druse, Palestinians, Kurds and Turkmens.
Most foreign fighters joining the conflict are Sunni Muslims from
Middle Eastern and North African countries, many of them linked to
extremist groups, the panel said, and often operating independently of
the opposition Free Syrian Army but coordinating attacks with its
forces.
Hezbollah, a Shiite group from Lebanon, confirmed that its members
were fighting for the Assad government, the panel said, and it was
investigating reports that Iraqi Shiites had also entered Syria. Iran
has also confirmed that members of its Revolutionary Guards Corps are
providing the Assad government with ''intellectual and advisory
support.''
Making their fourth submission to the Human Rights Council, the panel
of four investigators said that government forces and supporting
militias had attacked Sunni civilians and that opposition forces had
attacked Alawite and other pro-government communities. It said that
Kurdish groups had clashed with government and anti-government forces,
that Turkmen militias were fighting with anti-government forces and
that Palestinians, increasingly split in their views of the Assad
government, were being armed by both pro- and anti-government forces.
On Thursday, at the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp south of
Damascus, hundreds of residents who had fled fighting between factions
returned during a lull, after what Palestinian activists said was a
negotiated truce. A Palestinian activist with a pro-rebel faction said
that the negotiations had taken place in the in Damascus and that
armed gunmen had agreed to pull out of the camp.
''We have an urgent humanitarian crisis,'' said the activist, who used
the name Abu Khalid. ''We should solve it, and then talk about the
past mistakes of some factions. The camps should be secure and stable
areas for all unarmed Palestinians and Syrians.''
On Thursday, dozens of cars brought back families heeding Palestinian
activists' invitation, via the Internet, to return. Many stores were
open, and there was no sign of armed men on the streets. By nightfall,
activist groups were reporting that the camp was being shelled again.