UK, West seek to seize Russian initiative in Syria: Analyst
The United Kingdom and West seek to seize Russia’s initiative in Syria via their own anti-Daesh (ISIL) coalition, says an analyst.
“The West is very worried about the role Russia has been playing in the region. They have taken the initiative, they’ve been fighting alongside the Syrian government against the terrorists…So I think one of the reasons that Britain might be sort of using for them to operate in the region is to take away the initiative from Russia,” Javier Farje, editor and commentator, told Press TV on Wednesday.
Farje noted that the UK and West have so far failed to achieve their objective as Russia has been “very well involved” in Syria and that it is “late” for them to take the initiative from Moscow.
The comments follow recent statements by the British defense minister who told the UK parliament on Monday that his country’s airstrikes in Syria had so far done little against Daesh terrorists.
“Daesh are being pushed back in Iraq, there’s no doubt about that – they’re being pushed up the Tigris and they’re being pushed back West along the Euphrates,” Michael Fallon told the House of Commons.
"In Syria, the position is much more complicated…” Fallon said, adding “that is not happening yet in Syria and I ... am extremely concerned about the proliferation of Daesh along the Libyan coastline.”
This is while a freedom of information request by the Huffington Post UK website earlier last month found that only seven ISIL militants had been killed by British bombs.
In addition, the so-called Brimstone missiles, which the UK had boasted of and Prime Minister David Cameron had pledged would “cut off the snake’s head” in Syria had killed no terrorists.
Syria is in the midst of a deadly turmoil with government forces and allies, backed by Russia’s air cover, battling terrorist groups across the Arab country.
Forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have managed over the past few weeks to recapture major positions from Daesh and al-Nusra in the north.
More than 470,000 people have reportedly been killed and millions displaced in Syria since March 2011.
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