Expulsion of Syrian ambassadors counterproductive – Moscow

Published time: May 30, 2012 13:39
Edited time: May 30, 2012 17:39
people watching the mass burial on May 26, 2012 of more than 100 victims killed in the central Syrian city of Houla in a massacre (AFP Photo)

The Russian Foreign Ministry has said the expulsion of Syrian ambassadors from Western capitals over the Houla Massacre shuts down crucial channels for constructive dialogue with Damascus.

"We can comment on this decision only in view of international efforts to promote a peaceful settlement of the Syrian crisis,” the ministry’s spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said on Wednesday.

As countries – members of the so-called Friends of Syria group – kick out Syrian diplomats “the most important channels, which could be used to share views and exert a constructive influence on the Syrian government for its encouragement to further steps to fulfill Kofi Annan's peace plan, turned out to be sealed off," he stated.

Lukashevich pointed out that the West does not want to listen to Damascus, which is harmful for the situation in current circumstances.

The official reiterated that Russia’s approach regarding the issue is based on different logic.

“We do everything possible to reduce the degree of the confrontation between the Syrian sides. In this respect we maintain intensive contacts not only with the Syrian government, but also with various opposition groups,” Lukashevich stated as cited on the ministry’s official website.

Moscow believes it is necessary to act strictly in compliance to Kofi Annan’s peace plan, “to which we see no alternative at the moment.”

Earlier, Syrian envoys in capitals across the globe – ranging from Washington to Tokyo and from London, Paris, Berlin to Canberra – were declared personae non grata and ordered to leave. The move followed the massacre in the town of Houla that killed 108 people, many of whom were women and children. The West blamed President Bashar al-Assad's regime for the tragedy.

Meanwhile, official Damascus denies any involvement in the bloody events.

"The Houla Massacre is the doing of armed terrorist groups," Syrian Ambassador to Moscow Riyad Haddad told Interfax. According to the diplomat, there were citizens of other countries among the attackers, including Tunisia, Libya and Turkey. "We believe Al-Qaeda is also involved in this tragedy," Haddad said.

Commenting on the expulsion of Syrian diplomats, he pointed out that the countries that made these decisions acted “injudiciously.”

“There are no investigation results yet. What makes them think that the government is fully responsible for this tragedy?" he said.

The diplomat believes that these countries decided for themselves long ago who to blame for the Syrian conflict and are simply following that course now.

Comments (10)

USA (unregistered) 03.06.2012 02:14

Syria Finds 800-Man Death Squad Guilty of Houla Massacre; Putin Warns of Extreme Danger While Hollande Drifts Towards Warmonger Camp   We bster G. Tarpley, Ph.D.

Jun e 1, 2012   ht tp://tarpley.net/201 2/06/01/syria-finds- 800-man-death-squad- guilty-of-houla-mass acre/ http://ww w.youtube.com/watch? feature=player_embed ded&v=QqwJ4b_GICc   Chimp in the whitehouse should hang for that! I say!http://landdestr oyer.blogspot.com/se arch/label/Syria

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cia-again (unregistered) 02.06.2012 14:47

It's the CIA-again. That's what happens when the US gov't agencies are headed by the same one group of people who favors their own country other than the US. We need more diversity of minds in our gov't and people who loves the US above all. Sadly, that not our current state. That entire region on the other side of my world is smoked by and smells like the CIA-body odor. Why region after region in that area starts falling apart the same way--[just like tower7 in ground zero falling free fall like towers 1 and 2, though it was never hit by any plane is clear indication that the same lying forces was at work--domestic. The *planes* were the excuse and the US+Israel+Saudi(USIS A) hitched-hike on someone's idea to give their agenda life--war with countries unfriendly to Izrael and rich in oil, everyone gets something out of it--Our nineleven was more domestic than a foreign cause--*US+Israel+Sa udi* murdered innocent Americans. That event started the domino effect in the middleast giving the US one leg into an unfriendly region. Regime change--they used it throughout history and those stupid people--uneducated in their history past, keep following and repeating the same steps set down for them. The western goal is to cause problems that would destroy a country's infrastructure, without the bones of society to support the system the entire system would collapse--it will implode, like tower7, within itself--which let the truth out on 9eleven. People against their gov't is happening in the US and Europe also, so these middle east countries are not alone. Already in the US there are laws that gives our gov't the power to suppress citizens' rights--they employ all these jewish own media to suppress the American public from knowing anything--it is a crying shame that we have to use news channels like RT to get more honest news in America! The key is when they point that way, you look the other way. Remain independent thinkers, step back and act later after everyone has a chance to take it all in, then compare thought, the truth will produce consistent answers from all different angles. 

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Shah Sher (unregistered) 01.06.2012 23:23

It seems the interest of European leaders is far from diplomacy, why are NATO countries resentful of diplomatic moves? It seems strange that Syria would commit such a heinous crime in front of the U.N observers that they invited into the country. We need to investigate the agenda of the government and opposition forces and determine what objectives each side is working towards. 
 
There are several points to consider: 
1. The BBC's fabrication of evidence.  
2. According to Ban Ki Moon the massacre occurred in an area "outside of the government control".  
3. Some of the victims were beheaded; unusual method for a conventional armed force.  
4. Artillery fire was also available to the opposition.  
5. If 20% were killed by artillery fire, how could they be found with those that were executed without having been moved? It is inconsistent with a massacre scenario. 
6. The Syrian government had no motive for this act which would have potentially invited military intervention, sectarian violence and destroyed any moral legitimacy for peace. 
 
Wh y would the government jeopardise their regime? It doesnt make any sense. The BBC seem to be having a field day with this, first it was the government, now its militia. This is a despicable crime against humanity, there should be an immediate investigation to find those responsible. Shah Sher

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