US ground ops in Syria ‘illegal’, may lead to ‘unpredictable’ consequences

The consequences of potential US ground operations in Syria would be unpredictable, the head of Russia’s parliamentary committee on foreign affairs told RT. He added that claims Russian airstrikes have targeted civilians are part of ongoing information war.

“If there ...[is] any evidence ...[it] should be presented and Russia is definitely open to making further investigations,” Chairman of the Russian Upper House committee for foreign affairs, Konstantin Kosachev told RT, while on a visit to Washington. “But there is no evidence [that has been] presented by the military experts to the Russian military experts.”

Kosachev’s comments come after the Russian Ministry of Defense summoned the military attaches of NATO countries and Saudi Arabia, asking them to clarify their allegations that Russian airstrikes in Syria had hit civilian targets.

The head of the committee blamed mass media for “deliberately circulating rumors” of Russian airstrikes killing civilian population in Syria. The same “rumors,” Kosachev, said are being spread throughout social media.

“This is just an information war against Russia and nothing else,” he told RT.

Konstantin Kosachyov © Ramil Sitdikov © RIA Novosti

Kosachev called on all nations to join the Russian led coalition against ISIS in Syria, that Russia is conducting “within the framework of international law.”

“We have no intention of joining any other coalition for the simple reason that they are outside the framework of the international law,” he said.

Commenting on the potential involvement of US ground troops against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, Kosachev once again highlighted that, when it comes to Syria, the US-led anti-ISIS campaign is already violating international law. Potential troops on the ground, Kosachev believes, will further violate international regulations

“Any operations – air based operations, ground based operations – in Syria by American forces will be illegal,” Kosachev told RT, explaining that Washington has not been invited by Damascus to take part in military operation in a sovereign country.

“They will get trapped, they will get involved in this ongoing conflict and the consequences will be absolutely unpredictable,” Kosachev said, addicting that sending US troops into Syria would be a “big mistake.”

At the same time, Kosachev, stressed that Russia would not send ground troops into Syria.

“No ground operation is possible [in Syria], because that would inevitably involve Russia in the ongoing war,” the politician told RT.

Instead Moscow is committed to finding a political solution in Syria and has facilitated a number of high level talks between Bashar Assad’s government and the opposition representatives in Moscow.

“The problem is that people who come to Moscow ... claim that they represent the opposition but later on other groups deny it and we have problems with finding reliable partners,” who would facilitate the political dialogue back in Syria, Kosachev said.

“We try not to interfere but promote a political dialogue inside the country,” Kosachev told RT. “We believe there is no other way to solve the internal problems of Syria but to maintain a political dialogue.”

LISTEN MORE: