Luke Skywalker
Super Moderator
{vb:raw ozzmodz_postquote}:
Syrian government forces raise their weapons after taking control of the village of Kiffin on the northern outskirts of the embattled city of Aleppo on Feb. 11, 2016.(Photo: George Ourfalian, AFP/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON —<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Russian airstrikes over Syria have damaged or destroyed at least 19 mosques as part of a scorched earth air campaign that appears to be targeting civilians<span style="color: Red;">*</span>as well as rebel fighters, according to a study of attacks on religious sites.
Syrian government forces were responsible for attacks on <span style="color: Red;">*</span>47 mosques, according to the data compiled by the American Schools of Oriental Research, which has a grant from the State Department to track the destruction of historic and religious sites in Iraq and Syria.
It said an additional 10 mosques were struck by either Russian or Syrian forces. About 17% of all the strikes occurred during prayer services.
The data<span style="color: Red;">*</span>support<span style="color: Red;">*</span>U.S. government allegations that Russia is waging a<span style="color: Red;">*</span>reckless air campaign aimed at rebel forces fighting Syrian President Bashar Assad, a Russian ally. The United<span style="color: Red;">*</span>States, which backs<span style="color: Red;">*</span>some of the rebels, wants Assad to step down.
The study suggests the attacks are aimed at civilians who<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Assad's<span style="color: Red;">*</span>government suspects are<span style="color: Red;">*</span>helping rebels in their nearly 5-year-old civil war. The attacks are mostly in rebel-controlled areas.
“They’re trying to weaken the rebels and anyone who would support the cause,” said Allison Cuneo, a project manager of the research group, headquartered at Boston University. The study used social media, regional media reports and other sources to assess the damages since<span style="color: Red;">*</span>last October, shortly after Russia launched its air campaign. The organization cautions the information is not definitive and is drawn primarily from public sources.
The strikes on mosques appear to be part of a broader campaign<span style="color: Red;">*</span>to weaken morale in opposition strongholds, Cuneo said.
This week, the Pentagon <span style="color: Red;">*</span>accused Russian and Syrian aircraft of bombing the two main hospitals in Allepo, a key Syrian city where Assad’s forces have launched a major offensive.
Russia has denied the accusations and says<span style="color: Red;">*</span>it<span style="color: Red;">*</span>is combating terrorist groups in Syria, including the Islamic State.
USA TODAY
Wesley Clark: In Syria, Russia is the real threat
Russia's increased involvement in Syria has<span style="color: Red;">*</span>tipped the balance in favor of Assad and has complicated U.S. efforts to reach a political settlement to end a<span style="color: Red;">*</span>war that has<span style="color: Red;">*</span>killed more than 250,000 people and displaced millions.
Secretary of State John Kerry met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Munich<span style="color: Red;">*</span>and<span style="color: Red;">*</span>announced early Friday an agreement<span style="color: Red;">*</span>to implement a "cessation of hostilities" in Syria and bring aid into the country to help stem a<span style="color: Red;">*</span>growing humanitarian crisis.
The cease-fire<span style="color: Red;">*</span>would take effect in a week's time, but is far from certain because it depends on most<span style="color: Red;">*</span>forces fighting in Syria to agree to its terms.
Over the past week, the Russians launched 510 combat sorties in Syria, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
Russian aircraft mostly use “dumb bombs,” said Col. Steve Warren, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, referring to munitions that are not precisely guided onto a target like U.S. munitions.
“Their use of air power is similar to the way we used air power in World War II,” said Jeff White, an analyst at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and former Defense Intelligence Agency official.
The Russian tactics stand in contrast to U.S. efforts to minimize civilian casualties and limit strikes to armed militants.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>When coalition forces<span style="color: Red;">*</span>began targeting oil trucks used by Islamic State militants, they dropped leaflets<span style="color: Red;">*</span>warning drivers to abandon their vehicles before airstrikes were launched.
“Indiscriminate bombing, where we don't care if we're killing innocents or combatants, is just inconsistent with our values,” said Army Lt. Gen. Sean MacFarland, commander of the coalition task force fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>“Right now, we have the moral high ground, and I think that's where we need to stay.
“The Russian actions have done nothing except prop up Bashar al-Assad, who we know is the root of the problem in Syria,” MacFarland<span style="color: Red;">*</span>said.
Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed