US, Russia wrangle over airstrike on Syria aid convoy
by Daily Sabah with Wires
IstanbulSep 22, 2016 - 12:00 am GMT+3
by Daily Sabah with Wires
Sep 22, 2016 12:00 am
Aggression between the United States and Russia intensifies over who was to blame for the bombing of a UN aid convoy in Syria. The war of words has intensified as the U.S. officials stated Moscow's warplanes were responsible for the destruction of the 18 trucks.
According to two U.S. officials spoke to Reuters on Tuesday, two Russian Sukhoi SU-24 warplanes were in the skies above the aid convoy at the time it was struck late on Monday, citing U.S. intelligence that led them to conclude Russia was to blame.
Kremlin government rejected such claims suggesting that U.S.-backed aid workers could have destroyed their own convoy. Moscow also stated that the convoy was not hit from the air and has implied rebels were to blame, saying only rescue workers affiliated to the opposition knew what had happened. Russia's foreign ministry told reporters at the United Nations the U.S. administration "has no facts" to support its assertions.
Tensions between the United States and Russia escalated over a Sept. 17 attack by the U.S.-led coalition against DAESH that killed dozens of Syrian soldiers in the eastern Deir al-Zor province. Washington said that strike was carried out by mistake with the intent of hitting Islamic State.
Monday's attack on the aid convoy, which the Syrian Red Crescent says killed the head of its local office and around 20 other people, brought furious international condemnation.
The United Nations suspended aid shipments. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon used his farewell speech to the General Assembly in New York to denounce the "cowards" behind it. "Just when you think it cannot get any worse, the bar of depravity sinks lower," Ban said. However, the United Nations, which initially described the attack as an air strike, rowed back from that characterization, saying it could not be certain what had happened.
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