Russia Warns NATO, Gulf States Against Intervention In Syria

U.S. Sixth Fleet flagship USS Mount Whitney

Source: Xinhau News and Stop NATO

“We are convinced that in a time of extreme internal political crisis, the role of the international community should not be one of exacerbating conflict nor meddling by the use of economic sanctions or military force.” 

“We will not stand for any sanctions resolutions or using the council’s toolbox so as to fuel conflict or possibly justify any foreign intervention in the future.”

The Security Council met on Tuesday afternoon on the current situation in Syria, with the Arab League and Western countries urging the 15-nation council to adopt their joint draft resolution, which demands what they call a “political transition” in the Middle East country.

UNITED NATIONS: Russia on Tuesday warned foreign countries against meddling in the internal affairs of Syria, saying that “the Syrian crisis can only be resolved within the Syrian-led political process.”

Standing NATO Maritime Group 1

The statement came as Vitaly Churkin, the Russian permanent representative to the United Nations, was addressing an open meeting of the UN Security Council on the current situation in Syria.

“The solution to the crisis can be found only through a Syrian-led, inclusive political process,” Churkin said. “If all key players of the international community were to concentrate their efforts on implementing these provisions we are convinced that the crisis would long be a thing of the past. Unfortunately, this hasn’t been the case.”

“We are convinced that in a time of extreme internal political crisis, the role of the international community should not be one of exacerbating conflict nor meddling by the use of economic sanctions or military force,” he said. “No, it should be fostering dialogue so as to seek an optimally effective and smooth resolution with a view to a cessation of violence and establishing a Syrian-led inclusive political process.”

“Russia, which has enjoyed close, friendly contacts with the Syrian people and the Arab world from the very beginning, fought to ensure that the Syrian people would be able to decide for themselves without bloodshed and violence and set a course, a format for necessary social, economic, and political reforms,” he said.

Cold War Style Confrontation: Russia Warns Anti-Missile Issue May Cause "Ice-Age" in Relations With U.S.

Source: Xinhau News Agency

The U.S.-led anti-missile defense shields in Europe may seriously damage relations between Russia and the United States if the two sides could not reach agreements on the issue, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Wednesday.

"We hope problems in the anti-missile defense shield will not escalate and cause our relations move backward to the ice age. We hope to avoid this," Ryabkov told the Voice of Russia radio in an interview.

Ryabkov said that Moscow did not rule out the possibility of withdrawing from the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) it signed with the U.S. in 2010, if no solution would be reached on the issue.

According to Ryabkov, these problems could be solved on the ground proposed by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in November, when the president asked again legally-binding guarantees from the U.S. and NATO that the missile defense shield is not targeting Russia.

Medvedev also warned in November that Russia might station missile defense systems, including the Iskander, in western and southern sections of the country if there were any additional U.S. missile deployments in Europe.

Moscow has long opposed the deployment of U.S.-led NATO missile defense facilities near its borders and intends to seek legally- binding guarantees from the U.S. and NATO.

Pakistan Reviews Ties With U.S. After Deadly NATO Strike

Source: Xinhua News Agency
Muhammad Tahir

The November 26 attack was the 8th NATO strike on Pakistani posts in the last three years, according to the Pakistan army. A total of 72 Pakistani soldiers have been killed in such NATO strikes, but the latest strike has prompted an unprecedented angry reaction from the Pakistani military and civilian leadership...

 
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani says parliament will meet soon to reassess its relations with the United States in the wake of the November 26 deadly attack by NATO fighter jets and helicopters on two border posts, killing 24 soldiers.

The attack had caused widespread anger across Pakistan and the country's top civil and military leadership took unexpected and important decisions to review its future relationship with the U.S., close supply lines for NATO forces in Afghanistan, vacate a strategically important airbase in Balochistan province from the U. S. military and to boycott the December 5 Bonn Conference on Afghanistan's future.

The decisions are considered as a major setback in worsening Pakistan-U.S relations, which had been under stress since February this year when an undercover CIA agent, Raymond Davis, shot dead two Pakistani nationals in the eastern city of Lahore. The documents and mobile phone data of Raymond Davis mobile had unearthed a secret U.S. spy network in Pakistan, which prompted a call from Pakistan to seek details about all American secret agents and their activities in the country. Pakistan then had also asked the U.S. to withdraw its spies and U.S. trainers.