Raqqa bombing was 'barbaric' - Russia
- 7 years ago
Russia has accused the US-led coalition in Syria of wiping the city of Raqqa “off the face of the earth”.
Officials say the city has been carpet-bombed in the same way the US and Britain bombed the German city of Dresden in 1945.
Russia accuses U.S.-led coalition of ‘barbaric’ bombing of Syria’s Raqqa https://t.co/AR3MSDMbpk pic.twitter.com/pOdaq2M9AW— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) 22 octobre 2017
What has Russia said?
The Russian Defence Ministry, which has itself repeatedly been forced to deny accusations from activists and Western politicians of bombing Syrian civilians, said it looks like the West is now rushing to provide financial aid to Raqqa to cover up evidence of its own crimes.
Major-General Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Defence Ministry, said in a statement that around 200,000 people had lived in Raqqa before the conflict in Syria.
However, no more than 45,000 remain.
“Raqqa has inherited the fate of Dresden in 1945, wiped off the face of the Earth by Anglo-American bombardments,” Konashenkov said.
‘mod_russia: Raqqa #Syria has suffered a fate of Dresden in 1945 when the city was wiped off of the face of the earth pic.twitter.com/UADtP1jP6v— Russia in USA (RusEmbUSA) 22 octobre 2017
Although he said Russia welcomed Western promises of financial aid to rebuild Raqqa, Konashenkov complained that numerous Russian requests for the West to give humanitarian aid to Syrian civilians in other parts of the country had been rejected in recent years.
“What is behind the rush by Western capitals to provide targeted financial help only to Raqqa?”, Konashenfov asked. “There is only one explanation – the desire to cover up evidence of the barbaric bombardments by the US air force and the coalition as fast as possible and to bury the thousands of civilians ‘liberated’ from ISIL in the ruins.”
Raqqa in ruins: Western aid haste hints at cover up of US-led coalition’s ‘barbaric destruction’ – Moscow https://t.co/k5Kip9jOBf pic.twitter.com/vEasa9XoFt— RT (@RT_com) 22 octobre 2017
Why is Raqqa in the news?
Because US-backed Syrian militia declared victory over ISIL there last week. The battle in what was the capital of the self-proclaimed caliphate had lasted four months.
The US-led coalition says it is careful to avoid civilian casualties in its bombings against ISIL in both Syria and Iraq. All allegations are investigated.
It has previously denied killing civilians in air strikes on Raqqa, saying its goal is “zero civilian casualties.”
What happened at Dresden?
Most of the German city was destroyed in Allied bombing raids just before the end of the Second World War.
An estimated 25,000 people were killed.
Post-war debate on whether the bombing was justified has led to it becoming a moral cause-célèbre.
How Slaughterhouse-Five made us see the Dresden bombing differently https://t.co/MnAbiwtrBa pic.twitter.com/xCB1GoCbDn— Roy Kenagy (@RoyKenagy) 28 février 2017
Officials say the city has been carpet-bombed in the same way the US and Britain bombed the German city of Dresden in 1945.
Russia accuses U.S.-led coalition of ‘barbaric’ bombing of Syria’s Raqqa https://t.co/AR3MSDMbpk pic.twitter.com/pOdaq2M9AW— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) 22 octobre 2017
What has Russia said?
The Russian Defence Ministry, which has itself repeatedly been forced to deny accusations from activists and Western politicians of bombing Syrian civilians, said it looks like the West is now rushing to provide financial aid to Raqqa to cover up evidence of its own crimes.
Major-General Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Defence Ministry, said in a statement that around 200,000 people had lived in Raqqa before the conflict in Syria.
However, no more than 45,000 remain.
“Raqqa has inherited the fate of Dresden in 1945, wiped off the face of the Earth by Anglo-American bombardments,” Konashenkov said.
‘mod_russia: Raqqa #Syria has suffered a fate of Dresden in 1945 when the city was wiped off of the face of the earth pic.twitter.com/UADtP1jP6v— Russia in USA (RusEmbUSA) 22 octobre 2017
Although he said Russia welcomed Western promises of financial aid to rebuild Raqqa, Konashenkov complained that numerous Russian requests for the West to give humanitarian aid to Syrian civilians in other parts of the country had been rejected in recent years.
“What is behind the rush by Western capitals to provide targeted financial help only to Raqqa?”, Konashenfov asked. “There is only one explanation – the desire to cover up evidence of the barbaric bombardments by the US air force and the coalition as fast as possible and to bury the thousands of civilians ‘liberated’ from ISIL in the ruins.”
Raqqa in ruins: Western aid haste hints at cover up of US-led coalition’s ‘barbaric destruction’ – Moscow https://t.co/k5Kip9jOBf pic.twitter.com/vEasa9XoFt— RT (@RT_com) 22 octobre 2017
Why is Raqqa in the news?
Because US-backed Syrian militia declared victory over ISIL there last week. The battle in what was the capital of the self-proclaimed caliphate had lasted four months.
The US-led coalition says it is careful to avoid civilian casualties in its bombings against ISIL in both Syria and Iraq. All allegations are investigated.
It has previously denied killing civilians in air strikes on Raqqa, saying its goal is “zero civilian casualties.”
What happened at Dresden?
Most of the German city was destroyed in Allied bombing raids just before the end of the Second World War.
An estimated 25,000 people were killed.
Post-war debate on whether the bombing was justified has led to it becoming a moral cause-célèbre.
How Slaughterhouse-Five made us see the Dresden bombing differently https://t.co/MnAbiwtrBa pic.twitter.com/xCB1GoCbDn— Roy Kenagy (@RoyKenagy) 28 février 2017