Se cumple un año
desde que Rusia decidiera intervenir militarmente en el conflicto sirio. La
nota que sigue, de Russia Today, da cuenta de algunos de los eventos a los que
condujo dicha intervención:
Título: A year of
Russia fighting against Western imperialism: 5 key milestones of the Russian
air campaign in Syria
Epígrafe:
Precisely a year ago Moscow joined the campaign in Syria at the request of
Damascus. While killing thousands of jihadists, Russia suffered military
losses, but became one of the driving forces behind attempts at the national
reconciliation process.
Texto: On
September 30, 2015 Russian jets conducted their first strikes against terrorist
targets in Syria, hitting Islamic State (IS, formerly known as ISIS/ISIL)
positions near the cities of Homs and Hama.
By that time the
US-led coalition had been already active in Syria for over a year. Yet Russia
became the only state which received an official request from Syrian President
Bashar Assad to conduct air strikes in the country. The Russian jets operated
from the Khmeimim air base located in Syria's Latakia Governorate.
Liberation of
Palmyra
During its
mission, the Russian Air Force aided the Syrian army in liberating one of the
country's key cities and a world heritage site - Palmyra. The ancient city had
been under the control of IS since May 2015 before it was retaken by government
forces backed by Russian airstrikes in March this year.
Jihadists
destroyed numerous historical landmarks during the occupation, while leaving
roads, houses and monuments booby trapped. Russian and Syrian sappers defused
thousands of mines left by the terrorists after their retreat. Following the
liberation of the ravaged city, the world-famous Russian conductor Valery
Gergiev led a concert in Palmyra to support its restoration and honor the
victims of the war.
Downing of SU-24
The Russian
military operation in Syria was marred by a tragic incident last year after
Turkish fighter jets downed a Russian Su-24 bomber near the Syria-Turkey
border. One pilot died as a result, while another one was rescued. Ankara said
that the Russian plane violated its airspace, but Moscow said the Su-24was
attacked over the Syrian border. During their rescue operations Russian forces
also lost a helicopter, which was attacked from the ground by the militants.
Reacting to the
Su-24 downing President Putin called the incident "a stab in the
back", with Moscow imposing sanctions on Turkey. Russia suspended direct
air connections with Turkey as a result. In June Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan apologized for the attack in a written statement, which led to the
normalization of bilateral relations.
The Russian air
campaign in Syria resulted in the loss of three more choppers. One of the
helicopters was downed in Idlib province in July after a human aid delivery to
civilians in the embattled city of Aleppo.
Reduction of
military presence
On March 15 Putin
ordered the withdrawal of the majority of Russian jets and personnel from
Syria, announcing that the major part of the operation in Syria was over.
"I believe that the objectives with which the Ministry of Defense has been
tasked have been largely reached. Therefore, starting with tomorrow I order the
withdrawal of the main part of our military from the Syrian Arab
Republic," Putin said.
Back then
officials stated that the Russian jets conducted over 7,000 sorties destroying
numerous bases and hideouts of jihadists and leaving nearly 13,000 terrorists
dead. The remaining units of the Russian air force continued to assist Syrian
government troops in tackling jihadists across the country.
Humanitarian
assistance
Over the course
of the Syrian mission Russia established a Reconciliation Center in the
country. The facility was tasked with helping to monitor the cessation of
hostilities and implement international peace proposals on the ground.
On July 28 this
year the center and the Syrian government introduced three "safe
corridors" for civilians willing to leave the ravaged Aleppo. The plan
also included a fourth passage for militants who wanted to surrender. The
corridors have been largely used to deliver humanitarian aid, including
medicine and water to the population.
According to a
representative, Moscow delivered tens of tons of aid to Aleppo from the
Khmeimim airbase. Following the introduction of the routes, Russian Defense
Minister Sergey Shoigu voiced his discontent with militants who "shelled
villages, attacked the positions of government troops" near the exit routes
as well as inside Aleppo. The UN estimated that around 250,000 residents of the
city have been in dire need of basic supplies.
Peace process
While battling
jihadists from the air, Russia alongside the US was a key player in negotiating
a political solution to the Syrian deadlock. Following marathon talks in Geneva
in February, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his US counterpart John
Kerry brokered a deal on the cessation of hostilities in Syria.
The agreement,
which came into force on February 27, included a stop to military action from
both the rebel and government side. Terrorist groups, like IS and Jabhat
al-Nusra were excluded from the truce deal. After establishing its
Reconciliation Center at Khmeimim air base, Moscow handed over contact data to
Washington.
However in the
following weeks, the Russian Defense Ministry said that it noted "verified
proof of systematical violations" on the part of anti-government forces.
It has also urged Washington to stick to promises and push the rebels to
delineate their territories from those held by terrorists. The US on its part
said Damascus attempted to jeopardize the cessation of hostilities, adding that
Moscow did not use its influence over President Assad.
The deteriorating
violence across Syria forced the US and Russia to acknowledge that the
ceasefire had to be renegotiated. A fresh round of talks resulted in a new deal
on the cessation of hostilities, announced by Lavrov and Kerry on September 9
in Geneva. The agreement was part of a larger peace plan, which also included
the delivery of humanitarian aid, in particular to Aleppo. The deal, which
again excluded terrorist groups came into force on September 12 but has since
been marred by numerous violations. Just three days later Russian Defense
Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said US-backed rebels had been
"intensifying the shelling of residential areas" in Aleppo.
Moscow also
demanded Washington use its influence to persuading rebel forces to clearly
separate themselves from jihadists in Syria to avoid hitting them in
airstrikes. John Kerry in return said President Assad has not been willing to
comply with the peace agreement.
Speaking to RT,
President Assad's Political and Media Adviser Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban said that
while Russia is "truly fighting terrorism," internal disagreements in
the US are hampering truce efforts inside Syria.
A fresh row
between Moscow and Washington blew up Wednesday when State Department
spokesperson John Kirby warned Russia that "more Russian lives will be
lost" and its interests attacked if violence in Syria continued.
His comments came
in the wake of reports of heightened bombing in Aleppo. In response on Thursday
a spokesperson for the Russian Defense Ministry said that Moscow is "fully
prepared to continue the dialogue with the American side and carry on with the
joint actions to combat terrorists in Syria."
However
Konashenkov noted that even "slightest hints of a threat to our soldiers
and Russian citizens must be excluded from this dialogue."
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario