Member of the Syrian Coalition’s political committee Michel Kilo said that Russia’s announcement of a so-called eight-hour “humanitarian pause” in Aleppo on Monday is a gimmick aimed at crushing the FSA and rebels’ resistance and quashing the revolution. Kilo said Russia and the Assad regime are determined to pursue a military solution to the conflict.
Russia’s latest move deserves only condemnation just as its ongoing ferocious campaign on Aleppo, which amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity, does, Kilo said.
Kilo stressed that the political deadlock in Syria has left Russia internationally isolated, therefore Russia is trying to end this isolation by showing willingness to halt the bombing of Aleppo for just few hours. Such false gestures of goodwill are meant to give the impression that Russian and the Assad regime are not bent on pursuing a military solution, even though they continue to escalate military operations across Syria.
Kilo pointed out that by carrying on with their onslaught on Aleppo, Russia and the Assad regime have reached a new low in their brutality and have shown barbarity unmatched in modern history of wars and conflicts.
The Russian announcement coincided with increasing unrest inside Russia by journalists, political activists, and former army generals, Kilo said. He added that according to opinion polls, nearly 27% of the Russian population opposes Russia’s military performance in Syria, stressing that the Russian announcement of a halt to the bombing of Aleppo is meant to send a message to the Russian people that Russian forces are fighting according to a plan that includes, pauses, breaks, and temporary truces.
Kilo also said that the Russians are using much more destructive weapons in their onslaught on Aleppo, including the use of bunker-buster bombs against civilians in populated areas. (Source: Syrian Coalition + Asharq Al-Awsat)
