Duma deputy criticizes CIA chief for underestimating Russia's role in fighting ISIL
MOSCOW. July 21 (Interfax) - Russian State Duma international affairs committee head Leonid Slutsky has described CIA Director Mike Pompeo's remark on 'the most minimal evidence' of Russia's role in fighting terrorists in Syria as propaganda.
"Russia is quite efficiently opposing terrorism in Syria at the request of the legitimate Syrian authorities. And this is a fact confirmed by real successes in the antiterrorist operation. And not acknowledging this and calling our contribution 'minimal' is the same as acknowledging their own blindness," Slutsky told journalists on Friday.
Pompeo's remarks show that either he is "a victim of anti-Russian propaganda or, on the contrary, he is trying to deliberately engage in wishful thinking or lay the blame at someone else's door," he said.
Washington is apparently trying to vindicate former President Barack Obama's original goal of ousting President Bashar al-Assad's regime at any cost, even by supporting terrorist groups, which it calls 'moderate opposition', he said.
"The fact that they have still been unable to do this apparently frustrates some U.S. politicians, which prompts such statements," Slutsky said.