Russian Defense Ministry appalled by statement of U.S. State Dept spokesman about possible threats to Russian cities, war losses in Syria
MOSCOW. Sept 29 (Interfax) - The Russian Defense Ministry described the statement recently made by U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby about the alleged threat of terrorists striking Russian cities and Russia's possible war losses in Syria as unacceptable.
"His words are an utmost transparent confession made by the U.S. side that all the opposition allegedly conducting a civil war in Syria is a kind of cross-border terrorist International under U.S. control," the ministry's spokesperson Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said on Thursday.
"The masks have been removed, haven't they, sirs?" Konashenkov said.
"I'm sure that John Kirby, who quite recently changed the uniform of a rear admiral in the Pentagon for the suit jacket of a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, is well aware of the effects of his own statement," Konashenkov went on.
"What is especially appalling in John Kirby's statement is that the scale of the direct American influence on activities of the terrorists is global and can get as far as Russia," he said.
"Certainly, one may carry on saying that they [U.S. in Syria] are persistent, though without success, in trying to separate the terrorists of Jabhat al-Nusra from the opposition," he said.
"However, in the event that any attempts are made to realize the threats against Russia and Russian servicemen in Syria, it is far from certain that the militants will have enough bags and time to make their getaway. Therefore, having changed an admiral's coat for a suit jacket, one shouldn't forget about honor of a [Naval] officer," he said.
This is how Konashenkov responded to the speech made by U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby, who said that if the civil war continues in Syria, terrorists will carry out attacks against Russian interests and Russian cities and Russia itself "will continue to send troops home in body bags" and "continue to lose resources - even, perhaps, more aircraft".