- Title: Russian MP says US strikes on Syria threaten nuclear war
- Date: 7th April 2017
- Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (APRIL 7, 2017) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR STATE DUMA BUILDING SIGN ON BUILDING READING (Russian): "STATE DUMA" AND COAT OF ARMS PEOPLE WALKING DOWN STAIRS INSIDE STATE DUMA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN STATE DUMA LAWMAKER, MIKHAIL YEMELYANOV, SAYING: "What relates to the chemical attack, it is all lies, there was no chemical attack (by government forces) and it could not have happened due to the current situation in Syria. Chemical weapons were taken from Syria a long time ago, and the Americans know this because it was transported under their control. This is an excuse for the U.S. to interfere in the Syrian conflict directly." INTERIOR OF STATE DUMA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN STATE DUMA LAWMAKER, MIKHAIL YEMELYANOV, SAYING: "This act goes far beyond just Syria because, clearly, Russia supports the legal Syrian government and takes part to a certain scale in this conflict. Therefore, such strikes are an act not just against Syria, but also against Russia. Moreover, when Americans were striking the airport they didn't know if our citizens were there or not. So, this situation may lead at least to a repetition of the 'Cuban Missile Crisis' which almost pushed the world onto the edge of a nuclear war." PEOPLE WALKING DOWN STEPS INSIDE STATE DUMA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN STATE DUMA LAWMAKER, MIKHAIL YEMELYANOV, SAYING: "Trump showed himself as an unpredictable, reckless and irrational politician. Therefore, what kind of actions he may undertake is a big question. But I think he will get scared of his own decision, especially taking into account that not all of the U.S.'s elite, including many democrats, supported him in the act. So, I think he will stop, but very serious damage was done to Russia-U.S. relations and now there is a question - should (Rex) Tillerson come to Moscow and what should we talk about after this?" STATE DUMA STAIRS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN STATE DUMA LAWMAKER, PYOTR TOLSTOI, SAYING: "This is not a conflict between Russia and the U.S. This is a challenge to the system of international law by the U.S. and their allies. They have no right to decide by themselves who must be punished, who is good and who is bad, without an investigation of the situation and without any internationally recognised evidence." CARS DRIVING ALONG STREET, KREMLIN IN BACKGROUND KREMLIN TOWERS PEOPLE WALKING OUT OF UNDERGROUND PASSAGE (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) MOSCOW RESIDENT, VLADIMIR, SAYING: "There are always two options in any situation. The first one is bad - it is a nuclear war, the possibility. This is the worst scenario. A normal option is... After all, there are people there, you know, people on various sides - opposition, al-Assad's supporters, Islamic State followers, and a lot of interests. Syria is a very dangerous knot." KREMLIN TOWER (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) MOSCOW RESIDENT, VLADIMIR, SAYING: "Trump is an unpredictable man. He and Vladimir Vladimirovich (Putin) are like two balls... Definitely one ball will go to (billiard) pocket." KREMLIN TOWERS, RUSSIAN PRESIDENTIAL FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) MOSCOW RESIDENT, OLGA, SAYING: "Of course, I don't want a war. It is clear. But because I cannot influence (on the situation) I am a fatalist, and that's why I accept that whatever happens it happens. But frankly speaking, of course, deep inside I hope a war won't start and everything will be all right." EXTERIOR BOLSHOI THEATRE
- Embargoed: 21st April 2017 11:46
- Keywords: Russia US Syria air strikes military base
- Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- City: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA0016BEGWUF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Russia condemned U.S. cruise missile strikes on Syria as illegal on Friday (April 7), warning the move would further damage already battered U.S.-Russia relations which Moscow had hoped President Donald Trump would revive.
U.S. officials said they had informed Russian forces ahead of the strikes - intended to punish the Syrian government for what they say was chemical weapons attack earlier this week - and had avoided hitting Russian personnel.
Lawmakers in Russia's lower house of parliament said the U.S. had violated international law, with one warning it risked another "Cuban Missile Crisis" style nuclear war.
"It is all lies, there was no chemical attack (by government forces)," said Mikhail Yemelyanov, a minister from the Fair Russia party. "Chemical weapons were taken from Syria a long time ago, and the Americans know this because it was transported under their control. This is an excuse for the U.S. to interfere in the Syrian conflict directly."
Yemelyanov warned the U.S. strikes on Syria were targeted at Russia also.
"Such strikes are an act not just against Syria, but also against Russia. Moreover, when Americans were striking the airport they didn't know if our citizens were there or not. So, this situation may lead at least to a repetition of the 'Cuban Missile Crisis' which almost pushed the world onto the edge of a nuclear war."
Another lawmaker Pyotr Tolstoi said the U.S. had acted without conferring with U.N. Security Council.
Moscow had been hoping to cooperate with Trump to jointly fight Islamic State in Syria, a move it was banking on to boost U.S.-Russia ties which are at a post-Cold War low. After the U.S. strikes, that task now looks harder.
Rex Tillerson is due to make his first visit to Moscow next week as U.S. secretary of state, an eagerly awaited event in Russia where politicians have been anxious to try to use the change of administration to reboot relations. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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