By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, April 24 -- Both the US and Russia expressed concern at the Al Nusra Front in Syria at the UN on Wednesday. But which was more realistic?
US Ambassador Susan Rice said that Al Nusra is a threat to the Syrian revolution. But even anti-Assad UN sources have estimated to Inner City Press that Al Nusra is half of the effective force of the armed opposition in Syria.
Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin got more specific. He criticized the European Union's decision to accept and buy oil exports from what Churkin called the “so called liberated areas” of Syria -- the money, he said, will go to the strongest armed groups, like Al Nusra.
Where does the EU think the money will go? What safeguards if any are in place?
Churkin denounced what he called the armed opposition's kidnapping of bishops in the so-called liberated zones, and called the pending UN General Assembly resolution, drafted by Qatar and a few others, extremely negative.
Inner City Press first reported the Qatari draft resolution and put later drafts online; then Inner City Press obtained and exclusively published letters raised objections to the draft, from six Latin American countries, Malaysia, India and South Africa, here.
While some were saying that Qatar is being urged, “even by the P-3 [France, UK and US], Luxembourg, Germany and Italy,” to withdraw the draft resolution, Inner City Press asked a supporter who said, “no way, that would look terrible.”
So when's the vote? And will Qatar's proposed language on recognitions of the opposition be removed? Watch this site.
