Support The Moscow Times!

Russia Claims U.S. Is Training Hundreds of Terrorists in Syria

Goran Tomasevic / Reuters

Russia has once again accused the United States of training terrorists in Syria, this time at a military base in the south of the war-torn country. 

Moscow has regularly charged that Washington provides cover, if not all-out support, for militant forces fighting against Syria’s regime and civilian population. Its latest effort backfired last month when Russia’s Defense Ministry attached video game footage as “irrefutable evidence” of its claims.

“According to space and other types of surveillance data, there are militant units [inside a U.S. base in Tanf, Syria]. They are, in fact, training there,” General Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of Russia's Armed Forces, said in an interview with the Komsomolskaya Pravda tabloid on Wednesday. 

Gerasimov cited a BBC report about a secret U.S.-led coalition deal to let hundreds of Islamic State (IS) fighters escape their former stronghold of Raqqa in October. He estimated around 350 of these fighters were in the Tanf base in southern Syria and 750 more at another base in a Kurdish-held region in the northeast. 

“They are de-facto IS. But, after they are worked on, they change colors and rename themselves the ‘New Syrian Army,’ or otherwise,” Gerasimov said.

The U.S. has not yet responded to Russia’s latest accusations. 

IS is a terrorist organization banned in Russia.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more