[pjw] NEWS: UN Security Council meets- US air strike kills Syrian soldiers (Telegraph 9/17)

[Peace and Justice Works]

Supporters of peace
When the US began its war on Syria roughly 2 years ago under the guise of 
fighting the Islamic State (ISIS), we predicted that at some point the US 
would turn its guns on the Syrian government. Russia's presence in Syria 
should be a deterrence to such an action, seeing as Russia is still allied 
with the Assad government. In the last few days, the US "accidentally" 
bombed somewhere between 62 and 83 Syrian soldiers in an area near where 
ISIS was located. Russia called an emergency UN Security Council meeting. 
It's not really clear from this article what the outcome of the meeting 
was, other than the US has expressed regret for the loss of life.

Even with the (now-more-unsure) cease fire agreement in place, it would 
not be surprising if the US ticks up its efforts to oust Assad to score 
political points back at home.

And, of course, all this is much more complicated by US ally Turkey 
bombing and raiding the Kurdish fighters who are also allied with the US 
in the fight against ISIS. Confused yet?

There's the "fog of war" and then there's just plain madness, which is 
what Syria's been for sometime but it's now multiplied to the "nth" 
degree. Such an action-- especially if the next one involves the death of 
Russian soldiers/pilots-- could easily ignite the existing global war into 
something far, far worse.

Another great reason to join us this Friday the 23rd for the PPRC Friday 
Rally marking 2 years since the US war on Syria began (5 PM).

peace
dan handelman
peace and justice works iraq affinity group

  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/17/dozens-of--soldiers-dead-in-accidental--us-led-coalition-strike/
UN Security Council meets after US-coalition air strike accidentally kills
dozens of Syrian soldiers
      * David Millward, US Correspondent   17 September 2016 o 9:40pm

    The United Nations Security Council has convened at the behest of the
    Russians after dozens of Syrian soldiers were accidentally killed in a
    US coalition bombing raid.

    It met within hours of the Obama administration expressing its regret
    at the strikes on Jabal Therdeh, southwest of the Deir Ezzor airport in
    eastern Syria.

    According to Russian estimates 62 soldiers were killed in in the
    strikes, which the US said were aimed at the Islamic State of Iraq and
    the Levant.

    The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said at least
    83 soldiers lost their lives  in the attacks.

    The raid took place within days of an agreement between Russia and
    America to co-operate in Syria and co-ordinate their efforts against
    Isil, following talks between John Kerry, the US Secretary of State and
    his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.

    It was an  agreement intended  to broker a truce and bring relief to
    the stricken population, while limiting fighting to those areas under
    the control of Isil.

    The co-operation of Russia, which is an ally of the Syrian government,
    is crucial for both the international campaign against Isil in one of
    its strongholds and bringing peace to the stricken country.

    However the  American apology failed to satisfy the Russians with their
    UN ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, accusing the US of breaking the
    commitments it had made earlier in the week.

    "It is significant and frankly suspicious that the United States chose
    to conduct this air strike at this time," he said.

    "They did nothing when Isil advanced on Palmeira."

    However Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the UN, dismissed the
    Russians' decision to convene the Security Council as a stunt.

    "We halted the attack when we were told by Russia that it was possible
    that we were striking some of the Syrian military personnel and
    vehicles.

    "We are investigating the incident and if we determine that we did
    indeed  strike Syrian personnel, that was not our intention and we of
    course regret the loss of life," she said.

    "That said, even by Russia's standards, tonight's stunt, a stunt
    replete with moralism and grandstanding is uniquely cynical and
    hypocritical."

    According to one report from Russia's state-run Sputnik news agency,
    two F-16s and two A-10s carried out four strikes.

    Even though the surrounding area is under the control of Isil, the
    Syrian army is in control of the the airport itself and parts of the
    city.

    According to one Syrian military source the coalition strikes hit two
    hilltops near the airport.

     "Then, there was machine gun fire on the wounded soldiers and the
    paramedics from the planes," he said.

    US Central Command (Centcom) said it believed it was striking an Isil
    fighting position, adding that it halted the attacks as soon as it was
    told by the Russians that it may have been targeting the Syrian
    military.

    "The location of the strike is in an area the coalition has struck in
    the past, and coalition members in the Combined Air Operations Centre
    had earlier informed Russian counterparts of the upcoming strike.

    "Syria is a complex situation with various military forces and militias
    in close proximity, but coalition forces would not intentionally strike
    a known Syrian military unit," Centcom added.

    The Syrian army general command said the air strike was "conclusive
    evidence" of US support for Isil.