Thread: Russia criticises US for recognising Libyan rebel government

Russia criticises US for recognising Libyan rebel government

Decision to designate national transitional council as legitimate government is taking sides in civil war, says Moscow

Reuters
guardian.co.uk, Monday 18 July 2011 11.17 BST


Rebel Libyan fighters face Gaddafi's troops near Bir Ghanem. Photograph: Alfred De Montesquiou/Getty Images

Russia has criticised the US and other countries for recognising the Libyan rebels' national transitional council as a legitimate government, saying they are taking sides in the civil war.

"Those who declare recognition stand fully on the side of one political force in a civil war," the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, told reporters.

The US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, announced the recognition of the rebels on Friday when she was in Turkey for a meeting of an international contact group on Libya.

The major diplomatic step could unblock billions of dollars in frozen Libyan funds for the campaign to end the 41-year rule of Muammar Gaddafi, who has resisted Nato bombing for nearly four months.

Russia, along with China, has taken a softer line towards Gaddafi. They were both invited to the Istanbul contact group meeting but did not attend.

"Supporters of such a decision are supporters of a policy of isolation, in this case the isolation of those forces that represent Tripoli," said Lavrov, adding that Moscow was in contact with both Tripoli and the rebels.

Russia abstained from voting on a resolution that authorised western force against Gaddafi to protect civilians. It has increasingly criticised the scope of the Nato campaign as well as the role of the Libya contact group.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/ju ... ion-russia

what do we got going now... a gun running program to Libya

that sure looks like an m16A2 / A3 that the Libya Rebel / Al Quida gent is holding and back against the rock is a M 249 SAW Squad Assault Weapon (Slings 1,850 Rounds of lead per minute)

both Made In America



So I take it the Ole Hillary's broke backside is in on the Gun Running scheme now