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WORLD NEWS Friday 27 January 2017

Russia urges caution on US plan for safe zones in Syria

ZEINA KARAM man Huseyin Muftuoglu
Associated Press told reporters that Turkey
BEIRUT (AP) — The Trump has “seen the reports on a
administration’s expressed request for a study on the
interest in setting up safe safe zone,” adding that
zones for civilians in Syria “what is important is to see
was greeted Thursday with the result of these studies.”
caution by Russia and Tur- He pointed to the Syr-
key, which have taken the ian city of Jarablus, near
lead in the latest peace the Turkish border, where
efforts to end the Mideast thousands of Syrians have
country’s devastating six- returned after Turkish-
year war. backed opposition forces
Turkey said it had always drove out the Islamic State
supported the idea, but group, as a good example
both Ankara and Moscow of what can be achieved.
warned such plans would Syrian rebels and oppo-
require careful consider- sition groups have long
ation. A senior European called for safe zones to
Union official said the bloc protect them from Syrian
would consider such plans government airstrikes.
“when they come.” “The previous (U.S.) admin-
The idea of safe zones, pro- istration has consistently
posed by both Republican Lebanese Foreign Minister Gibran Bassil, right, and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs dragged its feet on the
subject,” said Yasser al-
candidate Donald Trump Federica Mogherini, listen to a question during a joint press conference at the Lebanese Foreign Youssef, a leading mem-
Ministry in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017. Mogherini said Thursday that it is too early
and Democrat Hillary Clin- to comment on reports of U.S. plans for safe zones in Syria and that the European Union “will ber of the Noureddin el-
ton during the U.S. elec- consider plans when they come.” Zinki rebel group, which
tion campaign, was ruled (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) operates mainly in northern
out by the Obama admin- Syria. “Such a move would
istration for fear it would countries bombing targets the measure. State Department to pro- serve to reshuffle the cards
bring the United States in Syria. There was no indi- Dmitry Peskov said in a duce a plan for safe zones ... and undercut Russian”
into direct conflict with Syr- cation on how a safe-zone conference call with re- in Syria and the surround- influence in Syria.
ian President Bashar Assad would look or how it would porters that the U.S. hasn’t ing area within 90 days. No EU foreign policy chief Fed-
and Russia, which has be enforced. consulted with Russia on further details were imme- erica Mogherini, speaking
been waging an air cam- Asked to comment on the subject and noted that diately known. in Beirut, said it was too
paign to aid Assad’s forces a draft executive order “it’s important not to exac- A Turkish official said his early to comment. “I will
since September 2015. that President Trump is ex- erbate the situation with country has always sup- not comment on things ...
In October, the Russian pected to sign this week, refugees.” ported the idea of safe that are for the moment
military specifically warned Russian President Vladimir While suspending visas for zones in Syria but would reports of the beginnings
the U.S. against striking Syri- Putin’s spokesman said it Syrians and others, the or- need to review any U.S. of a process of reflection,”
an government forces, say- was important to “weigh all der is also expected to di- plans before commenting.
ing its air defense weapons possible consequences” of rect the Pentagon and the Foreign Ministry spokes- she said. q
in Syria would fend off any
attack. Iraqi troops push into IS-held villages north of Mosul
The recent rapproche-
ment between Russia and MSTYSLAV CHERNOV Mosul in the morning and into Mosul as a cloud of Mosul’s eastern half to be
Turkey, a key backer of Associated Press “after a few hours they smoke from an IS suicide completely free of IS.
Syrian rebels which now MOSUL, Iraq (AP) — The were liberated” from IS mili- bombing rose above the Iraqi forces launched the
has thousands of troops Iraqi army, buoyed by their tants. horizon. massive operation to re-
in northern Syria, in theory victory this month in liberat- By afternoon, the village According to one fleeing take Mosul in October.
makes the creation of safe ing the eastern half of Mo- of Shereikhan had been resident, who asked to only A U.S.-led coalition and
zones more achievable. sul from Islamic State mili- largely freed of IS but fight- be identified by his nick- Iraq’s own air force have
So does Trump’s pledge to tants, is now pushing into ing continued in the villag- name Abu Sajjad for fears been carrying out airstrikes
mend ties with Moscow. IS-held villages north of the es beyond, according to for his own safety, said IS in support of the military
But enforcing them could city, an Iraqi officer over- Associated Press reporters fighters still firmly controll offensive but the troops’
risk pulling in the U.S. deep- seeing the operation said at the scene. a number of other villages advance has been pains-
er into Syria’s conflict and Thursday. Thursday’s military opera- along Mosul’s northern takingly slow, in part to
heightens the risk of an in- Lt. Col. Diya Lafta said tion forced hundreds of edge. spare the lives of civilians
advertent clash in Syria’s troops from his 9th Division civilians to flee. Families es- The push came after Prime trapped by the fighting
crowded skies involving began advancing toward caping the clashes on foot Minister Haider al-Abadi and also because of heavy
warplanes from various two villages just north of clogged the road leading earlier this week declared IS resistance.q