IMAGE: Konstantin Machulsky/TASS
Buses dispatched to evacuate refugees from the Rukban camp have not been allowed to pass through the Al-Tanf zone controlled by US troops, Lieutenant General Sergei Solomatin, the chief of the Russian Center for reconciliation of the conflicting sides in Syria, told meida on March 3.
“Despite the fact that the authorities of the Syrian Arab Republic have successfully finished all preparations for refugees’ evacuation from the Rukban camp to the places of pre-war residence, the US turned down a joint request of the Russian and Syrian inter-departmental coordination centers for relocation and accommodation of refuges to allow the transport convoys into the Al-Tanf zone,” Solomatin said, according to TASS.
On March 1, the Damascus government with assistance from Russia sent buses to the Djleb checkpoint to evacuate refugees from the Rukban camp to their permanent residence places in the settlements of Al Khalidiyah, Al-Amarah, Palmyra, Mhin, Al Karyatein, and the outskirts of Damascus, Homs and Aleppo.
The refugee camp, which reportedly hosts about 40,000 people, is located within the US-occupied zone of al-Tanf. US-backed forces blocked access to the security zone.
On March 2, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of State said on March 1 that the Russian-sponsored initiatives to evacuated the civilians trapped in the al-Rukban refugee camp does not meet “protection standards”. This remark shows that the US is determined to keep civilians trapped in the al-Rukban camp, likely to use them as a tool to pressure the Damascus government and justify the illegal military presence in al-Tanf.
Flex some muscle Russia/Syria & make it happen
First they are Weapons of Mas Migrations and now human shields…
Bingo… The presence of that refugee camp is one of the US’s “excuses” to stay illegally at Al Tanf….
The camps are probably filled with terrorists that the US is harboring.
And ordinary Syrians too. As long as the camp exists the possibility exists that the civilians present are subject to arbitrary justice, summary sentences, as well as being subjected to organ harvesting and other injuries and indignities as Syrian Government (or even aid agencies) cannot protect them for the time being.
CENTCOM has to be trying to hide some kind of atrocities at the Rukban Extermination Camp for a long time. Since when would they become all concerned about the ‘protection’ of Syrians trying to leave?
We’ll see you in a cage at the Hauge, Gen. Votel. The weepy “I didn’t know what was happening there” isn’t going to cut it. Your leaders will throw you and all the SOF at that camp under the bus for Rukban atrocities. Do you really think they’ll take responsibility themselves because of their own flawed policy? Hah. No, they expect you to fall on your sword for their fat asses, but you probably already know that.
We should demand the Red Cross and other aid agencies get access to the camp!
of course, the russians might see things that are not for them to see. like isis-terrorists walking free and in discussions with the american liaison personnel or american military men or cia-officers and weapon-depots for isis with the latest in american hardware and hospitals for the wounded isis-members and one or two brothels for the american troops. what did you think?
Russia has the ability to force USA which is illegally there.It can also go in forcefully and if its soldiers are endangered use force.
It is easy to think and say, the repercussions of such an idea is grave and painful.