“Attacking Syria exposes the West's stupidity”

Czech President Milos Zeman. Photo: Independent

The missile attack on Syria by the US, France and the UK only proves the West's stupidity, Czech President Milos Zeman said in an interview with Frekvince radio on April 15.

“It (the Syria strike) was stupid,” he said. “That’s the mildest word I can use to describe it.”

“The West has destroyed the Middle East in an unimaginable way. Take Iraq, for example, when it was accused of possessing weapons of mass destruction. These accusations were false. We did not learn any lessons from that operation that cost countless lives, including those of American soldiers. Then we did another stupid thing called Libya. Thanks to that intervention, the country now has no government and its territory is used as a transit route for illegal refugees to Europe,” Zeman said.

According to the Czech leader, the April 14 attack on Syria by the US, UK and France has suddenly destabilized the situation in the country, while it had just begun to show signs of improvement.

“I would like to note that migrants are starting to return to Syria. That is positive news. But the cowboy project has hindered this return,” he stressed.

Mr Zeman also asserted that the attack was carried out in violation of accepted international norms. “My view is that a military attack against any country can only be carried out under the relevant authority of the UN Security Council. The only exception would be an attack against Islamist extremists, as in Afghanistan. That is not the case in Syria,” he added.

Syria attack

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the missile attack on Syrian military and civilian infrastructure was carried out by US warships and naval vessels, in coordination with the air forces of the UK and France, taking place in the early morning of April 14.

The US, UK and France said the attack was in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack in Douma, Syria.

Several non-governmental organizations, including the White Helmets, have confirmed that chemical weapons were used in Douma, Eastern Ghouta on April 7. According to a statement posted on the organization’s website on April 8, chlorine bombs were dropped on the city, killing dozens of people and poisoning many other civilians, who had to be hospitalized for observation.

The Russian Foreign Ministry dismissed the reports as fake news. The Russian Defense Ministry said the White Helmets were an unreliable source, notorious for spreading fake news. The Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Conflicting Parties inspected the Douma area on April 9 and found no traces of chemical weapons.