US Blocks SC Statement Condemning Attack on Russia’s Damascus Embassy

On July 24 and 25, US-supported terrorists launched mortar rounds at Russia’s embassy in Damascus.

Other attacks occurred earlier. Moscow is vulnerable because of its commitment to combat terrorism.

In response to an October 2016 incident, Sergey Lavrov said “(i)t’s a blatant act of terror meant to scare those who support the battle against terrorism.”

Russia’s Foreign Ministry called shelling its embassy in Damascus earlier the “result of the actions of those who, like the US and some of its allies, provoke the continued bloodshed in Syria and flirt with militants and extremists of all flavors.”

On Tuesday, Washington blocked a Security Council statement condemning the latest shelling incident.

According to its UN mission spokesman Fyodor Strzhizhovsky, “the text used standard wording regarding counter-terrorism and immunity of diplomatic missions.”

“With regret, we have to state that certain Security Council members have again refused to consider the Russian version of the project under the contrived pretext of the lack of evidence supporting the terrorist nature of the attacks.”

“It was suggested that all important provisions of the project should be deleted. Under these circumstances, the Russian side considers further work on this document useless.”

“(D)espite…statements (by Washington and its rogue partners in high crimes) viewing anti-terrorism struggle as their priority, they repeatedly try to protect those who they probably think may be useful in their devastating geopolitical plans regarding Syria.”

“It’s high time they demonstrated their commitment to a political settlement of the Syrian conflict…and tried to join forces in counteracting terrorism” – instead of supporting it.

Like earlier, July 24 and 25 shellings of Russia’s Damascus embassy came from the city’s terrorist-controlled Jobar district. Moscow’s deputy UN envoy Vladimir Safronkov called on Security Council members to condemn the attack.

Attempts to get SC condemnation of earlier attacks on the embassy failed – Washington, Britain and France blocking them, claiming unacceptable wording.

In May, Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Vasily Nebenzya was named Moscow’s permanent UN ambassador, succeeding Vitaly Churkin. In February, he died on the eve of his 65th birthday, a tragic loss for his family and country.

Nebenzya is expected to assume his duties in New York this week. He served as Deputy Foreign Affairs minister since June 2013. Since the late 1980s, he’s held various diplomatic posts, including deputy UN envoy in 2011 and 2012.

Caught On Tape: British Navy "Escorts" Russian Warships Through English Channel

British Type 23 frigate HMS Sutherland “located” and escorted two Russian corvettes, ‘Soobrazitelny’ and ‘Boiky’, while the vessels were passing through English Channel during a naval exercise.

The two Russian ships were “spotted” by the Royal Navy on Friday, and, as RT reports, subsequently escorted while passing through the English Channel in international waters.

The Russian embassy was not impressed...

“HMS Sutherland is carefully marking these Russian ships as they pass close to UK waters. The Royal Navy maintains a vigilant watch and is always ready to keep Britain safe,” Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said in a statement.

The corvettes (frigates in NATO classification), accompanied by a fuel tanker and an ocean-going tug, were performing naval exercises, according to Russian Navy officials.

Russia's New Voicemail: "Press 2 For Services Of Russian Hackers, Press 3 For Election Interference"

With the Russian election hacking scandal having gone from the merely strange, to the bizarre, to the ironic, to the McCarthyist, and most recently, jumping the patently absurd shark - as of last night, anyone who is against Hillary is "influenced by Russia" according to a former Clinton advisor - Russia decided to have some fun at the expense of US paranoia.

On Saturday, the ministry posted the following audio file of the "new" automated telephone switchboard message for Russian embassies.

"You have reached the Russian embassy, your call is very important to us. To arrange a call from a Russian diplomat to your political opponent, press 1. To use the services of Russian hackers press 2. To request election interference, press 3 and wait until the next election campaign. Please note that all calls are recorded for quality improvement and training purposes."

Russian MFA developed automated voicemail system - please listen (Russian, then English) and tell us your opinion. Feedback appreciated! https://t.co/HH23WC1THi

— Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) April 1, 2017

???????????? ??????????? ??? ?????? ??????????? ???????? ??????????? ????????????? ??? ?????????? ??????????????? ?????? ?? ??????? pic.twitter.com/eLl8Jgcgzt

— ??? ?????? ???????? (@MID_RF) April 1, 2017

And just to make it clear, it is April 1: as AP observes for the countless spy agencies, and congressional committees still trying to explain how Moscow subliminally influenced millions of Americans to vote for Trump instead of Hillary, a ministry officer confirmed that the post was a joke.

US-Supported Terrorists Shell Russian Embassy In Damascus

(© Omar Sanadiki / Reuters)

They’ve done it before without causing casualties or damage. According the Russian Foreign Ministry, terrorists fired two mortar rounds at the embassy’s compound.

One shell exploded near the diplomatic mission’s entrance, damaging the building and four vehicles. The attack came from terrorist-controlled Jobar district.

On Friday, the Security Council addressed the incident, saying its “members…condemned in the strongest terms another mortar shelling of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Damascus (Syrian Arab Republic), which caused significant material damage.”

They stressed the “fundamental principle of the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises.” Host governments are obligated “to take all appropriate steps to protect diplomatic and consular premises against any intrusion or damage, and to prevent any disturbance of the peace of these missions or impairment of their dignity, and to prevent any attack on diplomatic premises, agents and consular officers.”

Not easily done when countries are attacked by foreign-supported death squads, supplied with heavy weapons to wage war.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova expressed concern over no “international reaction…but we will try to get it,” she said, including on the platform of international organizations, because we are talking about a diplomatic mission, about systematic terrorist attacks.”

Russian upper house Federation Council Security and Defense Committee first deputy chairman Frants Klintesevich believes the latest shelling was conducted to disrupt Moscow’s humanitarian pause, saying it failed – nor can there be an “option of making any concessions to terrorists.”

Separately, heavily US-led Western pressure got General Assembly members to vote Russia off the UN Human Rights Council – a body infested with major human rights abusers, including reelected member Saudi Arabia with over a three-fourths majority vote.

Ignored was its genocidal war on Yemen, ruthless despotic rule tolerating no dissent, arbitrary arrests and imprisonments, torture and physical abuse, public beheadings and whippings, violence against women, along with other major violations of civil and human rights.

Russia, Hungary and Croatia vied for two Eastern European seats. Moscow’s UN envoy Vitaly Churkin said “(i)t was a very close vote and very good countries competing, Croatia, Hungary. They are fortunate because of their size, they are not exposed to the winds of international diplomacy. Russia is very exposed. We’ve been in the UNHRC for several years, and I am sure next time we will stand and get back in.”

Not easily as long as Washington maintains pressure to prevent it. US-led NATO’s undeclared war on Russia continues. Hillary’s ascension to power next year threatens to turn it red hot.