Russia Says US Sponsoring Terrorists Abroad Under Guise Of 'Moderate Opposition'

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th June, 2023) Russia has accused the United States of running terrorist cells abroad, including in Syria, which it labels as "moderate opposition" forces to give them legitimacy.

"The US is using a wide network of terrorist groupings across the world that are closely controlled by special services and work alongside private military companies," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a report out Wednesday.

The 2022 Report on Human Rights in Select Countries said the United States has been sponsoring "odious armed groups" under the guise of "moderate opposition" in Syrian territories under its control. It pointed to the Maghaweir al-Thowra group, which styles itself as a Syrian Free Army, as one of the radical Islamist groups enjoying US support.

The Russian ministry argued that the US human rights record was far from flawless by international standards.

Washington has been using unilateral sanctions as a way of coercing foreign governments to toe its line, the report said, citing the ongoing economic blockade of Cuba as a case in point.

The United States has been using allegations of human rights violations to justify its interference in foreign countries' home affairs, while not shying away from using military force against governments on humanitarian grounds.

"The US has been relying on the extraterritorial aspects of US law to hunt down citizens of foreign countries in what is a blatant violation of national jurisdictions. Russian citizens have been one of the main targets of American 'justice'," the 1,050-page report read.