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Russia Blames Israel for Loss of Plane Shot Down by Syrian Forces
But leaders of the two countries quickly worked to defuse further tensions
https://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-blames-israel-for-military-plane-shot-down-over-syria-1537260656?mod=e2fb
MOSCOW—Russia blamed Israel on Tuesday for the loss of a reconnaissance plane downed accidentally by Syrian forces reacting to a raid by Israeli jet fighters, but leaders of the two countries quickly worked to defuse further tensions, underscoring the desire of regional powers to prevent escalation.
Moscow said that the Israelis had given too little warning of a strike by four F-16s over Syrian airspace that aimed to destroy Iranian targets there. As a result, a Russian Il-20 aircraft was downed overnight by Syria’s semi-automated air defense systems, killing 15 Russian service members on board.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, blamed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for the downed plane, but expressed regret for the loss of life, a statement from the prime minister’s office said.
In Washington, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed “sorrow” on behalf of the U.S. for the deaths of the crew members and renewed his call for a political settlement in Syria.
“Yesterday’s unfortunate incident reminds us of the need to find permanent, peaceful, and political resolutions to the many overlapping conflicts in the region and the danger of tragic miscalculation in Syria’s crowded theater of operations,” he said.
President Trump addressed the incident when asked about it at a White House news conference, calling the deaths “a very sad thing, but that’s what happens.”
The multifaceted conflict between Mr. Assad and the rebels arrayed against him has drawn in Russia, Israel, Iran, the U.S. and others to opposing sides, creating a tinderbox of competing interests that has regularly threatened to break into open violence.
The downing..
