US accuses Moscow of 'dangerously' worsening Syria war

The United States said Wednesday that Russia's air war in Syria had "dangerously exacerbated" the conflict, accusing Moscow of seeking to bolster President Bashar al-Assad's regime instead of targeting jihadists.

Washington's latest broadside against Russian intervention in Syria came as government troops, emboldened by Moscow's support over the past month, recaptured from the Islamic State group a key road into second city Aleppo.

Speaking to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Anne Patterson said the offensives, backed by Russian air strikes, had displaced at least 120,000 people.

"Russia's military intervention has dangerously exacerbated an already complex environment," she said.

Russian strikes have targeted moderate opponents to Assad, killing civilians in attacks on civil defense crews, hospitals, centers for displaced persons and ambulances, she claimed.

"So far, then, this has not been a Russian fight against terrorism so much as an effort to preserve the Assad regime."

Patterson said the situation called for a "full court press to end the war and get to a political settlement."

"The Russian deployments cannot be used to stiffen the Assad regime's resistance to a political transition."

 Regime forces launched major offensives in several parts of Syria after Russia began its intervention on September 30, with more than 1,300 air strikes carried out so far.

Wednesday, the army recaptured the sole route into the government-held side of Aleppo city, effectively breaking a nearly two-week siege.

Caption:Syrian pro-government forces gather on the only road into the government-held side 

Photo Credit: news.yahoo.com