Marine Le Pen Accused US for Trying to Discredit Actions of Vladimir Putin

The president of France's National Front, Marine Le Pen, believes that the US is trying to discredit the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Syria by saying that the Russian Air Force is aiming at something other than just ISIL positions.

During La Pen’s interview with TV channel Europe 1 she said, “The US is involved in a propaganda war, the struggle for influence with Russia. These doubts regarding the Russian airstrikes are aimed at discrediting the actions of Vladimir Putin,” Le Pen said, adding that she herself is one of those on whom American propaganda does not work.

The leader of the National Front reminded that Bashar al-Assad and his Syrian army is at the forefront of the fight against ISIL. Therefore, there is no other means to win against ISIL but to include the official Damascus coalition.

As Russia launched airstrikes against the self-proclaimed Islamic State terrorist group in Syria, the United States began its disinformation campaign. Frustrated with its own failures in combating ISIL, Washington is misrepresenting Moscow’s efforts.

On Wednesday, Russian combat jets launched pinpointed strikes against ISIL targets in Syria. Almost immediately, Western media outlets carried reports of civilian casualties.

“No sooner had [Russian Foreign Minister Sergei] Lavrov uttered his first words at the Security Council, that numerous reports emerged in Western, regional, including Ukrainian media, that the military operation carried out by Russia had killed civilians, almost as if this operation was aimed at democratic forces and the civilian population,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told LifeNews television.

In part, Zakharova is referring to comments from the Pentagon. The US Defense Department has accused Moscow of bombing targets where "there were probably no Islamic State militants." But much of this finger-pointing stems from Washington’s own interest in ousting the legitimate administration of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

US criticism is especially surprising given the Pentagon’s own bombing campaigns in the country. While the US-led coalition has carried out airstrikes for months, with little effect, those actions were carried out without the authority of Syria’s legitimate government.

Washington is also reeling from embarrassing revelations about its own failed campaign to train "moderate" rebels to combat ISIL. The vast majority of those trainees defected and handed over their weapons to the Nusra Front.

Russia’s military actions are the only ones carried out under the authority of President Assad.