As British media was quick to blame Russia for hitting the positions of CIA-trained "moderate" Syrian rebels, Hammond came up with the following message:
"Russia must be clear w/ int'l community that it's targeting #ISIL or AQ-affiliated militias and not moderate #Syria opposition forces #UNGA," Hammond said on Twitter.
The Russian Embassy in Britain came back with a brilliant reply, quite possibly making Hammond regret his earlier jabs at Russia.
.@PHammondMP Russian actions in Syria are legitimate by intl law, unlike those of others.We're acting on Govt request pic.twitter.com/bAeAWHup5r
— Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) 1 октября 2015
On Wednesday, Russia commenced precision airstrikes on ISIL targets in Syria. International law, as defined by the UN Charter, permits the use of force in a foreign country only if it has been authorized by the UN Security Council, as an act of self-defense, or at the request of the country's authorities.
Russia launched airstrikes on ISIL targets in Syria following a request from President Bashar Assad. Meanwhile, a US-led coalition, including Britain of course, has been bombing ISIL positions in Syria without the approval of the UN Security Council or the Syrian government for over a year now.
