Russian DFM: West acting like 'monkey with a grenade'

The Western countries are acting in the Islamic world like a “monkey with a grenade,” a Russian deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin was quoted by AFP as writing on Twitter on Tuesday, as the United States and its allies get ready for the use of force against the Syrian regime of president Bashar al Assad.

In a related development a Russian cargo plane carrying food aid for Syria landed in the Mediterranean city of Latakia on Tuesday and would evacuate Russians wanting to leave the conflict-torn country, the emergencies ministry said.

The Ilyushin-76 plane belonging to the Russian emergencies ministry landed in the Syrian port city with a cargo of 20 tons of humanitarian aid, largely conserves and sugar, emergencies ministry spokeswoman Irina Rossius said.

On the return flight to Russia later Tuesday, the plane would take 180 citizens of ex-Soviet states wanting to leave Syria including 100 Russians, she added, quoted by Russian news agencies.

“On the way back, the plane will take Russians and citizens of ex-Soviet states who have made clear a desire to leave the country,” she said.