Context
Dmitry Medvedev has described some Syrian anti government protestors as “terrorists”. In an interview with a news channel on Thursday, the Russian President said that “Those who are chanting anti-government slogans are very diverse people. Some are clearly extremists; some could even be described as terrorists.” Medvedev admitted the Syrain authorities are guilty of excessive force against protestors, but emphasized the opposition should also be pressurized to refrain from violence.
The West has proposed tough economic sanctions on Syria to force Bashar al-Assad’s to step down. These moves have so far been blocked in the UN Security Council by Moscow.
