White House Press Secretary Jay Carney reacted Thursday to an op-ed written by Russian President Vladimir Putin and published in the New York Times, calling the country “isolated and alone” in its denial of the Syrian government’s use of chemical weapons.
“We’re not surprised by President Putin’s words,” Carney said in a daily press briefing, adding that the United States is indeed “exceptional” in standing up for human rights in Syria.
“It is also worth noting that Russia is isolated and alone in blaming the opposition for the chemical weapons attack on Aug. 21st,” he continued. “There is no credible reporting, and we have seen no credible reporting, that the opposition has used chemical weapons in Syria.”
Carney pointed out that 34 countries have now signed on to a declaration stating Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime was responsible for the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack in Damascus.
