The G8 summit was marked with serious disagreements between the Russian President Vladimir Putin and the British Prime Minister David Cameron. The disagreement has to do with the arming of Syrian opposition forces in the civil war there. Mr. Putin “accused the UK and other Western powers of attempting to arm rebels who “kill their enemies and eat their organs.” Putin insisted however, that “Russia would continue to arm the recognized ‘legitimate government’ in Syria and called on other countries to respect the same rules.”
Mr. Putin’s remarks created further tensions with Britain. Mr. Cameron said “those supporting President Assad had the blood of Syrian children on their hands.” In response the Russian President angrily replied “one does not need to support people who not only kill their enemies, but open up their bodies, eat their intestines in front of the public and cameras. Are these the people you want to support?”
The Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg denied that the UK was providing arms to the rebels. “At this point we’re not providing arms. If we wanted to, we would do it. We clearly don’t think it is the right thing to do now or else we would have decided to do it.” He also said that their position on the provision of non-lethal equipment was different from that of the Americans. Still, some others like Lord Dannatt, head or the British Army expressed no desire to intervene in the Syrian conflict.
Vladimir Putin and David Cameron may agree, however, on the expulsion of al-Qaida extremists from Syria.
“That time is at hand. Today the signs of the times declare that we are standing on the threshold of great and solemn events. Everything in our world is in agitation. Before our eyes is fulfilling the Saviour’s prophecy of the events to precede His coming: “Ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. . . . Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places” Matthew 24:6, 7.” Education, page 179