The prize for American presumption must go to James Jeffrey, the State Department's special representative for Syria. Jeffrey has been complaining for many weeks about Syria's campaign to restore its own sovereignty in Idlib, as if it has no right to do so. Not quite a month ago, Jeffrey briefed correspondents to the effect that Damascus should negotiate a ceasefire with Hayat Tahrir alSham (HTS in State-speak) because it should "acknowledge that part of the country will not be under the control of the government in the regime in Damascus." The nerve.
Here is some of Jeffrey's stunning apology for the murderous, beheading terrorists known in our newspapers as "rebels" or "the opposition":
"The HTS has not we have not seen them planning or carrying out international terrorism attacks. We've seen them focusing on basically maintaining their position in Idlib" The Russians claim that they constantly launch attacks on the Russians" We have seen only intermittent and not very strong or significant military actions on their part against the Russians. The Russians use this as an excuse. Basically, they're on the defensive, they're just sitting there..."
Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister and a diplomat many times the caliber of Jeffrey, had a succinct and sound response to this drivel when he addressed the point during a session of the U.N. Human Rights Council a couple of weeks later:
"Exhortations about the possibility of peace agreements being made with the thugs as it takes place when the situation in Idlib is discussed are absolutely unacceptable."
The plainest English is sometimes spoken by non-native speakers.
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