Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Moscow is warning NATO and other powers not to seek a "pretext" to intervene militarily in Syria's bloody conflict, Radio Liberty reported.

In an interview with the Interfax news agency, Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said Russia also opposed "humanitarian corridors or buffer zones."

His comments come amid rising tensions between Syria and Turkey after a mortar fired from Syria struck inside Turkey. Ankara has threatened to respond if it happens again.

Gatilov called for restraint between NATO-member Turkey and Syria, where, Gatilov claimed, there is a "rising number of radicals among the Syrian opposition."

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently criticized Russia for blocking efforts at the UN to pressure Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and said Moscow's stance allowed massacres to continue in Syria.

The Syrian conflict has claimed up to 20,000 lives according to estimates by various Syrian opposition groups. The UN estimates the death toll at over 18,000 people. The Syrian authorities say 8,000 were killed.

Russia's Foreign Ministry Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday called on Western countries to avoid military intervention in Syria.

However, the United States does not plan to use military force in Syria, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said on Tuesday, RIA Novosti reported.

When asked by reporters what the department's reaction would be to Russia having "warned the West from intervening in Syria or creating a buffer zone or no-fly zone," Nuland said: "I think we've made clear what we're looking at in terms of U.S. support for the opposition. We're talking about nonlethal support."

"We're talking about training. We're talking about trying to help those in Syria who are trying to manage and provide for people in parts of Syria that have now been liberated from regime dominance," she noted.

Also, talking on this issue the U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said last Thursday that it would be wrong for the United States to intervene in Syria on its own, RIA Novosti reported.

"Direct intervention by the United States... would be a serious mistake," Panetta told reporters.

"If the international community decides that that's a step that the international community would like to move forward, then obviously we would be part of that. But absent that kind of broad support, I think for the United States to do it would be a mistake," he said.

On the other hand, the former Syrian PM Riyad Hijab, who defected in early August, told Al Arabiya television that given the failure of international intervention to stop the bloodshed in Syria, the only alternative was to arm the opposition, which he said controlled much of Syrian territory.

"All forms of support must be provided for this revolution so that the tragedy and suffering can come to an end. The solution is from within and the sons of Syria are able to bring about a solution," he said.

Hijab also dismissed international diplomacy, led by U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, to resolve the crisis as a waste of time.

"The regime is buying time. I heard that from Assad and there won't be a solution except with what the rebels and the Free Syrian Army is doing," he said.

But one of the supporters of Assad, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said solution to Syrian crisis is national reconciliation, adding that election in that country should be held freely and with mutual understanding of both sides, IRNA news agency reported.

"It is people's right to choose their leaders, but it should be through national understanding."

The president reminded that Iran has proposed establishment of a contact group to settle Syrian problem and pointed out that by forming the group Iran would be able to talk with both sides and convince them for holding free elections and imposing people's vote and intention.

But taking into account the current situation in Syria, holding free elections in this country is highly unlikely, as Assad has no intention to give up power while the opposition says it won't engage in dialogue with the Syrian government.