“We didn’t forget the vials with white powder. We remember and, therefore, have learnt to show restraint in our assessments,” Dmitry Peskov said on a TV show aired on ‘Rossiya 1’ channel on Sunday, according to Russia Today.
He was referring to a famous scene at the UN Security Council in the months leading up to the Iraq War. Attempting to justify the upcoming US invasion of the Middle Eastern country, then-secretary of state, Colin Powell, brandished a vial with white powder meant to illustrate the dangers of anthrax, which the US were accusing Saddam Hussein of stockpiling.
The allegations of Iraq possessing anthrax and other weapons of mass destruction were proven to be untrue, but only after Washington launched an invasion, toppling the government in Baghdad.
Peskov said that this story now serves as a cautionary tale against rushed finger-pointing in ongoing tensions in the Persian Gulf.
The Kremlin’s spokesperson, on the other hand, stated that no sufficient proof has yet been presented to blame anyone. Jumping to conclusions and making hasty decisions could lead to dire consequences, he said.
"Appealing to some kind of classified data in this case is absurd. Incidents like that can really shake up the foundations of the world economy, so any unfounded accusations shouldn’t be considered," he added.
KI/RT