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WASHINGTON (AP) - The State Department is hitting back at what it calls false accusations that Russian President Vladimir Putin made about Secretary of State John Kerry.
The Russian president accuses Kerry of lying about the extent of al-Qaida operatives in Syria.
Jen Psaki (SAH'-kee) is a department spokeswoman. She says Kerry is a decorated combat veteran of the Vietnam war and has had more than words aimed at him.
Psaki says Kerry is not losing sleep because of Putin's quote preposterous comment that was based on an inaccurate rendering of what Kerry said.
Putin said Wednesday that Kerry lied about al-Qaida in Syria, after Kerry told Congress the Syrian opposition was becoming more moderate.
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