Russian ambassador tweets photo of a 'rejoicing terrorist' from Harold And Kumar

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Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko tweeted a photo of 'rejoicing terrorist'
But he mistakenly used a picture from the 2008 comedy Harold and Kumar
Actor Kal Penn retweeted the gaffe, saying he 'couldn't stop laughing'
The Russian Embassy added that Penn's performance was 'convincing'

Published: 09:32 EST, 22 October 2015 | Updated: 13:07 EST, 22 October 2015

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The Russian ambassador to the UK has confused a character from the comedy film Harold and Kumar with that of a 'rejoicing terrorist' in a tweet criticising U.S. foreign policy.

Alexander Yakovenko tweeted the photo of actor Kal Penn - who played one of the title characters in the film Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay - at 9.30pm last night.

Alongside the image of a bearded Penn wearing a turban, he wrote: 'U.S. threatens to stop helping Iraq against ISIL [ISIS] if Baghdad asks Russia for help. The terrorists must be rejoicing.'

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Russian ambassador Alexander Yakovenko tweeted this photo of actor Kal Penn believing it was a picture of a 'rejoicing terrorist'

Yakovenko (left), the ambassador to the UK, was attempting to criticise U.S. foreign policy when he mistakenly pictured actor Penn (right)

When actor Kal Penn expressed amusement at the gaffe, the Russian Embassy tweeted him with a deadpan response, stating his acting was convincing and 'therefore fit to illustrate the idea'

The statement was a criticism of U.S. efforts to minimize Russia's involvement in the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.

In recent weeks Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime has welcomed Moscow's air strikes and support in its ground war against rebel factions and ISIS.

However, its involvement has rankled with Western efforts in the region, who have said al-Assad must step down.

Needless to say, many of those who spotted the Russian ambassador's gaffe were bemused - and none more so than Penn himself.

He promptly retweeted the message, stating: 'The Russian Federation ambassador to the UK tweeted this Harold & Kumar pic with seriousness. I can't stop laughing.'

The Russian Embassy then offered its own take on the matter with a deadly serious defence of its ambassador's mistake.

It tweeted Penn: 'It is rather hard to spot an actual terrorist laughing. Your performance is convincing and therefore fit to illustrate the idea.'

Penn had the last laugh, responding: 'Thankyou, Mr Ambassador', with a tweet of Ivan Drago, the Russian boxer from Rocky IV, played by Swede Dolph Lundgren.