Showing posts with label War on Syria. Show all posts
Showing posts with label War on Syria. Show all posts

Monday, October 24, 2016

The US Coalition has Launched their Final Military Plans for Syria


By: Stewart Brennan

Erdogan and the US Coalition have made their Move in Syria.

On October 20, 2016, Turkey’s Military, on the orders of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, bombed 18 positions of the People's Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria, killing up to 200 Syrian Kurdish defenders.

Then on Saturday October 23rd, Turkey’s military confirmed once again that its forces attacked Kurdish fighters in northern Syria a second time in less than 72 hours. The strikes hit 70 positions of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria on Friday.

The attack by Turkey on Syrian territory proves once again that Turkey’s insane dictator Recep Tayyip Erdogan is ruthless when it comes to breaking International Law and committing War Crimes against neighbouring states, all with the blessing, mind you, of the US Government and its Coalition members.

In response, the Syrian military replied to Turkey’s criminal actions saying, “Any attempt to once again breach Syrian airspace by Turkish war planes will be dealt with and they will be brought down by all means available."

In my view, the latest military attacks in Syria by Turkey shows that the US Coalition, has now launched its final drive to topple the Syrian Government, confirming what I stated in my previous opinion piece, that the US will continue to use its coalition members to bring down the Syrian Government.

In fact, it is now very obvious that the US coalition is moving forward with the plan they announced publicly on December 09th, 2015 when US Pentagon Chief Ashton Carter insisted that their gulf state allies join the US war coalition to remove the Syrian Government of Bashar al-Assad under the auspices of fighting ISIS / ISIL / Daish in Iraq and Syria. Ashton Carters statement was not a request when he called for US allies to assemble a joint military force in Iraq, but a proclamation of their criminal intent.

Turkey invaded Iraq a few days before Ashton Carter’s statement, confirming that the US plan was already being followed by Turkey.

Iraq’s Foreign Ministry condemns “incursion” of Turkish military units into Iraqi territories - (2015 Dec 04)

The original Video and the News channel of Press TV were victims of Western censorship and removed from YouTube to cover up western War Crimes in Syria. Where possible, I will insert a mirror video of the report.


Original Video News Source: Press TV

However, it takes a long time to assemble coalition forces, and when delays such as internal opposition to Turkey’s involvement in aggressive war and occupation puts the brakes on moving forward, other plans are made to remove those obstacles which is why we were witness to Erdogan staging a false coup in July 2016. Once Erdogan had seized control of Turkey in his coup on power, he removed all opposition to him from the Turkish Military, Government, Media, and public.

Of course Russia was also a hurdle Erdogan needed to overcome especially after relations went sour when Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet over Syria in November 2015…if any US coalition invasion plan was going to work, they needed to deceive Russia and not directly confront them. Therefore begrudgingly, Erdogan made an apology to Russia in June 2016 before the coup. Shortly after the false coup in July 2016, Erdogan played his part to convince Russia that everything was never better between the two nations. Once Erdogan made a few deceptive pledges to gain Russia’s trust, Erdogan invaded Syria in August 2016.

Turkey’s Invasion & Occupation of Syria

So far, there has been very little resistance put up by the terrorists wherever Turkey is involved, be it in Syria or Iraq where the Turkish Military has created staging areas from which to launch attacks.

A fake Free Syrian Army has suddenly materialized under the wing of Turkey’s military invasion of Syria, at the same time that the multi named US backed terrorist groups (ISIS / ISIL / Daish / Al-Nusra, etc) have coincidently faded away. Why is it that Turkey has not met any real resistance from the terrorists during their invasion and occupation from Jarabulus to Manbij to Al-Bab (The road to Eastern Aleppo)…while a newly materialized and bogus Free Syrian Army appears out of nowhere in greater numbers. Where does this Free Syrian Army get their uniforms, weapons and money? Well we already know the answer to those questions…

Syrian Map


US Coalition Plans

I believe the goal of the US military plan in Syria is to gather a very large terrorist force under the protection of the Turkish Army who will lead a war against the Syrian Kurds north of Aleppo. The terrorists will then gather under Turkey’s tanks and aircraft to push through Syrian Kurdish strongholds and then link up with additional terrorist forces north and west of Aleppo. Supply lines will then have been re-established, and from there the final assault by the US coalition on Aleppo will begin where they will confront the Syrian, Russian and Iranian coalition directly. A decision will then have to be made by the Russian Government weather or not to shoot down Turkey’s military and or to destroy Turkish tanks and the forces they have assembled in Syria.

Looking at the overall actions and rhetorical positions of Turkey and the US government, they paint a clear picture that they will not give up their agenda of removing the Syrian Government in fact they are insanely possessed by doing so...

Turkey’s attack on the Syrian Kurds north of Aleppo can either be viewed as desperate or deliberate but since Turkey and the US are both intent on removing the Syrian Government of Bashar al-Assad, the attack on the Kurdish strongholds North of Aleppo looks more like an attempt by the US coalition to smash through the siege and retake Aleppo with sights on bringing down the Syrian Government.

If there was any real connection between the US & the Syrian Kurds, as the US government lets on, then we would have seen the US hold Turkey's feet to the fire by taking action against Turkey to stop their never ending attacks on Kurdish towns. So as always, actions speak louder than empty words...or in this case non actions speak louder than words.

The fact that Turkey is a NATO member might dissuade Russia from taking military action against their so-called new-found Turkish friend Erdogan…maybe, and then again, maybe not. We are certainly going to see very soon however.

We know for a fact that the US Government will not change its position and will not accept defeat in Syria regardless of the situation on the ground. The US and its Coalition members seem panicked yet overconfident at the same time regardless of their failures. They continue to plan covert operations regardless of how impossible their position. That indicates a degree of insanity and a drive to bring the entire world into conflict.

US actions throughout the past year have been very telling in that they have adopted the position of lies, collective destruction and mass murder while forcing their vassal states to do what they are told in order to get what the US wants, control of the Syrian Nation and the demonization of Russia.

The US Military attack on the Syrian Army in Deir az-Zor on September 17th, 2016 is an example of US belligerence and outright lying to the World when they said the attack was a mistake. The attack lasted for over 50 minutes! Clearly this is an example of how far the US will go to keep their plans within plans on track.

Is it a coincidence that Mosul, Iraq is not that far away from the American’s Deir az-Zor mistake? The timing of the US attack on the Syrian army, and the US promise of escorting 9000 terrorists from the Mosul region into Syria needs to be watched more closely.

Cease Fire Agreements?

The Syrian ceasefire agreements between the US and Russian Governments were never respected by the American backed terrorists as these agreements were really just a stalling tactic by the Americans in order to re-arm and replenish their terrorists groups, while also buying time for the larger US offensive that pulls all their Coalition partners together, in hopes that they will eventually link up with their terrorists friends in Eastern Aleppo. The US goal has always been the destruction of the Syrian Army, the partition of Syria, and the toppling of the Bashar al-Assad government and they will never change their position.

The US Pentagon is not flying by the seat of their pants when it comes to its operations in Syria and Iraq, nor is Turkey acting on its own as many seem to suggest. There is a larger plan in process here that connects everything in Iraq and Syria through the ISIS / ISIL terrorist groups and the US Coalition partners.

It explains Turkey’s invasion of Syria with US air support, and all the moves that the US has made since Russia helped the Syrian Government gain the upper hand in their battle against US backed terrorism.

Even now, the US Pentagon’s Ashton Carter lies about Turkey’s involvement in Iraq, by twisting reality and insisting that the Iraqi Government agreed to Turkey’s participation in the liberation of Mosul, when clearly the Iraqi government has condemned Turkey for their invasion and occupation of the Iraqi nation.

Iraqi PM Abadi urges Saudi Arabia, Turkey to stay out of Iraq

The original Video and the News channel of Press TV were victims of Western censorship and removed from YouTube to cover up western War Crimes in Syria. Where possible, I will insert a mirror video of the report.


Video Source: Press TV

In fact the US attack on the Syrian Army in Deir ez-Zor becomes clearer when taking into account the liberation of Mosul Iraq where it is said that the US has offered safe passage for 9000 terrorists to cross into Syria…most likely towards Deir az-Zor and Ar Raqqah both US terrorist strongholds that could become staging points for a new terrorist invasion of Syria.

Not long ago, Russia exposed Turkey for being directly involved with the terrorists oil smuggling trade that made its way into Turkey…the very same Turkey that is occupying both Iraq near Mosul and Syria from Jarabulus to Al-Bab. The Road from Mosul Iraq leads to Syria and the Turkish Military is directly involved in both places…

Syrian Self Defence

In my view, Syria has every right to defend itself by shooting down “ANY” hostile foreign military warplanes or by attacking ANY foreign invading terrorist armies including Turkey’s.

Given the circumstances of how deceitful and belligerent the US and its terrorist coalition have proven to be, their word means nothing either way and so Syria must act and carry out their retaliation threats, even if shooting down hostile foreign aircraft means that Turkey and the US threaten to escalate their terrorist war by invoking “Article 5” of the NATO charter. A point that states, an attack against one NATO member is considered an attack against all NATO members…and therefore a “You fight me, you fight my gang” mentality brings all of NATO into the Syrian war zone. This is exactly what the US is driving at to bring Europe and its own armed forces into Syria.

Turkey is a NATO member, and will hide behind its US shield when the Syrian Army responds in kind to Turkey’s military aggression.

Syria’s survival is dependent on the defeat of ALL invading terrorist forces, including the invading Turks. So a confrontation will eventually happen with the Turkish Military if the Turkish occupation force does not leave Syrian lands.

What Turkey has done in Syria and Iraq is illegal and a war crime. The fact that they are occupying and attacking Syria, which included US military air support, proves that the US Government also does not uphold International Law or human rights…this should be obvious to everyone by now as the US has reverted to desperation by outright lies and mass murder to find its way back into Syria.

The US government’s position is totally bankrupt, immoral, a crime against humanity and mule stupid since their belligerent aggression will lead to World War III.

Who is going to stop the US government’s continued support of terrorism or stop them from launching their War plans in Syria, the US Mainstream Media? The American people? A new American President in November? I don’t think so…The outlook is pretty grim so it will be up to the Syrian, Russian and Iranian Coalition to stop Turkey and the US terrorist Coalition from gaining any sort of advantage.

The Syrian and Russian forces have no choice but to shoot down any aggressive Turkish aircraft over Syria, if for anything, to let Turkey know that if they continue attacking the Russian / Syrian coalition forces including the Kurds, then Turkish assaults will be regarded as an act of war…

Conclusion:

Turkey is leading a covert western push in Northern Syria that will eventually threaten the very core of Syria’s Northern City of Aleppo if they are not stopped now.

The current US backed operations in Iraq are intended to move their armed and trained terrorists from Mosul Iraq into Syria…the timing is very suspect which is why I believe that the US is using this opportunity to covertly deliver terrorist reinforcements into Turkey’s charge for their use in Northern Syria, where these ISIL terrorists will magically become the bogus Free Syrian Army. If Turkey and its forces smash through Kurdish held areas, they will then swing around and directly assault the Syrian Army in Aleppo. Therefore the time has come to confront Erdogan and Turkey’s occupation of Syria and Iraq…

Erdogan needs to be stopped and told to leave both Iraq and Syria with deadly force, regardless of his NATO standing…
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Related Info:






Thursday, September 22, 2016

Syrian President Interview with The Associated Press (Sept 22, 2016)


Comment by: Stewart Brennan

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad discusses the recent attacks on the Syrian Army and UN Aid Convoy and answers questions from The Associated Press.

President al-Assad interview with The Associated Press 

The original Video and the Syrian Government channel were victims of Western censorship and removed from YouTube to cover up western War Crimes in Syria. Where possible, I will insert a similar or mirror video of the report.


Video Source: Syrian Presidency

There has been a massive propaganda campaign against the Syrian Government for at least the last 5 years (2011 – 2016), that tries, to paint the Syrian President and Government as monsters, with accusations of killing his own people, using chemical weapons, attacking aid convoys and anything the West can dream up. In reality, the western narrative is all lies and has been proven to be a total propaganda smear campaign against the Syrian Government and the Syrian Military. (See the video archives embedded at the end of this post for detailed Information). 

Russia: US drone nearby when aid convoy hit in Syria

The original Video and the News channel of Press TV were victims of Western censorship and removed from YouTube to cover up western War Crimes in Syria. Where possible, I will insert a mirror video of the report.



What has emerged over the past 5 years in Syria has been a covert terrorist war launched by the US and its allies on the Syrian state. It has also been glaringly obvious to “REAL” journalists and seekers of truth, that the collusion of western mainstream news(?) in the US, Britain, France, Germany, Canada and other nations, has twisted events and realities into nightmarish stories to forward a belligerent US foreign policy and false narrative. The result of which has displaced millions of Syrian’s, while killing and wounding hundreds of thousands more. The Western News agencies do not investigate events, they report what their corporate owners and sponsors tell them to. This fact alone, implicates western mainstream media and its sponsors as war criminals for aiding and abetting in War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity, not only in Syria, but all over the World where US foreign Policy interferes with the operation of independent sovereign nations.

It is very clear, that the US will do and say anything to achieve victory in Syria, including going to war against Russia…a war in which none of us survives. So it is very important to research what we are told by news mediums and it is doubly important to understand what it is that drives the sociopathic lust for power and who is behind the insanity. A good place to start is to question who owns the mainstream news organizations that hold the mass population under its spell and also to understand who and what controls the US Government. 

6 US Corporations That Control American Perception | Think Tank


Video Source: Breaking the Set

Find out which corporations own your nations media and whom the influential sponsors and affiliates are. If your media is State run, find out which lobby groups push the agenda in your government…3 to 1 odds they will be tied to the hip with American Government and corporate interests…

It’s time to break the spell of mainstream media before their propaganda and lies toss us all into an inferno of nuclear fire…get in the know of things and start researching for yourselves. Don’t rely on someone else to tell you what to think…research, use common sense and critical thinking to make up your own mind; and for god sakes turn off your idiot box televisions.
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Important LINKS:


Video News Archives: Syria


Additional Links:

The US Coalition is Building up Forces in Iraq to Invade Syria

Monday, October 1, 2012

Pressure Builds for Full-Scale War on Syria


By: Stephen Lendmen


Rhetoric hides intent. Turkey wants safe zones, and perhaps a no-fly zone. Britain and France both said no options are ruled out, including a no-fly zone. Ahead of US November elections, Washington is more low key, but not entirely.

Obama stresses he’s open to all options. On September 27, Hillary Clinton met openly with Assad opponents at New York’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel. She did also privately with so-called Friends of Syria.

She announced millions of dollars more aid. She claimed it’s mostly for humanitarian purposes. America does nothing that way. Everything it does has ulterior motives.

Washington will also supply more communication equipment. It “includ(es) satellite-linked computers, telephones, and cameras, as well as training for” opposition elements and supporters, she said.

She expressed frustration about lack of more aggressive Security Council action. She suggested Washington may bypass the body, saying:

“It is no secret that our attempts to move forward at the UN Security Council have been blocked repeatedly, but the United States is not waiting.” She said it before. She left little doubt what she means. Obama’s UN address was also belligerent against Iran and Syria.

Expect military intervention ahead against both countries. It’s longstanding policy. Post-November 6 elections, it’s coming. All independent governments are vulnerable.

Syria and Iran top Washington’s target list. NATO countries and regional allies are pressured to go along. Some need no prodding. Israel urges it. Britain willingly partnered with America’s imperial agenda for decades.

It’s always ready to go to war if asked. It has a belligerent reputation to uphold. David Owen once served as foreign secretary. On September 27, he headlined a London Telegraph op-ed “Only a no-fly zone brokered with Russia can bring peace.”

Establishing a no-fly zone or safe havens in Syrian territory assures war. Washington’s war on Libya proved what Owen and other observers understand well.

Effectively he advocated belligerent intervention. He quoted Prime Minister David Cameron in New York saying: “The blood of these young (Syrian) children is a terrible stain on the reputation of the United Nations.”

He avoided explaining US and UK involvement. Their bloodstained hands are too obvious to ignore. He was silent on Western aggression on Syria. His government is directly responsible for lost lives.

He pointed fingers the wrong way. He blamed Security Council members with veto power. He wants Russia and China to yield to US/UK/French rage for war on Syria.

He wrongfully called conflict there civil. There’s nothing civil about it. Syria was invaded. Mercenary death squads were recruited from regional countries. They’re given safe havens in bordering countries.

Washington, Britain, France, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and perhaps other imperial allies have been arming, funding, training, and directing them. They’re responsible for thousands of deaths. Assad’s doing his best to restore peace. He faces stiff headwinds.

Owen said he “was one of the first to argue for a no-fly zone over Libya.” He knew full well what would follow. He wants it repeated for Syria. “NATO is the only organization” able to enforce no-fly zone protection, he added.

He wants Russia pressured to go along. His notion of restoring peace is first wage war. Hasn’t he paid attention to what’s happening in Libya? At age 74, perhaps he’s prematurely senile.

More likely, he wants another country ravaged and dominated by Western powers. He’s comfortable perhaps with tens or hundreds of thousands more deaths to make it possible.

In 2011, The New York Times promoted war on Libya. It backs intervention now against Assad. It practically mocked the cold-blooded murder o Press TV correspondent Maya Naser.

A Western-recruited death squad sniper assassinated him. He was doing his job. He was alone and live on air at the time. He was vulnerable from where he reported.

The Times claimed he was embedded with Syrian forces. None were close by when he died. Press TV’s Damascus Bureau Chief Hosein Mortada was attacked and injured at the same time.

Both were covering twin Damascus blasts and ensuing fighting. Heroically, they put their lives on the line daily doing it.

Press TV News Room Director Hamid Reza Emadi said:

“We hold Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, who provide militants weapons to kill civilians, military personnel and journalists, responsible for killing Maya.

“Press TV will pursue the matter of the murder of Maya and would not let those who killed the correspondent feel like they can kill the media people and get away with it.”

Last February, The Times claimed its Syrian correspondent, Anthony Shadid, died from asthma complications. It seemed far-fetched at the time. Death by drowning is more likely. perhaps cover-up was Times policy.

Shadid’s cousin Ed Shadid said he told his wife: “If anything happens to me, I want the world to know that The New York Times killed me.” By that he meant he didn’t want to go and got little support while there.

That aside, Times executive editor, Jill Abramson, praised him, saying:

“Anthony died as he lived – determined to bear witness to the transformation sweeping the Middle East and to testify to the suffering of people caught between government oppression and opposition forces.”

On the one hand, Abramson lied both about Shadid and what’s ongoing regionally. On the other, Shadid was praised in contrast to how Maya Naser was mocked.

Most important is what’s been ongoing in Syria since March 2011, where it’s likely heading, and how consistently The Times misreports.

Russia’s been out in front trying to restore calm and peace. On September 28, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov addressed the UN General Assembly. He reiterated comments he made earlier. The way to end conflict is to adhere to last June’s Geneva Agreement, he said.

“We proposed to adopt a resolution in the UN Security Council that would endorse the Geneva communique as the basis for negotiations at the beginning of the transitional period, but this proposal had been blocked.”

“Those who oppose the implementation of the Geneva communique in fact push Syria even deeper into the abyss of bloody sectarian strife.”

“Extremist organizations including al-Qaeda have become more active in Syria – they perpetrate terrorist attacks against innocent civilians and civil infrastructure.”

He also condemned any unilateral sanctions “imposed by a state or a group of states sidestepping the United Nations to advance their political goals.”

Without naming names, he left little doubt he blamed Washington and key NATO allies for ongoing Syrian conflict.

On September 28, China’s Xinhua New Agency headlined “Outside Meddling in Syria Threat to Whole World Order: Russian Official,” saying:

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said:

“The attempts to look for ways out of the crisis in Syria outside the U.N. Security Council would have very destructive and dangerous consequences for Syria itself, for the Middle East region and, eventually, for the current world order as a whole.”

“Implementation of the Libyan model, supporting only one side in this confrontation is a way to nowhere.”

He also warned about worrisome regional “deep changes.” They’ll cause serious repercussions elsewhere for a long time, he added.

On September 28, Russia’s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Khodynskaya-Golenishcheva called “inadmissible clauses” in the UN Human Rights Council’s (HRC) Syrian resolution unacceptable, saying:

“One can’t agree with the unilateral conclusions concerning the tragedy in El-Houleh as well as with the fact that these murders are similar to other such incidents in Syria.”

She added that other powers supported and encouraged Syrian violence. She left little doubt which ones she meant. It’s no secret.

It’s also well-known the HRC provided cover for Washington’s war on Syria since last year. Its reports are shameless and one-sided. They have no credibility whatever.

On September 28, it extended the mandates of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Syria, saying:

On September 24, its resolution A/HRC/21/L.32 addressed human rights in Syria. It was adopted 41 – 3. Russia, China and Cuba voted no. India, Uganda, and the Philippines abstained.

Supportive countries will have to explain why they supported bald-faced lies. It’s not first time and won’t be the last.

HRC “condemn(ed) in the strongest terms the massacre of the village of Al-Houla near Homs, where the forces of the Government of Syria and members of the Shabbiha were found by the Commission of Inquiry to be the perpetrators of outrageous and heinous crimes….”

HRC and voting countries know Assad had nothing to do with it. Eyewitnesses blamed death squad killers. HRC lied saying otherwise. Doing so support imperial lawlessness.

It called on all parties to cease violence. Mercenaries are entirely responsible. Well-known facts are suppressed. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay defiled her mandate.

Instead of responsibly “strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights,” she spurned them in deference to Western interests.

HRC’s so-called COI is an imperial body established to lie. It suppresses truth and full disclosure. It consistently points fingers the wrong way. Its reports ignore credible eye-witness testimonies. Clear evidence is consistently left out.

Washington said it was proud to co-sponsor the resolution. No doubt it’s gratified by ravaging one country after another and the millions of deaths it caused.

HRC systematically avoids condemnation. Instead it welcomes a rogue state member in good standing. How many more millions of corpses will it tolerate?

America’s responsible for more global violence, deaths and destruction than the rest of the world combined. Perhaps HRC can explain why this goes entirely whiewashed and unnoticed.

Perhaps one day a real HRC will replace the sham one now in place. Perhaps truth and full disclosure will have a chance it’s been denied for so long.

Syria commented on HRC’s latest act of shame, saying:

“(S)peaking as the concerned country, (Syria) condemned the presentation of the draft resolution because it made libelous statements and because the Human Rights Council was based on fundamental principles of dialogue and cooperation, and those were the ways to promote human rights.”

“This draft resolution did not reflect the reality in Syria; on the contrary, it was based on accusations and fictitious reports, such as on the Al-Houla massacre, which the Government had condemned in the strongest terms.”

“The Commission of Inquiry had not visited Syria, had not arrived to definite conclusions concerning the massacres and had not taken into account the results of the Ad Hoc Committee established by Syria to investigate the crimes.”

“The seven co-sponsors had ignored aspects of the Commission of Inquiry’s report on the barbaric acts committed by armed groups in Syria.”

“Moreover, the Commission of Inquiry had highlighted the adverse impact of sanctions on Syria, and those were also not included in this draft resolution.”

“Some of the co-sponsors forgot that they did not have the right to give advice because they were directly involved in killing the Syrian people and could not call on others to respect human rights before they respected them at home.”

“Syria rejected the draft resolution and urged all countries that sincerely wished to help the Syrian people to vote against.”

Imperial countries, supportive bodies, and go-along media never say they’re sorry. Hegemons ravage humanity for wealth, privilege, and dominance. Supporters back what they should condemn.

Millions everywhere suffer horrifically. They’re on their own to survive and change things. Hopefully they’ll try before it’s too late.
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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net

His new book is titled “How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking,Government Collusion and Class War”

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

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Western Powers Double Down on Syria’s Destruction


By: Shamus Cooke


“The hottest places in Hell are reserved for those, who in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.” – Dante

The world watches as a nation is torn, slow motion, at the seams. Money and geopolitics has caused a feeding frenzy of western nations biting and tearing at Syria, all hoping to profit from the regime’s destruction.

Toward this effort, England, France, and the United States announced increased support to the “rebels” of Syria. The Obama administration promised $45 million more in funding for aid that has now totaled $175 million (is it any wonder there are budget problems inside the U.S.?).

And although much of the U.S. aid is designated as “humanitarian,” this money will directly help the military mission by bolstering the prestige of opposition groups, who will use the U.S. aid to gain adherents by being able to feed and house refugees fleeing the destruction (assuming that not all of this money will simply be used to buy guns).

Of course there is no accounting of the amount of money and arms the CIA is funneling into the country. But even The NewYork Times has admitted the CIA’s involvement; in June it wrote:

“A small number of C.I.A. officers are operating secretly in southern Turkey, helping allies decide which Syrian opposition fighters across the border will receive arms to fight the Syrian government, according to American officials and Arab intelligence officers…the weapons, including automatic rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, ammunition and some antitank weapons, are being funneled mostly across the Turkish border by way of a shadowy network of intermediaries including Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood and paid for by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the officials said.”

There you have the Syrian opposition in a nutshell: groups of mercenaries funded by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United States and France, and the Muslim Brotherhood inside Syria. All of these groups have their own self-interest in toppling the Syrian government, while destroying the country and its people in the process.

Saudi Arabia has used the Muslim Brotherhood as a key tool in its foreign policy for decades, funding the organization in countries all over the Middle East and North Africa. When Saudi Arabia beckons, the Muslim Brotherhood and associated groups can be used to destabilize “unfriendly” regimes in the name of “jihad” — officially declared by clerics who work in tandem with the Saudi Arabian government to recruit fighters for the effort. This is why there are “terrorist” groups now fighting to overthrow the Syrian government, including Al Qaeda — itself born from the purse strings of Saudi Arabia, like the Taliban (there is an excellent chapter about this dynamic in Vijay Prashad’s book, the Darker Nations).

It is very revealing that, after the U.S. has spent hundreds of millions of dollars and large amounts of weaponry has been trafficked into the country, the Syrian government still controls the vast majority of the country. This is because the majority of people inside Syria do not support the so-called Syrian Opposition. If this were the case, the Syrian government would have long since been overthrown. The revolutionaries of Egypt and Tunisia did not need any outside help in toppling their government, nor large amounts of money or weaponry.

Therefore, the steady destruction of Syria will continue until it reaches a Libya-like crescendo: a “no fly zone” will be the goal of the western powers, with the motive of toppling the regime.

But like in Libya, a no fly zone equals total war. Syria has advanced Russian-made surface-to-air missiles, which must be destroyed to enforce such a no fly zone. Syria also has fighter jets that must be destroyed. Additional ground support must be destroyed. And like Libya, once the bombs start dropping, the mission quickly changes from a “no fly zone” to “regime change,” i.e., war.

But Syria has a much more powerful army than Libya, requiring that the U.S. military become directly involved in the war, as opposed to outsourcing the conflict to England and France as they did in Libya. Only the U.S. military and its subordinate allies have the required weapons to deal with Syria’s Russian-made weaponry.

But the American people hate war, and thus the U.S. government must introduce the Syrian war slowly, through non-stop anti-Syria media coverage, in the hopes that opinion polls shift enough to allow direct military intervention, as opposed to the current indirect type.

What do the people of Syria really want? The NewYork Times revealed that, inside Syria, a group of twenty opposition groups recently met in Syria’s capital to demand that Syria’s democratic transition happen peacefully, in effect denouncing the armed rebels who are being funded by foreign nations.

The international implications of this war have already begun to manifest. Neighboring countries are experiencing stress and destabilization by the flood of refugees from Syria. The Kurds in Syria may soon call for independence, which will incite further violence from Turkey. Hezbollah, based in Lebanon, and Iran will work doubly hard to re-enforce the Syrian government as western powers do the opposite.

Ethnic and religious tensions are being stoked in all neighboring countries, which has already led to violence and will be used by politicians in those countries for political aims, leading to more violence. It’s also possible if an official war is declared against Syria, other powers will use the chaos as a shield to pursue their own interests —Israel for example, may opportunistically bomb Iran. Whatever the course of events, the emerging war in Syria has the potential not only to turn the Middle East into dust, but to drag larger powers like Russia — an ally of Syria — into conflict with the United States.

All working people in the United States have a duty to denounce this U.S.-made humanitarian tragedy and the future threat of war.


Shamus Cook is a social service worker, trade unionist, and writer for Workers Action (www.workerscompass.org) He can be reached at shamuscooke@gmail.com

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