This article is by Ian Shilling and it can also be found at http://ian56.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/action-in-syria-what-would-it-achieve.html#!/2013/08/action-in-syria-what-would-it-achieve.html ; I blog it because within it are contrarian views that are not being aired on the radio or TV or in our national papers. When I had finished reading this, I had one thought. Thanks goodness we have not intervened.
It seems we are more influential than we thought and our rational stance may have stopped the USA from going in with two feet. As this great rambling blog testifies, whatever the full picture, it is not one of good versus evil; it is a picture of two sides fighting it out on the populated streets of Syrian towns; if you are a Syrian citizen you have only two choices, get out to a camp in Jordan or stay and die. To inflict further casualties on these innocent people can hardly be called humanitarian; to hunt down the perpetrators of the violence may have some cosmetic impact but to put in place a local settlement that puts an end to this carnage should be the only focus of western democracies.
The Surface Explanation
On one side of the Syrian conflict we have Assad, backed by Russia and Iran – a cold blooded ruthless murderer.
On the other side of the Syrian conflict we have the Islamic Extremist insurgents – backed by the U.S. Saudi Arabia and Qatar – cold blooded ruthless murderers.
There is ZERO evidence that Assad was behind the recent chemical weapons attack in Damascus.
It would be entirely against his interests – it has been telegraphed that this would bring about overt Western intervention.
On the other hand the Islamic Extremists have every reason to stage a False Flag attack.
They have access to chemicals captured from Assad’s stockpiles some months ago.
They have the means of launching them over short distances (mortar / light artillery range).
They have already used chemical weapons according to the chief UN Weapons inspector Carla Del Ponte – from May.
Assad has now formally asked the UN to investigate three other possible uses of chemical weapons by the insurgents.
There have already been 100,000 people killed by pieces of metal and explosives in Syria’s civil war.
I fail to see how another 1,000 people getting killed by something else makes much of a difference.
So the Americans are going to try and stop Syrians from killing each other with chemicals, by killing Syrians with cruise missiles instead?
The only realistic way to reduce the level of bloodshed and killing in Syria would be for America, Qatar and Saudi Arabia to stop arming and funding the Islamic Extremist insurgents.
The insurgents would wither away without foreign support.
So America and the UK start launching cruise missiles at Syria on behalf of the Islamic Extremists.
The cruise missiles are to target Syrian military bases.
Why won’t Assad leave chemical stockpiles at military bases likely to be targeted?
The resultant release of chemical agents could kill many thousands of civilians.
Russia gives Syria more powerful missiles.
Syria fires missiles at American warships or the British base in Cyprus – in a retaliatory action for self defense.
What happens if the Syrians sink an American warship or cause major casualties in Cyprus?
Is this what Obama and Cameron want to happen?
Even the architect of the Syrian war plan, doubts that the use of cruise missiles will work
But that is of little concern to the politicians pushing for war.
Quite rightly the public is overwhelmingly against getting more involved in the Neocon war in Syria.
60% of Americans are against U.S. military intervention in Syria.
Only 9% are for it. See this
Judging by the comments on the BBC website on 27th August, Brits are even more overwhelmingly against it.
So the media are launching a massive propaganda campaign full of lies, half truths, obfuscations and omissions, to try and persuade more people to accept it.
Exactly like the massive propaganda campaign for the Iraq invasion in 2002/2003 – which was a complete pack of lies.
The Real Reasons for the conflict in Syria
Escalating the violence and tensions in the Middle East and overt military action in Syria is obviously a very good way of increasing arms spending in both America and the UK.
Britain has dropped out of the top 5 arms exporting countries and I didn’t see any news reports of any new arms or trade deals with India from Cameron’s visit and sales pitch earlier this year.
Perhaps the arms companies are pressuring again to start some more wars.
If you want to understand what goes on in the world, you have to ignore the political spin and rhetoric such as “humanitarian concerns” and play “Follow the Money” instead.
The vast majority of why certain things happened, or didn’t happen, or are being pushed to happen are then easily explained in the vast majority of cases.
The Americans, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are already arming and funding the Islamic Extremists insurgents in Syria. A fact never mentioned in the Western media.
The simplest way of reducing the bloodshed and violence in Syria would of course be for America, Saudi Arabia and Qatar to stop arming and funding the Islamic Extremist insurgents in Syria.
The insurgents would wither away without foreign support.
But there is no profit in Peace.
Arming the insurgents is itself an illegal act under international law – there is no UN resolution to authorise it.
It is also unconstitutional – acts of war can only be authorized by Congress and no such debate or vote has been held.
Qatar and Saudi Arabia are arming the Islamic Extremist insurgents quite openly, with the full support of the American government.
In case anyone has any doubts that America is also already arming the insurgents:-
There was a major CIA operation to smuggle Gaddafi’s arms out of Benghazi to Syria, via Turkey.
That’s why there is a continuing cover up of the circumstances of the murder of Ambassador Christopher Stevens. See this
That’s why there were 35 CIA agents in the “annex” near to the rented villa that Christopher Stevens was using to hold his meetings in Benghazi.
That’s why the survivors of the 35 CIA agents are being subject to monthly or bi-monthly polygraph tests, to ensure they do not speak to members of Congress or leak to the Press. See this
William Hague and the White House are playing down UN involvement to authorise an attack on Syria.
They know it will never happen – Russia and China will veto it.
Putin rejects Saudi offfer to drop Assad for rich arms and oil deal
Whether or not America intervenes in Syria, the decision will have absolutely nothing to do with any humanitarian concerns or any uses of chemical weapons.
They are just the PR excuses and political spin to try and persuade more of the gullible into accepting an escalation of Western involvement in the Syrian civil war.
Syria is part of the Neocon agenda to destabilize the entire Middle East and to force regime change in six Middle Eastern countries.
It has been in the planning since 1991 and was published in PNAC – the Neocon agenda in 1997.
General Wesley Clark, 2004 Presidential candidate, on the Neocon policy coup in Washington DC.
It is also part of the Neocon agenda to complete the Corporate take over of America.
Bill Moyers essay: The End Game for democracy
And to shred the Bill of Rights and institute a Police State in America
The sub texts to the escalation of the civil war in Syria are :-
The sectarian war between Sunni and Shia Muslims which is now going on in the Middle East (just like Protestants and Catholics fought several wars in Europe during the 1500’s / 1600’s).
The regional power struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
The proposed plans to build a gas pipeline from the Gulf States through Syria and Turkey to Europe.
The proposed plan to build an oil pipeline from Northern Iraq to Israel or Jordan and bypass the straits of Hormuz.
This has been on the books since Rumsfeld worked for Reagan (circa 1983 vintage).
Neither of these pipeline plans are remotely viable given conditions on the ground – they are too vulnerable to sabotage.
That’s why the Iraq oil pipeline plan is no further advanced now, than it was before the Iraq invasion in 2003.
But viability never stopped the Neocons from coming up with stupid plans in the past.
Israel wants to destroy Syria as a viable regional power.
But for the life of me I cannot understand why Israel thinks it will help them to have a violent unstable country on their border, ruled by Islamic Extremists. They complain about Iran enough.
Syria will be unstable for decades if the Islamic Extremists ever do take control (like Iraq and Libya still are).
Russia does not want the Qatari/Saudi gas pipeline built.
It will affect their near monopoly position of supplying gas to the whole of Europe, through the pipeline via Ukraine to Germany.
Russia wants to keep it’s naval base in Tartus, Syria.
While not in any way large, it is the only base that Russia has in the Mediterranean.
The only other foreign military base that Russia now has is at Sebastopol on the Black Sea, which it is leasing from Ukraine. This base is massive.
Other than that Russia only has the large naval facility in Murmansk, which gets iced in during the winter and the naval base at Vladivostok – opposite Japan.
Originally Syria started out with peaceful protests with valid grievances against the Assad regime.
Since snipers started firing on and killing some of the peaceful protesters, Syria has escalated into a bloody civil war.
It has also escalated into a bloody civil war ever since John McCain went to Syria in April 2012 to meet with the Islamic Extremists insurgents.
The main protagonists against Assad are Sunni Islamic Extremists and a lot of them are foreign fighters – just like the situation in Iraq after the American invasion.
Due to the stupid American actions in Syria, we now have the following ridiculous situation :-
Iraqi “insurgents” can cross the border into Syria, become “rebels” and pick up American arms, then cross back to Iraq and become “insurgents” again to further destabilize Iraq.
Violence in Iraq is increasing.
I fail to see how that helps anyone.
The fact that Western media calls anti-government fighters in Iraq “insurgents” but anti-government fighters in Syria “rebels” is itself propaganda.
They are both insurgents.
Nobody knows the circumstances around the release of chemical weapons in Syria, but the warmongers cannot even wait for the preliminary results of the UN inspection team.
America has a very long history of conducting False Flag operations in order to start wars
Addenda
Somebody else’s dispassionate assessment of the situation in Syria – from Bob SmithWalker
Syria – Back to the Stone Age and Beyond
From June – Syria Chemical Weapons Used ….. But Used By Whom?
Update 08/28
The following allegations should be thoroughly investigated before launching any attack on Syria.
“The U.S. was offering enormous sums of money for a false flag chemical weapons attack”
http://www.mathaba.net/news/?x=633428
Update 08/29
CBS : Syria has just received Russia’s MOST ADVANCED Anti Ship Missile System
22 Reasons Why Starting World War 3 In The Middle East Is A Really Bad Idea
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-08-28/22-reasons-why-starting-world-war-3-middle-east-really-bad-idea
Alan Grayson: attacking Syria is the “wrong decision,” Obama “boxed himself in” w/the “redline”
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023556530
The Wheels Just Came Off the Syria War Wagon
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2013/08/the-wheels-just-came-off-the-syrian-war-wagon.html
U.S. Admits It Has No Idea WHO Carried Out Syrian Chemical Weapons Attack
Did a rogue low level officer order the chemical weapons attack?
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2013/08/u-s-admits-it-has-no-idea-who-carried-out-syrian-chemical-weapons-attack.html
Updates 08/30
The UK Parliament votes against taking any military action in Syria.
David Cameron says he will abide by the wishes of the British Parliament and the British people.
Dozens of protests are being organized throughout the U.S. on 8/31
A list of events
http://interoccupy.net/blog/map-of-nowarwithsyria-protests/
An Alan Grayson petition against military action in Syria has been started.
Petition: “The Administration is considering intervening in the Syrian civil war. We oppose this. There’s no vital national security involved, even if the Syrian government is proved to have deliberately used chemical weapons, which is a big “if.” The evidence put forward so far on the deliberate use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government is ambiguous at best. What is not ambiguous is that defense contractor Raytheon’s stock is up 20% in the last 60 days. It seems that nobody wants US intervention in Syria except the military-industrial complex. I oppose US military intervention in Syria. Join me.”
http://dontattacksyria.com/
Lobby your Congressmen to support Thomas Massie’s HR2507 War Powers Protection Act
This forces Obama to hold a full debate in Congress with a full vote to obtain a declaration of war before any attacks on Syria are carried out.
Don’t let Obama bypass Congress.
Give your Congressmen the information contained in this article – the great majority of them won’t know most of it.
Thomas Massie : “When you deliver missiles into somebody’s country, that is an act of war.”
Contact details for Congress – including email/Twitter/Facebook details
http://ian56.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/contact-details-for-representatives-and.html
Russia again says it will fulfill S-300 missile deal with Syria | Times of Israel June 20th
S-300 missiles can take out cruise missiles.
They can be unloaded from a transport plane and be operational in as little as an hour.
http://toi.sr/UrzR96
Syrians in Ghouta Claim Saudi-Supplied Rebels Behind Chemical Attack
The joint author of this article works for Associated Press.
Abdel-Moneim said his son and 12 other rebels were killed inside of a tunnel used to store weapons provided by a Saudi militant, known as Abu Ayesha, who was leading a fighting battalion. The father described the weapons as having a “tube-like structure” while others were like a “huge gas bottle.”
Ghouta townspeople said the rebels were using mosques and private houses to sleep while storing their weapons in tunnels.
Abdel-Moneim said his son and the others died during the chemical weapons attack. That same day, the militant group Jabhat al-Nusra, which is linked to al-Qaida, announced that it would similarly attack civilians in the Assad regime’s heartland of Latakia on Syria’s western coast, in purported retaliation.
“They didn’t tell us what these arms were or how to use them,” complained a female fighter named ‘K.’ “We didn’t know they were chemical weapons. We never imagined they were chemical weapons.”
“When Saudi Prince Bandar gives such weapons to people, he must give them to those who know how to handle and use them,” she warned. She, like other Syrians, do not want to use their full names for fear of retribution.
A well-known rebel leader in Ghouta named ‘J’ agreed. “Jabhat al-Nusra militants do not cooperate with other rebels, except with fighting on the ground. They do not share secret information. They merely used some ordinary rebels to carry and operate this material,” he said.
“We were very curious about these arms. And unfortunately, some of the fighters handled the weapons improperly and set off the explosions,” ‘J’ said.
http://landdestroyer.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/syrians-in-ghouta-claim-saudi-supplied_29.html
“Flash Mob of Protests”: “No War With Syria” Rallies Planned in Over 70 Cities for Saturday, 8/31
http://wtfrly.com/2013/08/29/flash-mob-of-protests-no-war-with-syria-rallies-planned-in-over-70-cities-for-saturday-831/#.UiEtr_upr3i.twitter
Updates 08/31
Syria: A Colossal Foreign Policy Blunder That Obama Can Still Avoid
http://wp.me/p1gI5E-1Iv
How the “teams” line up in Syria’s Sunni vs Shia “civil war”
http://ian56.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-syrian-civil-war-explained.html
PNAC’s neocon agenda continues unabated under Barack Obama
http://ian56.blogspot.com/2012/12/pnacs-neocon-agenda-continues-unabated.html
The pay offs have already started
Israel Grants First Golan Heights Oil Drilling License To Dick Cheney, Jacob Rothschild, Rupert Murdoch Linked Company
http://ian56.blogspot.com/2013/08/israel-grants-first-golan-heights-oil.html
The Geneva II peace talks have been cancelled because of the escalation of the war in Syria.
The resumption of these talks at least offers the possibility of a way forward.
More warmongering has the opposite effect.
Putin has said that Syria should be discussed at the G20 meeting in St Petersberg on September 5th/6th.
Putin has also requested that the American evidence on the chemical weapons in Damascus be presented to the UN Security Council.
