By Stephen Lendman
February 24, 2013 "Information
Clearing House"
- Make no mistake. Syria is
Washington's war. It was planned years ago. Regime change is
policy. At issue is replacing Assad's government with a
pro-Western puppet one.
Washington tolerates no independent
governments. It demands subservience to US policies.
Outliers are targeted for removal. Options include war.
Mass slaughter and destruction don't matter.
Unchallenged dominance is policy. It's longstanding,
ruthless and lawless.
Western-recruited death squads ravage Syria.
They've done so for two years. They're imported from abroad.
Rules of engagement include mass murder, torture, and other
atrocities.
Pro-Assad loyalists are prime targets.
Innocent civilians are massacred. Doing so is official US
policy. Imperial wars are called liberating ones. Terrorism
is what they do, not us.
Syria was peaceful before US proxies invaded.
So was Libya in 2011. It was ravaged and destroyed. It
remains unstable and violent. Libya 2.0 looms.
Syria may become NATO's latest charnel house.
It's well along the way already. Countries are ravaged on
the pretext of liberating them. Empires never say they're
sorry. Policy isn't pretty. It's violent and lawless.
It reflects state terrorism. It proliferates
death and destruction. It prioritizes wealth, power,
privilege and dominance. Direct and proxy wars are waged.
Cutthroat killers are used. They're recruited
abroad. They're heavily armed, trained, funded and directed.
They're ordered to commit mass murder. Obama bears full
responsibility. He's a war criminal multiple times over.
On February 22, the
Syrian Arab News
Agency (SANA) headlined "Fifty-Three Civilians
Martyred, 235 Others Injured so far in Terrorist Bombing in
al-Thawra Street in Damascus."
Attacks struck central Damascus' Mazraa
neighborhood. Health Minister, Dr. Saad al-Nayef, said
"terrorist bombing reflects the criminal nature of its
perpetrators."
Innocent men, women, children, the elderly
and infirm were massacred. Syria continues to be ravaged and
destabilized.
Al-Hayat Hospital and Abdullah Bin al-Zubir
school were heavily damaged. So was Russia's embassy. Itar
Tass quoted a diplomat saying "The building has really been
damaged. The windows are shattered."
Other car bombs struck Damascus' Barzeh
neighborhood. A police station, telecommunications facility,
and drug enforcement agency were targeted.
Mortar fire hit Syria's Army General staff
headquarters, Tishreen Sports City and residential
buildings. Authorities said a car loaded with tons of
explosives was stopped before it exploded.
Perhaps the terrorist group Jabhat al-Nusra
was involved. It's become Washington's lead belligerent. It
vows to "liberate" Damascus. It claims responsibility for 17
or more February Damascus area terrorist attacks. They
included at least seven bombings.
Syrian communities abroad, Russia, China,
Iran and Hezbollah condemned Thursday's bombings.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman
Alexander Lukashevich
said:
"Once again, we call upon all countries and
parties, which might influence the extremists and radicals,
to pressure them and demand immediate stop of such terrorist
acts and armed violence in order to create appropriate
atmosphere to hold a Syrian dialogue that is based on Geneva
statement issued last June, 2010."
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon showed which
side he supports. He's an imperial tool. He shames the
office he holds. He violates UN Charter provisions. He urged
both sides to show restraint. He called for ending Syria's
crisis politically.
Syria's Foreign and Expatriates Ministry
addressed two identical letters to the Security Council
president and Ban. They condemned Thursday's bombings. They
called them cowardly acts.
They targeted crowded civilian areas. They
followed previous ones conducted by Al Qaeda linked groups.
They get "financial and logistic support and media and
political coverage from regional and (Western) countries."
SANA said:
"The Ministry added that the credibility of
combating terrorism which has always been a matter of
concern for the international community is now under
unprecedented test as the most disgusting form of terrorism
hit the Syrian civilians with no mercy or differentiating
between an elderly man or a child."
"The letters added that Syria, in its
previous letters to the UN Security Council and the UN
Secretary General, called for firm and clear condemnation of
these heinous terrorist crimes by the UN member states and
for holding countries which support such acts as
responsible, whatsoever the form of such support was."
"The Ministry said that Syria hopes the UN
Security Council now will be able to adopt a firm stance
which proves its commitment to combating terrorism
regardless of its timing or place."
If the Security Council turns a blind eye,
"it will deepen doubts in its seriousness in combating
terrorism and its commitment to implementing its resolutions
in this regard, in addition to the fact this will be
considered as a kind of political concealment of these
crimes."
The international community's credibility "is
at test," it added. Failure to condemn this type terrorism
is morally unconscionable.
It provides evidence of Western double
standard duplicity. It reflects support for "organized
terrorism." Doing so won't deter government forces from
defending its citizens. Assad is committed to do so.
On February 21, Washington vetoed a Russian
draft statement. It condemned Wednesday's terrorist attacks.
Moscow denounced US policy. It reflects support for what
demands condemnation.
Foreign Minister
Sergey Lavrov
left no doubt where Russia stands, saying:
"This opposition by our American
partners....is not the first time in which they seek a form
that justifies those who fight the Syrian regime."
"Russia sees in the American position an
application of double standards and a dangerous approach in
terms of the Americans moving away from the main principle
of condemning terrorism in all its forms."
Russia's
UN mission
issued a statement saying:
"It is obvious that by doing so, the US
delegation encourages those who have been repeatedly
targeting American interests, including US diplomatic
missions."
It's not the first time Washington obstructed
responsible policy, it added. Moscow called doing so
unacceptable. It reflects support for mass murder. It's
official US policy.
It threatens Lebanon. Free Syrian Army
General
Selim Idriss
accused Hezbollah of shelling villages around Qusayr in Homs
Governorate.
He issued an ultimatum. He threatened to
respond if attacks don't stop in 48 hours. He accused
Hezbollah of sending combatants to Syria.
"As soon as the ultimatum ends," he added,
"we will start responding to the sources of fire."
Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah categorically
denies sending fighters to Syria. At the same time, he said
party members may be acting individually. He added that
around 30,000 Shitte Lebanese inhabit 22 Syrian villages.
Volunteers defend them against terrorist attacks.
On February 21, Lebanon's
Daily Star
headlined "FSA claim of strikes on Lebanon false."
An FSA statement claimed otherwise. It said
one of its battalions targeted two Hezbollah bases. It
struck with mortars, "machine guns and anti-tank missiles."
It did so near the Syrian/Lebanon border. It vowed more
"surprises" ahead.
Longstanding Washington/Israeli policy
prioritizes destabilizing Lebanon. At issue is replacing
Hezbollah with pro-Western puppets, toppling Assad,
isolating Iran, and solidifying US regional control.
Lebanon is small and vulnerable. From 1975 -
1989, it was wracked by internal conflict. From 1982 - 2000,
Israel occupied southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah arose out of Israel's 1982
invasion. It's falsely called a terrorist organization. It's
for political reasons. It's part of Lebanon's government.
It's also a social, charitable, educational, and medical
organization.
It provides essential social services. It's
military wing is defensive. It threatens no one. It's
prepared to respond forcefully if attacked. Israel learned
the hard way in 2006. Its forces were outfoxed and
humiliated. Israel yearns for revenge.
Involving Lebanon in Syria's war may be
planned. Obama and Netanyahu may have that in mind.
On February 21, Mossad-connected
DEBKAfile
(DF) headlined "Hizbollah on high alert, jockeys for a role
in potential Syrian peace accord," saying:
Its forces went on alert after the FSA's
ultimatum expired. Will its Beqaa Valley serve Assad, DF
asked? Will its forces get involved? Are ceasefire talks
credible?
According to DF, Assad's military largely
controls most of Syria. Ties to Hezbollah and Iran are firm.
Each ally helps the others.
At the same time, FSA fighters may escalate
conflict. They may conduct cross-border attacks. They're no
match for Hezbollah's "far more organized and professional
capabilities."
"If they decide to go on the offensive, they
are liable to suffer heavy losses." Of greater concern is
widening Syria's conflict.
Israel's currently involved. Last fall, IDF
tanks shelled Syrian mortar batteries. Washington OK'd
Israeli air strikes. Several targets were struck.
Israeli warplanes invade Lebanese airspace
multiple times daily. They do so without permission. Policy
is longstanding. It violates international law. Perhaps
escalated conflict is planned.
It shouldn't surprise. Washington and Israel
partner in imperial lawlessness. Syria, Hezbollah, Hamas,
and Iran are prime targets. Regional conflict may follow.
What's possible bears watching. Future updates will discuss
more.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can
be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book is
titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on
Humanity." http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html
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.
http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour
- http://www.dailycensored.com/washington-backs-syrian-anti-goverment-terrorism/
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