Whats Next for Syria?Stephen Lendman Theyre US proxy fighters. Theyre imported from dozens of countries. Theyre waging war against sovereign Syrian independence. Dont expect duplicitous Western politicians or media scoundrels to explain. Assads military outguns and outflanks Washingtons shock troops. Reinforcements keep coming. Libya 2.0 looks possible. Perhaps likely. Russia hopes for a September international peace conference. Originally a June one was planned. Why bother when Washington prioritizes war. It spurns peace. Last years conference failed. Expect nothing different this time. Peace remains elusive. Advocates have no partners. According to European Council president Herman Van Rompuy: A military solution to the crisis is impossible. (T)he solution is only diplomatic. Conflict can end soon. It can happen if Washington calls off its dogs. It shouldnt have unleashed them in the first place. Syria is Obamas war. He began it. He can end it. Not according to some reports. On July 18, Londons Guardian headlined Obama considering military power in Syria, top general tells Senate. Joint Chiefs Chairman Martin Dempsey said he provided Obama with options for the use of force. He declined to explain more. (I)t would be inappropriate for me to try to influence the decision with me rendering an opinion in public about what kind of force we should use. John McCains super-hawkish. Hes not alone. He asked the wrong question. He asked Dempsey what carries greater risk: continued limited Washington intervention or more robust tactics. Doing sos an act of war. Its illegal without Security Council authorization. So is meddling in Syrias internal affairs politically, economically, and/or militarily (directly or indirectly). McCains dismissive of international law. So are other congressional hawks. Dempsey said he favors building a moderate opposition and supporting it. The question whether to support it with direct kinetic strikes is a decision for our elected officials, not for the senior military leader of the nation. Kinetic strikes refer to missiles, bombs, drone attacks, and other military initiatives. According to Dempsey, theyre under deliberation inside of our agencies of government. Asked about Dempseys comments, White House spokesman Jay Carney said Obama always asks military commanders for options. Its true in an arena like Syria and elsewhere. Obamas reviewing them, he added. According to Vice Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral James Winnefeld: There are a whole range of options that are out there. We are ready to act if were called on to act. These type comments arent new. Whether direct US intervention follows remains to be seen. Senator Carl Levin wants it. He wants Syria bombed. He urged Obama to attack airfields, airplanes and massed artillery. He supports terrorist insurgent invaders. He does so shamelessly. More on him below. Armed Services Committee members are considering whether to renominate Dempsey and Winnefield for second terms. McCains opposed. Democrats have majority say. Expect both top commanders to be approved. At the same time, anti-Assad forces are fighting each other. Extremist Al Nusra insurgents are clashing with Free Syria Army elements. Unity remains elusive. Things escalated dramatically. Whether full-scale internecine conflict follows remains to be seen. If so, maybe each side will annihilate the other. Thats one way to wind things down. On July 19, Russia Today headlined Al Qaedas planned emirate in Syria is Wests own doing. Syrians want a secular state. Al Qaeda wants its own. Syrian unity is threatened. So far insurgent extremists lack enough strength to prevail. Assad forces consistently rout them. Without US intervention, they dont have a chance. They can prolong conflict. They can cause many more deaths, injuries and displacements. They cant prevail without Libya 2.0 help. On July 17, Londons Telegraph headlined Army chief: We risk war with Syria. General David Richards is UK outgoing armed forces chief. Britain must be prepared to go to war with Syria, he said. (I)f you want to have the material impact on the Syrian regimes calculations that some people seekground targets must be hit. There is a lack of international consensus on how to take this forward, he said. We are trying to cohere the opposition groups, but they are difficult to cohere because there are many different dimensions to them. So it is work in progress. So I am very clear in my military advice to the government that we need to understand what the political objective is before we can sensibly recommend what military effort and forces should be applied to it. That is something we debate a lot, from the Prime Minister downwards. We also need to do this with our allies. Allies have different views on the way ahead. Understandably there is a great reluctance to see Western boots on the ground in a place like Syria. If you wanted to have the material impact on the Syrian regimes calculations that some people seek, a no fly zone per se is insufficient. You have to be able, as we did successfully in Libya, to hit ground targets. You have to establish a ground control zone. You have to take out their air defences. You also have to make sure they cant manoeuvre which means you have to take out their tanks, and their armoured personnel carriers and all the other things that are actually doing the damage. If you want to have the material effect that people seek you have to be able to hit ground targets and so you would be going to war if that is what you want to do. That is rightly a huge and important decision. There are many arguments for doing it, but there are many arguments for not doing so too. Syrias situation is highly complex, he stressed. Escalated war risks cross-border conflict. Its happening in Lebanon. It could affect all Syrias neighbors. Perhaps other regional states. The entire region could become embroiled. Global conflict could follow. Richards knows the risks. So do other high-level military commanders. Theyre warriors, not peacemakers. Richards called himself a moral soldier. His remark is offensive. Its oxymoronic on its face. He said Afghanistans a good war. Others know better. Benjamin Franklin said (t)here is no such thing as a good war or a bad peace. Russia said it wont let Assad be toppled militarily. It has strategic interests at stake. Perhaps it wants Syria to be Obamas regional Waterloo. Halting his imperial rampagings important. If Russia and China arent committed, who will be? United they stand the best chance. Its time they stepped up to the plate and acted. America wages wars on small nations. It prefers weaker ones it can roll over. It abstains from challenging more equal rivals militarily. Bullies operate that way. Jimmy Carter believes America does not at the moment have a functioning democracy. It never had one. Carter didnt explain. Hes pessimistic. Hes got good reason to be. He called Snowdens leaks beneficial. He thinks NSA spying undermines US credibility worldwide. It constitutes the invasion of human rights and American privacy. Its gone too far. I think that the secrecy that has been surrounding this invasion of privacy has been excessive, he said. So I think that the bringing of it to the public notice has probably been, in the long term, beneficial. He criticized Obamas policies earlier. He condemned his drone attacks. He called targeted assassinations lawless. Imperial policies undermine Americas role as the global champion of human rights, he said. Americas violation of international human rights abets our enemies and alienates our friends. America lacks moral authority. It lost it multiple ways. Carters no saint. Compared to Obama, he looks that way. A Final Comment On July 18, Senators Carl Levin (D. MI) and Angus King (I. ME)headlined For Syria, lessons from the Balkan war. Levin chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee. King serves on it with him. Both express hawkish views. They visited the region. They did so for propaganda purposes. They deplore peace. They support escalated war. They may get what they wish for. Theyll be accountable for lots more blood on their hands. We believe the United States should join with its partners and allies in the region and elsewhere to pursue an end to the bloodshed, they said. An international coalition that strengthens the military and political capabilities of thoroughly vetted anti-Assad forces should supply equipment and training. That coalition should also plan for steps that would place even greater military pressure on the Assad regime, including possible strikes against the missiles, aircraft and other heavy weapons that are the instruments of Assads campaign of terror. Both senators know Washington directly aids Al Qaeda and other extremist groups. Theyre supplied weapons, funding, training and direction. Its been ongoing since conflict began. CIA and US special forces are involved. Its an open secret. Levin and King believe the best way to end war is wage more of it. They believe war is peace. They stop short of recommending US boots on the ground. Perhaps they will later. Who knows? No matter the risks involved, they said, the costs of inaction are equally high. Assads survival, with support from Iran and Hezbollah, would surely strengthen them, to our great detriment. They barely stopped short of urging regional war against nonexistent threats. They blame Assad for Washingtons crimes. Its standard imperial duplicity. Obama bears full responsibility. Dont expect them to explain. US national interests are at stake, they claim. So are neighboring countries Israel, Turkey and Jordan. They propose international action against Assad. They want a comprehensive strategy agreed on as soon as possible. They want all-out war. They want it against an independent, nonbelligerent sovereign state. They ignore inviolable international law principles. They turned truth on its head, saying: A widespread insurgency has strong popular support. False! The vast majority of Syrians support Assad. Independent polls show it. The longer conflict persists, the more his support grows. Syrians depend on him for whatever protection he can provide. When Syrian forces liberate insurgent held areas, residents express gratitute openly. Levin and King want America to help the Syrian people end the senseless slaughter they are suffering by inflicting more of it. They, likeminded congressional members, Obama, and complicit administration officials reflect diabolical forces of evil. Theyre unmatched in human history. Theyre waging war on humanity. Perhaps they believe the best way to save it is destroy it. They support permanent war. They want unchallenged US global dominance. Theyll stop at nothing to achieve it. Imagine the worst ahead. They endorse whats likely coming. Survivals up for grabs. 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.Also 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/ linkwithin_text=Related Articles: 