DISPATCHES FROM STEPHEN LENDMAN
PART ONE
Obama’s War on Syria Risks Escalating Things Out-of-Control
Obama, who has caused or allowed many of he horrors the world has seen in the last 7 years, now does absolutely nothing to stop the slide toward nuclear confrontation. He stands silently while Washington’s puppet Erdogan deepens the chaos in the Middle East. [CC BY-NC-ND by ViaMoi]
Flashpoint Syria could embroil the entire region and beyond in conflict. Lunatics in Washington, Ankara and Riyadh make anything possible. If Turkish and/or Saudi troops invade Syria, Russia will do whatever it takes to protect the safety of its personnel – perhaps including use of tactical nuclear weapons, according to journalist Robert Parry, saying:
“A source close to Russian President Vladimir Putin told me that the Russians have warned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Moscow is prepared to use tactical nuclear weapons if necessary to save their troops in the face of a Turkish-Saudi onslaught.”
“Since Turkey is a member of NATO, any such conflict could quickly escalate into a full-scale nuclear confrontation.”
Obama alone can prevent it, Parry added. He’s done nothing to interfere with Erdogan’s war on Turkish, Iraqi and Syrian Kurds – endorsing his aggression by not condemning it, by not demanding punitive Security Council action.
Will he OK Ankara and Riyadh invading Syria, putting Russian personnel in harm’s way? The reliable Saker explained Russia’s nuclear weapons use policy, quoting from its Military Doctrine, stating:
“The Russian Federation reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in response to the use against her and (or) her allies of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, as well as in the case of aggression against the Russian Federation with the use of conventional weapons in a way which would threaten her very existence as a state.”
“The decision to use nuclear weapons is taken by the President of the Russian Federation.”
It’s Putin’s call. Earlier he said he’ll do what’s necessary to protect the safety of Russian personnel. The nuclear option would be a last resort, used if the security of the state is threatened.
Whether it applies to security outside its borders remains to be seen. If Russia’s Syrian campaign is seriously threatened, if invading forces kill its personnel, if US/NATO troops are involved, all bets are off.
Will Obama risk WW III – or his successor if launching it is a red line he won’t cross? In the meantime, Syria’s conflict festers unresolved, likely throughout the rest of his tenure.
A Hillary Clinton presidency poses the greatest danger, a reckless Putin-hating she-devil capable of anything – even the unthinkable.
PART TWO
Futile Diplomatic Efforts to Resolve Syria’s Conflict
America’s rage for war assures protracted Syrian conflict. Nothing in prospect suggests resolution.
[CC BY-NC by SS&SS]
US claims otherwise are a complete fabrication. Washington continues supporting ISIS and other terrorist groups, using them as imperial foot soldiers – intending endless war until Syrian sovereignty is replaced by another US vassal state.
Sunday blasts in Damascus’ southern Sayeda Zeinab district and Homs killed dozens, injured many more. Defenseless civilians were targeted, showing US-backed terrorists intend to keep fighting – with full Washington support and encouragement.
John Kerry in Amman lied, saying “the United States is doing everything in (its) power (to) degrade and destroy Daesh…giving the people of Syria (hope for a better) future.”
Claiming “we are closer to a ceasefire today than we have been” before is polar opposition reality. Saying Washington wants a “political solution” belies its rage for war, its aim to oust Assad, destroy Syrian sovereignty, replace it with a US-controlled puppet regime.
Erdogan’s claim that “(n)o one can restrict Turkey’s right to self-defense in the face of terror acts” conceals his support for ISIS and likeminded groups waging war on Syria.
Erdogan with one of his Western sponsors. [CC BY-NC-ND by The Prime Minister’s Office]
Putin and Assad aren’t fooled by US duplicity. Concern over what Erdogan plans next remains – only with US permission or complicity, not unilaterally. Don’t let his duplicitous bluster fool you, the ravings of a madman, wailing:
“Turkey has every right to conduct operations in Syria and the places where terror organizations are nested with regards to the struggle against the threats that Turkey faces,” – his megalomania apparent for everyone to see, defying international law, his imperial delusions taking precedence.
Turkey will “protect its sovereign rights,” he blustered. He’s the aggressor, not the victim. Whether he’ll dare launch a full-scale invasion remains to be seen. Even lunatics like Erdogan won’t act without Obama’s OK, unlikely to come.
Claiming “(n)o one can restrict Turkey’s right to self-defense in the face of terror acts” conceals his support for ISIS and likeminded groups waging war on Syria.
Flashpoint conditions remain hugely dangerous. Anything ahead could ignite full-blown conflict, embroiling the entire region and beyond.
STEPHEN LENDMAN lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III." ( http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html ) Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
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