US In Denial Over Sponsoring Terrorism Is Why War On Syrian Rages OnBy Finian Cunningham
September 08, 2016 "Information Clearing House" - "RT" - Marathon
10-hour talks this weekend between the US and Russia in Geneva failed
to produce a comprehensive plan to end the brutal Syrian war.
Cutting
through diplomatic jargon, the fundamental problem is that the US
remains in denial about its criminal role in fueling the war.It
is this role by the US and various foreign allies in supporting
illegally armed groups that ensures the continuance of the conflict,
which has been running for nearly six years with hundreds of thousands
killed.
Washington
and its allies – in particular this week Turkey – claim to be fighting
terrorism. But the myriad global networks of weapons, cash, oil
smuggling and military intelligence all testify to systematic state
sponsorship of terrorism in Syria – in spite of random apparent
anti-terror operations by these same sponsor-states.
US
Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey
Lavrov said they were continuing to work on details for a breakthrough
to end the violence. These precise details were not revealed, but it is
reported that American and Russian military and technical experts are
liaising on resolving them.
Kerry
and Lavrov have obviously good personal rapport, and there seems to be
an earnest mutual respect between the diplomats to find a solution in
Syria. But how can a solution be found when one of the parties is part
of the problem? Not only that, but the guilty party is in utter denial
about its nefarious role.
In
this way, the discussions between Kerry and Lavrov are more resembling
of the relationship between a patient and a therapist, in which Lavrov
is having to painstakingly work through the details about which Kerry
suffers cognitive dissonance.
Part
of the logistical problem in implementing a ceasefire in Syria is the
ongoing failure by the US to provide any distinction between terrorist
groups and militia that it claims are “moderate rebels”.
That
is a main factor for why the earlier ceasefire called in February fell
apart. Syrian government forces and their Russian ally maintain that
they have the legal right to continue attacking internationally
recognized al Qaeda-linked terrorist brigades. For which Washington then
turns around and accuses Syria and Russia of targeting “moderate” insurgents.
However, absurdly, Washington has not or cannot provide Russia with any maps or locations showing where its“moderate” militias are.
In
a press conference with Lavrov in Geneva, Kerry ducked a question on
how a modality could be found for making such a distinction. Kerry gave
this tellingly vague response: “It is not a helpful situation, and we’re expressing concern about it with the Russians and working on ways to deal with it.”
In
other words, Washington hasn’t a clue about any realistic distinction
between the plethora of armed groups trying to topple the Syrian
government.
That
vacuity from Washington vindicates the Syrian and Russian assessment as
essentially correct: the vast majority of the anti-government
opposition are terrorist entities. They may have countless different
names, but they share the same extremist ideology and methods; and
ultimately they share the same sponsors among foreign states for weapons
and funding. Chief among these sponsors is Washington, Britain and
France, as well as Turkey, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf monarchies.
The Western media indulge in the same bankrupt, mendacious thinking by referring to “inter-mingling” between “ moderates” and “extremists”.
This is plainly a delusional narrative that has no bearing on reality
in Syria. More than this it is a psychological operation of deception to
conceal criminality of governments from their citizens.
The disclosure by
former US intelligence chief Lt General Michael Flynn that the Obama
administration was well aware from as early as 2012 that its covert
support to anti-government militants in Syria was fomenting jihadist
terrorism was a rare moment of honesty. Obama’s Secretary of State at
that crucial time was Hillary Clinton. In that regard, Republican
presidential candidate Donald Trump is right to say that Obama and
Clinton “created”Islamic State and other related jihadist terrorist groups.
But
Clinton’s successor John Kerry remains in apparent blissful denial of
this systematic link between US foreign policy, regime change in Syria
and the sponsorship of terrorism. Kerry arrogantly equivocates with
diplomatic language about vague details for ending the conflict, without
the slightest sign of shame over his nation’s culpability in fueling
that conflict.
Associated Press quoted US
officials who said that it is imperative that Russia pressures the
Syrian government of President Bashar al Assad to concentrate its
military attacks on Islamic State and the other main al Qaeda-linked
organization, Al Nusra.
“For
their part, US officials say they are willing to press rebel groups
[sic] they support harder on separating themselves from the Islamic
State and Al Nusra,” reported AP.
That sounds like the American side is prepared to give nothing but the same old empty procrastination over “un-mingling” of terror brigades.
Nevertheless, there are indications that Lavrov’s “therapy” is succeeding in incrementally nursing the American side towards some truth acceptance.
Reuters reported on the latest Geneva encounter thus: “Assad's
future is not part of the current talks. Instead, discussions are
focused on finding an effective and lasting solution to end the
violence, which would open negotiations on a political transition in
Syria.”
That “Assad’s future is not part of the current talks” is
a significant concession by the Americans. No doubt, Washington still
wants its prize of regime change – which is the original objective for
inciting this war. However, it is notable that Kerry reportedly has now
dropped the “Assad must go” mantra in his meetings with Lavrov.
Russia
has consistently told the Americans that the issue of Syria’s president
and government is a sovereign matter for the Syrian people alone. That
is an inviolable legal principle underpinned by UN resolutions.
On
that score, Washington appears, at last, to be overcoming its cognitive
disconnect by finally shutting its mouth on illegal demands about the
Syrian presidency.
Now the next phase of diplomatic “therapy” from
Lavrov will need to coax his American patient into coming to terms with
the truth of its complicity in terrorism. The causal connections
between policy makers in the Obama administration and CIA weapons supply
to terrorist clients are documented and disclosed, as in the case of Lt General Flynn.
What
is needed is for people like John Kerry and other Western government
leaders to stop living in denial and to realize the truth: They are part
of Syria’s problem, not the solution.
And
their problem stems from criminal covert support to terrorist proxy
armies in their equally criminal intrigues for regime change in Syria.
Without
this systematic accountability for Washington and its various allies
over the conflict in Syria, all diplomatic talk about “ending the violence” is just futile nonsense.
The
ceasefire first announced six months failed because of this Western
mentality of denial and deception. There is no reason to think that new
efforts for another ceasefire will somehow succeed.
Because
the delusional minds of the terror sponsors so far seems to be beyond
any form of remedial influence – despite the best efforts of Russia’s
top diplomat Sergey Lavrov.
A
good dose of Western public anger demanding prosecutions for war crimes
might help provide some remedy though, and bring an end to Syria’s
torment.
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