Difference between revisions of "Syria"

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'''Syria''', officially the '''Syrian Arab Republic''', which borders [[Lebanon]] and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, [[Turkey]] to the north, [[Iraq]] to the east, [[Jordan]] to the south, and [[Israel]] to the southwest, has been embroiled in a [[US]]-inspired uprising since March 2011 aimed at toppling President [[Bashar al-Assad]] and replacing him with an American-backed [[puppet leader]].<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24403003 "Guide to the Syrian rebels"]</ref>
+
'''Syria''', officially the '''Syrian Arab Republic''', which borders [[Lebanon]] and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, [[Turkey]] to the north, [[Iraq]] to the east, [[Jordan]] to the south, and [[Israel]] to the southwest, has been embroiled in a [[US]]-inspired uprising since March 2011 aimed at toppling President [[Bashar al-Assad]] and replacing him with an American-backed [[puppet leader]].<ref>''[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24403003 "Guide to the Syrian rebels"]''</ref> The [[CIA]]’s covert [[Operation Timber Sycamore]] to provide arms, supplies and training to the thousands of jihadist militants who signed up to fight the Syrian government starting in 2012 was closed down by the [[Trump administration]] in 2017.
 +
 
 +
In late 2018, [[Donald Trump]] ordered the immediate withdrawal of almost all [[US]] troops from Syria within 90 days. He repeated the order in October 2019 but several hundred US troops remain, notwithstanding the president’s executive decisions. In November 2020, [[Jim Jeffrey]], outgoing [[US]] special representative for Syria, encouraged President-elect [[Joe Biden]] to "stay the course" laid out by him and other members of the [[Trump administration]]. Jeffrey warned Biden not to try to engage in [[George W. Bush|Bush]]-style nation-building in Syria stressing:
 +
:“I think the stalemate we’ve put together is a step forward and I would advocate it.”<ref>''[https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/senior-official-boasts-about-lying-to-trump-about-us-military-withdrawal-from-syria/ "Senior official boasts about lying to Trump about US military withdrawal from Syria"]''</ref>
  
 
==US Invasion plans==
 
==US Invasion plans==
 +
[[image:CIA ISIS deployable.jpg|left|266px]]
 
Syria was on a list of seven countries which retired 4-star general [[Wesley Clark]] (former [[supreme commander of NATO forces in Europe]] 1997-2001) stated the US military had plans to invade:
 
Syria was on a list of seven countries which retired 4-star general [[Wesley Clark]] (former [[supreme commander of NATO forces in Europe]] 1997-2001) stated the US military had plans to invade:
 
{{QB|
 
{{QB|
 
In 2001, in the Pentagon, a general told me : ‘I just received a classified memo from the [[Secretary of Defense]]: we will take seven countries in five years, starting with [[Iraq]], then [[Syria]], [[Lebanon]], [[Libya]], [[Somalia]], [[Sudan]] and finally, [[Iran]].’<ref>Interview radio Democracy Now, 2007-03-02</ref>
 
In 2001, in the Pentagon, a general told me : ‘I just received a classified memo from the [[Secretary of Defense]]: we will take seven countries in five years, starting with [[Iraq]], then [[Syria]], [[Lebanon]], [[Libya]], [[Somalia]], [[Sudan]] and finally, [[Iran]].’<ref>Interview radio Democracy Now, 2007-03-02</ref>
 
}}
 
}}
In Summer 2013, the [[Defense Intelligence Agency]] and the [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]] put together a highly classified assessment,  which forecast that the fall of Assad would lead to chaos and, potentially, to Syria’s takeover by extremists, much as was then happening in [[Libya]]. The Joint Chiefs felt that a direct challenge to [[President Obama]]’s stated policy of removing Assad would have "had a zero chance of success" so they decided to take steps against the extremists without going through political channels, by providing US intelligence to the militaries of other nations, on the understanding that it would be passed on to the Syrian Arab Army and used against the common enemy, [[Jabhat al-Nusra]] and [[Islamic State]].<ref>[http://www.lrb.co.uk/v38/n01/seymour-m-hersh/military-to-military "Military to Military"] Seymour M. Hersh on US intelligence sharing in the Syrian war</ref>
+
In Summer 2013, the [[Defense Intelligence Agency]] and the [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]] put together a highly classified assessment,  which forecast that the fall of Assad would lead to chaos and, potentially, to Syria’s takeover by extremists, much as was then happening in [[Libya]]. The Joint Chiefs felt that a direct challenge to [[President Obama]]’s stated policy of removing Assad would have "had a zero chance of success" so they decided to take steps against the extremists without going through political channels, by providing US intelligence to the militaries of other nations, on the understanding that it would be passed on to the Syrian Arab Army and used against the common enemy, [[Jabhat al-Nusra]] and [[Islamic State]].<ref>''[http://www.lrb.co.uk/v38/n01/seymour-m-hersh/military-to-military "Military to Military"]'' Seymour M. Hersh on US intelligence sharing in the Syrian war</ref>
  
Audio leaked in January [[2017]] suggested that the US was hoping that [[ISIS]] would expand to the point at which it would lead to regime change in [[Syria]].<ref>http://whowhatwhy.org/2017/01/08/leaked-kerry-audio-shows-hidden-syria-backstory/</ref> [[Dr Rola]] appeared on UK television to support the case that bombing of Syria could be morally justified as "[[humanitarian intervention]]".
+
Audio leaked in January [[2017]] suggested that the US was hoping that [[ISIS]] would expand to the point at which it would lead to regime change in Syria.<ref>http://whowhatwhy.org/2017/01/08/leaked-kerry-audio-shows-hidden-syria-backstory/</ref> [[Dr Rola]] appeared on UK television to support the case that bombing of Syria could be morally justified as "[[humanitarian intervention]]".
  
 
==Lubricating regime change==
 
==Lubricating regime change==
In September 2015, [[Craig Murray]] noted that the British government's self-denying ordinance from engaging in armed conflict in Syria appeared to be crumbling.<ref>[https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2015/09/exclusive-i-can-reveal-the-legal-advice-on-drone-strikes-and-how-the-establishment-works/ "Exclusive: I Can Reveal the Legal Advice on Drone Strikes, and How the Establishment Works"]</ref> On 2 December 2015, following a 10-hour debate, the House of Commons voted by 397 to 223 in favour of bombing [[Daesh]] in Syria. Instead of targeting terrorists, however, [[David Cameron]] ordered RAF Tornados from Akrotiri in [[Cyprus]] to bomb the Omar oil field in eastern Syria.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34989302 "Syria air strikes: MPs authorise UK action against Islamic State"]</ref> The second wave of airstrikes on 5 December 2015 also targeted the Omar oil field.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35014665 "Syria air strikes: RAF jets in second wave of strikes"]</ref> Brimstone missiles (costing £100,000 each) were deployed for the first time in another RAF airstrike on the Omar oil field on 10 January 2016.<ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jan/11/raf-conducts-four-airstrikes-on-isis-in-syria "RAF uses Brimstone missiles for first time in Syria airstrikes"]</ref>
+
In September 2015, [[Craig Murray]] noted that the British government's self-denying ordinance from engaging in armed conflict in Syria appeared to be crumbling.<ref>''[https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2015/09/exclusive-i-can-reveal-the-legal-advice-on-drone-strikes-and-how-the-establishment-works/ "Exclusive: I Can Reveal the Legal Advice on Drone Strikes, and How the Establishment Works"]''</ref> On 2 December 2015, following a 10-hour debate, the House of Commons voted by 397 to 223 in favour of bombing [[Daesh]] in Syria. Instead of targeting terrorists, however, [[David Cameron]] ordered RAF Tornados from Akrotiri in [[Cyprus]] to bomb the Omar oil field in eastern Syria.<ref>''[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34989302 "Syria air strikes: MPs authorise UK action against Islamic State"]''</ref> The second wave of airstrikes on 5 December 2015 also targeted the Omar oil field.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35014665 "Syria air strikes: RAF jets in second wave of strikes"]</ref> Brimstone missiles (costing £100,000 each) were deployed for the first time in another RAF airstrike on the Omar oil field on 10 January 2016.<ref>''[http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jan/11/raf-conducts-four-airstrikes-on-isis-in-syria "RAF uses Brimstone missiles for first time in Syria airstrikes"]''</ref>
  
 
SANA, the Syrian news agency, declared:
 
SANA, the Syrian news agency, declared:
:"Britain didn't ask permission from Syria's government. Cameron told lies."<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-34992616 "UK air attack on Islamic State: Syrians give reactions"]</ref>
+
:"Britain didn't ask permission from Syria's government. Cameron told lies."<ref>''[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-34992616 "UK air attack on Islamic State: Syrians give reactions"]''</ref>
  
 
==UN ceasefire==
 
==UN ceasefire==
Line 33: Line 37:
  
 
Russian Foreign Minister [[Sergey Lavrov]] noted that the Vienna format is the only way to bring all foreign players to the table and ensure a fair settlement in Syria through talks:
 
Russian Foreign Minister [[Sergey Lavrov]] noted that the Vienna format is the only way to bring all foreign players to the table and ensure a fair settlement in Syria through talks:
:“Today’s unanimous vote in the UN Security Council should pave the way for the formation of a broad front against terrorism on the basis of the UN Charter, with the support of all on Earth who are opposed to terrorism, including the army of Syria, the Kurdish militia, and the armed forces of the Syrian patriotic opposition. The air force of the Russian Federation, at the request of the legitimate government of the [[Syrian Arab Republic]], is contributing to the completion of this task.
+
:“Today’s unanimous vote in the [[UN Security Council]] should pave the way for the formation of a broad front against terrorism on the basis of the UN Charter, with the support of all on Earth who are opposed to terrorism, including the army of Syria, the Kurdish militia, and the armed forces of the Syrian patriotic opposition. The air force of the Russian Federation, at the request of the legitimate government of the [[Syrian Arab Republic]], is contributing to the completion of this task.
 +
 
 +
:“Only Syrian-led inclusive dialogue can put an end to untold suffering in Syria,” Lavrov said, stressing that Syria should remain a secular, unified, and multi-ethnic country. “Only the Syrian people are to decide on their future, including the fate of President Assad – this is an answer, included into the resolution, to attempts to enforce outside will on the Syrians,” Lavrov said.
  
:“Only Syrian-led inclusive dialogue can put an end to untold suffering in Syria,” Lavrov said, stressing that Syria should remain a secular, unified, and multi-ethnic country.“Only the Syrian people are to decide on their future, including the fate of President Assad – this is an answer, included into the resolution, to attempts to enforce outside will on the Syrians,Lavrov said.
+
:"The fight against terrorism must be consistent and not opportunistic in nature, whether it be in Syria or anywhere else. Attempts to separate terrorists into good and bad are unacceptable. The resolution stresses the need to provide humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people. It must be provided in strict accordance with the guidelines of the [[United Nations]], enshrined in [[General Assembly]] resolutions and the decisions of the Security Council, including the principle of the consent of the host government.<ref>''[https://www.rt.com/news/326466-un-syria-resolution-terror/ "UN Security Council unanimously adopts Syrian roadmap resolution"]''</ref>
  
:"The fight against terrorism must be consistent and not opportunistic in nature, whether it be in Syria or anywhere else. Attempts to separate terrorists into good and bad are unacceptable. The resolution stresses the need to provide humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people. It must be provided in strict accordance with the guidelines of the [[United Nations]], enshrined in [[General Assembly]] resolutions and the decisions of the Security Council, including the principle of the consent of the host government.”<ref>[https://www.rt.com
 
/news/326466-un-syria-resolution-terror/ "UN Security Council unanimously adopts Syrian roadmap resolution"]</ref>
 
 
==Drug trafficking==
 
==Drug trafficking==
Noting that [[Saudi]] Prince [[Abdel Mohsen Bin Walid Bin Abdulaziz]] was held in Syria with four other men and around 2 tons of [[amphetamine]]s in the Prince's private jet, ''[[The Telegraph]]'' reported in 2015 that the country has a growing role as an exporter of illegal drugs.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/lebanon/11955937/Saudi-prince-held-after-seizure-of-two-tons-of-amphetamines-at-Beirut-airport.html "Saudi prince held after seizure of two tons of amphetamines at Beirut airport"]</ref>
+
Noting that [[Saudi]] Prince [[Abdel Mohsen Bin Walid Bin Abdulaziz]] was held in Syria with four other men and around 2 tons of [[amphetamine]]s in the Prince's private jet, ''[[The Telegraph]]'' reported in 2015 that the country has a growing role as an exporter of illegal drugs.<ref>''[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/lebanon/11955937/Saudi-prince-held-after-seizure-of-two-tons-of-amphetamines-at-Beirut-airport.html "Saudi prince held after seizure of two tons of amphetamines at Beirut airport"]''</ref><ref>https://wikispooks.com/wiki/Document:ISIS_Mayhem_Being_Fueled_by_Drugs_and_Arms_%E2%80%93_Supplied_by_Saudi_Arabia_and_the_CIA</ref>
  
 
==Alleged use of chemical weapons==
 
==Alleged use of chemical weapons==
On 15 October 2018, the [[BBC]] ''Panorama'' programme entitled "Syria's Chemical War" was broadcast. It was a joint investigation by BBC ''Panorama'' and BBC Arabic which claimed to show how [[chemical weapons]] had been used by the Syrian Government as part of a deliberate military strategy. There were serious concerns over the investigation’s reliance on 'broadly impartial' sources -- who are not named -- and consequently the reliability of the programme's findings. On 16 October, members of the [[Global Network for Syria]] issued the following response:
+
On 15 October 2018, the [[BBC]] ''Panorama'' programme entitled "Syria's Chemical War" was broadcast. It was a joint investigation by BBC ''Panorama'' and BBC Arabic which claimed to show how [[chemical weapons]] had been used by the Syrian Government as part of a deliberate military strategy. There were serious concerns over the investigation’s reliance on 'broadly impartial' sources who are not named and consequently the reliability of the programme's findings. On 16 October, members of the [[Global Network for Syria]] issued the following response:
 
:“Yesterday's BBC ''Panorama'' programme was notable for its omissions. It was not clear, for example, whether evidence backing the claims of 106 uses of chemical weapons came from Syrian rebel sources. Given that sources are not named, the BBC may be relying on evidence from groups that are widely regarded as favourable to the opposition, such as the [[White Helmets]], the [[Syrian American Medical Society]], or the [[Union of Medical Care and Relief Organisations]].
 
:“Yesterday's BBC ''Panorama'' programme was notable for its omissions. It was not clear, for example, whether evidence backing the claims of 106 uses of chemical weapons came from Syrian rebel sources. Given that sources are not named, the BBC may be relying on evidence from groups that are widely regarded as favourable to the opposition, such as the [[White Helmets]], the [[Syrian American Medical Society]], or the [[Union of Medical Care and Relief Organisations]].
 
   
 
   

Latest revision as of 14:02, 29 March 2021

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Group.png Syrian Arab Republic   Sourcewatch WikiquoteRdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
Syrian Oil.jpg
LocationMiddle East
TypeUnited Nations Members.svg nation state
Interest ofMother Agnes, Muhammad Idrees Ahmad, Lukas Andriukaitis, Andrew Ashdown, Vanessa Beeley, Bellingcat, Brian Berletic, CENTCOM, DFR Lab, Hassan Firouzabadi, Peter Ford, Sijbren de Jong, Adam Larson, Victor Lewis-Smith, Thierry Meyssan, Moon of Alamaba, NewColdWar.org, Bas Spliet, UK Column, United States Committee for a Free Lebanon, Working Group on Syria Propaganda and Media
Member ofArab League, UN
SubpageSyria/President
A nation state in the Middle East being targeted by NATO countries and their terrorist proxies with a "humanitarian intervention"/"War on Terror" campaign to effect 'regime change'.

Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, which borders Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest, has been embroiled in a US-inspired uprising since March 2011 aimed at toppling President Bashar al-Assad and replacing him with an American-backed puppet leader.[1] The CIA’s covert Operation Timber Sycamore to provide arms, supplies and training to the thousands of jihadist militants who signed up to fight the Syrian government starting in 2012 was closed down by the Trump administration in 2017.

In late 2018, Donald Trump ordered the immediate withdrawal of almost all US troops from Syria within 90 days. He repeated the order in October 2019 but several hundred US troops remain, notwithstanding the president’s executive decisions. In November 2020, Jim Jeffrey, outgoing US special representative for Syria, encouraged President-elect Joe Biden to "stay the course" laid out by him and other members of the Trump administration. Jeffrey warned Biden not to try to engage in Bush-style nation-building in Syria stressing:

“I think the stalemate we’ve put together is a step forward and I would advocate it.”[2]

US Invasion plans

CIA ISIS deployable.jpg

Syria was on a list of seven countries which retired 4-star general Wesley Clark (former supreme commander of NATO forces in Europe 1997-2001) stated the US military had plans to invade:

In 2001, in the Pentagon, a general told me : ‘I just received a classified memo from the Secretary of Defense: we will take seven countries in five years, starting with Iraq, then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and finally, Iran.’[3]

In Summer 2013, the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Joint Chiefs of Staff put together a highly classified assessment, which forecast that the fall of Assad would lead to chaos and, potentially, to Syria’s takeover by extremists, much as was then happening in Libya. The Joint Chiefs felt that a direct challenge to President Obama’s stated policy of removing Assad would have "had a zero chance of success" so they decided to take steps against the extremists without going through political channels, by providing US intelligence to the militaries of other nations, on the understanding that it would be passed on to the Syrian Arab Army and used against the common enemy, Jabhat al-Nusra and Islamic State.[4]

Audio leaked in January 2017 suggested that the US was hoping that ISIS would expand to the point at which it would lead to regime change in Syria.[5] Dr Rola appeared on UK television to support the case that bombing of Syria could be morally justified as "humanitarian intervention".

Lubricating regime change

In September 2015, Craig Murray noted that the British government's self-denying ordinance from engaging in armed conflict in Syria appeared to be crumbling.[6] On 2 December 2015, following a 10-hour debate, the House of Commons voted by 397 to 223 in favour of bombing Daesh in Syria. Instead of targeting terrorists, however, David Cameron ordered RAF Tornados from Akrotiri in Cyprus to bomb the Omar oil field in eastern Syria.[7] The second wave of airstrikes on 5 December 2015 also targeted the Omar oil field.[8] Brimstone missiles (costing £100,000 each) were deployed for the first time in another RAF airstrike on the Omar oil field on 10 January 2016.[9]

SANA, the Syrian news agency, declared:

"Britain didn't ask permission from Syria's government. Cameron told lies."[10]

UN ceasefire

On 18 December 2015, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2254 calling for a ceasefire in Syria, an immediate halt to any attacks on civilian targets and the formation of a unity government. Excluded from the ceasefire are Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) and Al-Nusra Front, Al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria.

After UNSCR 2254 (2015) passed, US Secretary of State John Kerry, who chaired the Security Council meeting, said that it was the time “to put an end to indiscriminate bombing, torture and the bloodshed” in Syria, adding that significant progress had been made “that gives us grounds for encouragement.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that the Vienna format is the only way to bring all foreign players to the table and ensure a fair settlement in Syria through talks:

“Today’s unanimous vote in the UN Security Council should pave the way for the formation of a broad front against terrorism on the basis of the UN Charter, with the support of all on Earth who are opposed to terrorism, including the army of Syria, the Kurdish militia, and the armed forces of the Syrian patriotic opposition. The air force of the Russian Federation, at the request of the legitimate government of the Syrian Arab Republic, is contributing to the completion of this task.
“Only Syrian-led inclusive dialogue can put an end to untold suffering in Syria,” Lavrov said, stressing that Syria should remain a secular, unified, and multi-ethnic country. “Only the Syrian people are to decide on their future, including the fate of President Assad – this is an answer, included into the resolution, to attempts to enforce outside will on the Syrians,” Lavrov said.
"The fight against terrorism must be consistent and not opportunistic in nature, whether it be in Syria or anywhere else. Attempts to separate terrorists into good and bad are unacceptable. The resolution stresses the need to provide humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people. It must be provided in strict accordance with the guidelines of the United Nations, enshrined in General Assembly resolutions and the decisions of the Security Council, including the principle of the consent of the host government.”[11]

Drug trafficking

Noting that Saudi Prince Abdel Mohsen Bin Walid Bin Abdulaziz was held in Syria with four other men and around 2 tons of amphetamines in the Prince's private jet, The Telegraph reported in 2015 that the country has a growing role as an exporter of illegal drugs.[12][13]

Alleged use of chemical weapons

On 15 October 2018, the BBC Panorama programme entitled "Syria's Chemical War" was broadcast. It was a joint investigation by BBC Panorama and BBC Arabic which claimed to show how chemical weapons had been used by the Syrian Government as part of a deliberate military strategy. There were serious concerns over the investigation’s reliance on 'broadly impartial' sources — who are not named — and consequently the reliability of the programme's findings. On 16 October, members of the Global Network for Syria issued the following response:

“Yesterday's BBC Panorama programme was notable for its omissions. It was not clear, for example, whether evidence backing the claims of 106 uses of chemical weapons came from Syrian rebel sources. Given that sources are not named, the BBC may be relying on evidence from groups that are widely regarded as favourable to the opposition, such as the White Helmets, the Syrian American Medical Society, or the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organisations.
"The investigation ignored the interim findings of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on the Douma incident, which contradict the BBC’s conclusions. The OPCW found no evidence of the use of prohibited weapons in Douma and did not rule out that chlorine cylinders found at the site may have been planted.
"The programme showed former OPCW staff saying that not all of President Assad's stocks destroyed under OPCW supervision were necessarily accounted for. It neglected to point out, however, that the OPCW reported in 2014 that it had been unable to visit two sites where chemical weapons were stored and that both these sites were in rebel-held territory deemed unsafe for inspectors to visit.
"The programme also claimed to detect a pattern of Assad using chemical weapons in the final stages of sieges. But the report did not address questions raised by numerous military experts who ask why Syrian Government Forces, which were already winning the war, would deploy chemical weapons of limited usefulness, risking severe reprisals by the US-led Coalition.
"There are further concerns regarding the lack of reference to Islamist fighters, who have used chlorine canisters as part of their "resistance", and who have butchered not just Christians and Alawites but also hundreds of the civilians living under their control, as documented by the UN.
"The war in Syria is complex, with many different layers to the conflict. It is crucial that any future investigation includes historical and geopolitical context, objective analysis, transparency about sources, and, at the very least, an acknowledgement that there are different points of view.”
Peter Ford, former British Ambassador to Syria
Dr Tim Anderson, University of Sydney
Lord Carey of Clifton
Baroness Cox
Lord Gordon of Strathblane
Dr Michael Langrish, former Bishop of Exeter
Lord Stoddart of Swindon[14]

 

Related Quotations

PageQuoteAuthorDate
"Humanitarian intervention"“Suddenly, children in Syria matter a lot to the West, while Yemen's child victims are rarely ever mentioned. Suddenly there’s an urgent moral issue being rushed through the court of public opinion. This has all the hallmarks of the prior propaganda campaigns we’ve seen before. Scant evidence, immediate assignment of blame, and a quick rush to military action before anybody can really properly question the train of events.”'Tyler Durden'14 April 2018
Joe Biden“Our allies in the region were our largest problem in Syria. The Turks were great friends, and I have a great relationship with Erdogan, [who] I just spent a lot of time with, [and] the Saudis, the Emirates, etcetera.
   What were they doing? They were so determined to take down Assad, and essentially have a proxy Sunni-Shia war, what did they do? They poured hundreds of millions of dollars and tens of tons of weapons into anyone who would fight against Assad – except that the people who were being supplied, [they] were al-Nusra, and al-Qaeda, and the extremist elements of jihadis who were coming from other parts of the world.
   Now, you think I'm exaggerating? Take a look. Where did all of this go? So now that's happening, all of a sudden, everybody is awakened because this outfit called ISIL, which was al-Qaeda in Iraq, when they were essentially thrown out of Iraq, found open space and territory in [eastern] Syria, [and they] work with al-Nusra, who we declared a terrorist group early on. And we could not convince our colleagues to stop supplying them.
So what happened? Now, all of a sudden – I don't want to be too facetious – but they have seen the lord. Now we have ... been able to put together a coalition of our Sunni neighbors, because America can't once again go into a Muslim nation and be the aggressor. It has to be led by Sunnis. To go and attack a Sunni organization. And so what do we have for the first time? President Erdoğan told me, he is an old friend, said you were right, we let too many people through, now we are trying to seal the border.”
Joe Biden
The Washington Post
2014
Jean Bricmont“We often hear that the left-right opposition is outdated or no longer makes sense. But the problem is worse: on many issues, the left-right opposition has reversed itself, the left adopting positions that were those of the right or the far-right in the past and part of the right doing the opposite. Let's start with the question of peace and war. Since the wars have become "humanitarian", it is the left, including the bulk of the "radical" left, which supports them. When a perfectly orchestrated coup takes place in Ukraine, we celebrate the victory of democracy. In Syria, until recently, support, at least verbal, for the "rebels" was not debated in the left. During the bombings on Libya, Mélenchon argued that it was necessary to prevent the "tyrant" Gaddafi from killing the revolution. We realized a little late that the opponents of the said tyrant, like the bulk of the rebels in Syria, were also our opponents, that is to say fanatical Islamists. But the classical left, at least in its radical part, but sometimes also in a certain part of social democracy, was opposed to imperial policies, interference and American hegemony, especially during the Vietnam War. Today, the simple fact of defending the principle of national sovereignty passes for being far-right.”Jean BricmontJanuary 2017
Wesley Clark“In 2001, in the Pentagon, a general told me : ‘I just received a classified memo from the Secretary of Defense: we will take seven countries in five years, starting with Iraq, then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and finally, Iran.’”Wesley Clark2 March 2007
Riam Dalati“Sick and tired of activists and [Syrian] rebels using corpses of dead children to stage emotive scenes for Western consumption. Then they wonder why some serious journos are questioning part of the narrative,”Riam DalatiFebruary 2019
Document:US Planned Syrian Civilian Catastrophe Since 2007“Nasrallah said he believed that President Bush’s goal was “the drawing of a new map for the region. They want the partition of Iraq. Iraq is not on the edge of a civil war — there is a civil war. There is ethnic and sectarian cleansing. The daily killing and displacement which is taking place in Iraq aims at achieving three Iraqi parts, which will be sectarian and ethnically pure as a prelude to the partition of Iraq. Within one or two years at the most, there will be total Sunni areas, total Shiite areas, and total Kurdish areas. Even in Baghdad, there is a fear that it might be divided into two areas, one Sunni and one Shiite...

“I can say that President Bush is lying when he says he does not want Iraq to be partitioned. All the facts occurring now on the ground make you swear he is dragging Iraq to partition. And a day will come when he will say, ‘I cannot do anything, since the Iraqis want the partition of their country and I honor the wishes of the people of Iraq.’"

Nasrallah said he believed that America also wanted to bring about the partition of Lebanon and of Syria. In Syria, he said, the result would be to push the country “into chaos and internal battles like in Iraq.” In Lebanon, “There will be a Sunni state, an Alawi state, a Christian state, and a Druze state.” But, he said, “I do not know if there will be a Shiite state.””
Sigrid Kaag“All parties involved in the conflict are committing crimes. The Netherlands knows that the opposition is committing war crimes. We already wrote that starting in 2013. In fact Karel van Oostrom knew precisely what was written in the reports. He even knew all the details. The Dutch have enough people and info from intelligence agencies. And especially the Dutch and all the other EU countries, because they share all that info. They knew exactly what was happening. (...) Throughout investigation is needed. Not only the Dutch but other nation states supported the Syrian war. Therefore they could be complicit in committing war crimes.”Sigrid Kaag
Carla Del Ponte
9 December 2018
Robert Stuart“Let me pin my colours to the mast and say that I am absolutely convinced that the BBC did deliberately and knowingly fake evidence of chemical attacks.”Craig Murray
Robert Stuart
Donald Trump“Islamic terrorism is eating up large portions of the Middle East. They've become rich. I'm in competition with them. They just built a hotel in Syria. Can you believe this? They built a hotel. When I have to build a hotel, I pay interest. They don't have to pay interest, because they took the oil that, when we left Iraq, I said we should've taken”Donald TrumpJune 2015
Donald Trump“The other thing with the terrorists is you have to take out their families, when you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families. They care about their lives, don't kid yourself. When they say they don't care about their lives, you have to take out their families.”Donald Trump2 December 2015
Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu“It is not possible to give up our rights and interests in the Eastern Mediterranean just because sanctions will come or because the EU will criticize us.”Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu14 December 2020

 

Events

EventDescription
2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdownShoot-down of a Russian Su24M bomber over Syria by a Turkish F16 fighter on 24 November 2015
2018 missile attack on Russian IL-20 reconnaissance aircraftIsrael trying to start WW3 by having Russian plane shot down in war ruse.
2023-2024 Israel-Hamas WarHamas attack on dozens of illegal Israeli settlements in Southern Israel provoking mass retaliatory killings by Israel. Corporate media call it the Israeli "9-11", while critics of Israel refer to "10-7" as a staged, military operation in order to manufacture consent for a disproportionate response.
Douma attack
Syrian Chemical Weapons Attack

 

Groups Headquartered Here

GroupStartEndDescription
Damascus University1923One of the most reputable universities in the Middle East before the war in Syria started in 2011
Islamic State2003An "Islamic fundamentalist terrorist" organisation which whistleblower Sibel Edmonds links to Operation Gladio/B and succinctly describes as a re-branding of al-Qaeda.
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine–General Command
The Queer Insurrection and Liberation Army24 July 201724 September 2018Improbable militia presumably a propaganda exercise to create support for war in the Western liberal opinion.

 

Citizens of Syria on Wikispooks

TitleBornDescription
Mother Agnes1952
Bassma Kodmani29 April 1958A Syrian/French "trusted lieutenant of the Anglo-American democracy-promotion industry". who attended 2 Bilderbergs; in 2008 before the start of the 2011 regime change proxy war, and in 2012.
Richard Medhurst1992British-Syrian journalist and commentator
Imad Mustafa
Steven SahiounieSyrian journalist who has written for among others 21st Century Wire, Sputnik News and MintPress News about the the Syrian war.
Maram Susli1987Syrian girl.
Asma al-Assad11 August 1975

 

Event Participated in

EventStartEndLocation(s)Description
Bandung Conference19551955IndonesiaImportant conference for the global south; participants soon became prime targets for US foreign policy

 

Related Documents

TitleTypePublication dateAuthor(s)Description
Document:A New Islamic cultinterview20 November 2013Nadezhda Kevorkova
Nacib Hoteit
Insights into the Western (especially US-Israeli) agenda for Syria and the Middle East following the effective blocking of a Libya-style military intervention in Syria by Russia in the Summer of 2013.
Document:Absolute folly for Britain to get involved in SyriaArticle1 March 2018Leo McKinstryTory MP Johnny Mercer, a former soldier, has demanded: “Britain must come to Syria’s aid” and condemned those who oppose “military intervention”.
Document:Arabs Beware the Small States Optionarticle29 July 2013Sharmine NarwaniA succinct introduction to proposals, widely canvassed among Western Elites but otherwise largely suppressed, to impose a new political settlement on the entire Middle East involving the re-ordering of its national borders along sectarian lines. These proposals represent the increasingly dominant leitmotif of 21st century Globalist driven Middle-Eastern policy.
Document:CIA-MI6 Intel Ops and Sabotagearticle7 February 2012Felicity ArbuthnotIn 1957, joint plans by the CIA and MI6 to destabilize Syria by means of staged border incidents and special forces assassinations of key political figures were approved by UK PM Harold Macmillan and US President Eisenhower.
Document:Countdown to Destruction in Syriatimeline21 February 2016Dana VisalliA timeline of US and Western-European interference in Syria since its formation in 1916
Document:Defending the UN Charter by Use of the Vetoarticle11 February 2012Ronda HaubenA timeline summary of political/diplomatic events leading to the Russia/China veto of the February 2012 UNSC resolution on Syria.
Document:Destroying SyriaArticle23 January 2018Philip GiraldiFormer CIA officer Philip Giraldi says the United States has zero evidence on the Syrian conflict. Someone should remind the President that similar scenarios did not turn out very well in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya.
Document:Ed Miliband’s decision to oppose military action against Syria is an action of statesmanship of which Britons will be proudArticle28 August 2013Michael MeacherIt is all very well to rush to war in a surge of moral outrage, it is quite another to spell out clearly what are the war objectives and how exactly they are to be achieved.
Document:From Pol Pot to ISIS: Anything that flies on everything that movesarticle8 October 2014John PilgerThe parallels between the rise to power of Cambodia's Khymer Rouge under Pol Pot in the 1970's and that of ISIS in the Iraq/Syria of 2014.
Document:How Russia betrayed Americaessay10 March 2015Mike KingA useful mirror image of the Anglo-US-Nato official narrative about Russia
Document:Illegal Slaughter - Cameron’s Bombings of Syria, Equals Blair’s Iraq War Crimesarticle12 December 2015Felicity ArbuthnotA withering, contemptuous critique of David Cameron and the UK political class in their determination to take part in the illlegal bombing of another sovereign state using absurdly oxymoronic 'war-on-terror' excuses.
Document:Jihadism and the Petroleum Industryarticle23 June 2014Thierry MeyssanThe ISIS/ISIL 'Jihadi invasion' of Iraq is nothing of the sort. It is a determined attempt by Usaia to Balkanise Iraq in furtherance of a carefully laid contingency plan to maintain control over the region.
Document:Journey To Aleppo Part I: Exposing The Truth Buried Under NATO PropagandaArticle20 September 2016Vanessa BeeleyThe Syrian people are suffering under the ‘moderate rebels’ and ‘opposition forces’ backed by the US, NATO member states and their allies in the Gulf states and Israel. Yet their suffering is largely ignored in the mainstream media unless it furthers the agenda dictated by the US State Department.
Document:Monbiot is not only a hypocrite, but a bully tooArticle12 January 2018Jonathan CookIt is time for George Monbiot’s legion of supporters to call him out. Not only is he a hypocrite, but he is becoming an increasingly dangerous one!
Document:Now the truth emerges: how the US fuelled the rise of Isis in Syria and IraqArticle3 June 2015Seumas MilneAmerican forces bomb one set of rebels while backing another in Syria, and mount what are effectively joint military operations with Iran against ISIS in Iraq while supporting Saudi Arabia’s military campaign against Iranian-backed Houthi forces in Yemen
Document:Obama's Secret Letter to Tehranarticle20 January 2012Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya
Document:Obama’s Humanitarianism as Window-Dressing for the US “Deep State” Agenda - The Case of Syriaarticle18 June 2013Elizabeth Woodworth
Document:Radicalisation - UK.gov gets itself in cluster-muddle over 'terrorism'article25 August 2016Alexander J Martin
Document:Russia Claims US Deploys Warships For Imminent Attack On Syria, Trains Militants For False Flag Attackblog post17 March 2018'Tyler Durden'United States-led coalition to "retaliate" for another false flag chemical attack done by the White Helmets in Syria
Document:Saying no to gunboat diplomacycommentary20 February 2012Li Qingsi
Document:Speech by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on 20 August 2017 to the Syrian Diplomatic CorpsSpeech31 August 2017Bashar al AssadThe US President is not the maker of policies, but the executor. Therefore, the “Deep State” in the United States does not govern in partnership with the President, but leaves him a small margin.
Document:Syria - It is a Conspiracyarticle4 March 2012Felicity ArbuthnotEvidence of the long-standing, deep-seated nature of Western/US determination to destabilise Syria under the Assad Bath Party rule and the systematic secrecy and deception involved.
Document:Syria - the rhetoric and the trutharticle13 August 2015Thierry MeyssanThierry Meyssan rubbishes the likelihood of a serious US ground forces operation in Syria because it would trigger a military World War III
Document:Syria, The View From The Other Sidearticle22 June 2013Stephen Gowans
Document:The Four Horsemen Gallop Byblog post11 April 2018Craig MurrayThe notion that Britain will take part in military action against Syria with neither investigation of the evidence nor a parliamentary vote is worrying indeed. Without Security Council authorisation, any such action is illegal in any event.
Document:The Last Bus to Idlib: Terrorist Safe-Haven in Syria About to Face a Cleaning OutArticle3 August 2018Steven SahiounieOne by one, all other areas in Syria under terrorist control have fallen, and now the final battle for Idlib province looms large on the horizon. The liberation of Idlib will begin soon, and the green buses can finally get back to their job of transporting Syrians as they live, shop and work in peace at last.
Document:The New Silk Road Will Go Through SyriaArticle13 July 2017Pepe EscobarBeijing is working non-stop for the Iran-Iraq-Syria triumvirate to become a key hub in the New Silk Road (OBOR). Any bets against a future, booming Shanghai-Latakia container route?
Document:The Relative Value of Life and Deathblog post29 July 2024Craig MurrayIsrael has been bombarding Syria relentlessly from long before October 2023 and has continued unabated – and unreported by western media. Israel’s attacks on civilian areas of Damascus this last few weeks have been devastating. It is pretty obvious that any loose missile that dropped on Majdal Shams is likely to have come from Israel, which is slinging huge quantities of munitions into Syria and Lebanon with wild abandon.
Document:The Road to Hell: A Brief History of Modern Syriaarticle2 April 2016Dana VisalliA brief history of modern Syria from the Sykes-Picot accord of 1916 to the present day
Document:The Syrian Protest Movement and its Historical Contextarticle29 April 2011Mazda Majidi
Document:The World Is on the Brink of War Once Again as All Hell Breaks Loose in SyriaArticle8 February 2018Darius ShahtahmasebiWith the assistance of the media, the United States and Israel continue to bomb Syria in direct contravention of international law, targeting Russia's ally the Syrian Arab Army, without any significant journalistic or international opposition.
Document:The ‘Stolen Province’: Why Turkey Was Given A Corner Of Syria By France 80 Years AgoArticle29 February 2020Under the Treaty of Lausanne, Hatay Province was part of the French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon but just before the Second World War broke out, Paris suddenly decided to hold a referendum and Hatay voted to become part of Turkey.
Document:Theresa May pushing for UK intervention in Syria following Manchester attackArticle25 May 2017Whitney WebbJeremy Corbyn Says What We All Knew: The War On Terror Isn’t Working
Document:Time to Start Paying Attention: The US Just Bombed Russians in SyriaArticle9 February 2018Darius ShahtahmasebiIt is not clear if Russia has a retaliation of its own in mind, but we would do well to remember that when similar incidents took place last year, Russia indicated that they would begin targeting US jets if they had to. Almost immediately after this stark warning, Australia pulled its planes out of its air missions in Syria.
Document:Turkey ambushed Su24 using information supplied by USreport27 November 2015Ministry of Defence of the Russian FederationCommander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces, General Bondarev, presents facts of the attack on the Russian Su-24M aircraft carried out by Turkish F-16 fighters in the sky over Syria on 24 November 2015
Document:US Ambassador to Hungary: Overthrow Assad, Let in Refugees, and Fight Russia...or Else!article6 May 2016Daniel McAdamsUS requirements of it's European vassals illustrated by the speech of US Ambassador to Hungary, Colleen Bell to the Foreign affairs committee of the Hungarian parliament.
Document:US Nuclear Policy Review: The World Is Our EnemyArticle8 February 2018Christopher Black“We (the United States) will keep you guessing as to when and against whom we will use them (nuclear weapons). We will maintain our role as the greatest state terrorist by keeping the nuclear Damocles sword over the heads of the people of the world constantly to ensure that the world acts in our interest.”
Document:US Planned Syrian Civilian Catastrophe Since 2007article4 September 2014'Tony Cartalucci'
Document:US bombs Syria and ridiculously claims self defenceArticle26 February 2021Caitlin JohnstoneThe US can bomb who it likes, whenever it likes, and when it does it is only ever doing so in self-defence, because the entire planet is the property of Washington DC. It can seize control of entire clusters of nations, and if any of those nations resist in any way, they are invading America’s sovereignty.
Document:US charged with war crimes in Syria prison siegeArticle27 January 2022Bill Van AukenSyria’s state media agency Sana quoted the country’s Foreign Ministry as denouncing the actions of the US and its puppet Kurdish-led militia as tantamount to “war crimes”. It demanded the immediate withdrawal of both US troops from northeastern Syria and the Turkish military from the northwest of the country.
Document:Ukraine and How the West Treats Comparable Events in Satellite and Non-Satellite Countries Differentlyarticle27 January 2014Stephen GowansA pithy, succinct illustration of how, in matters of foreign affairs, the language and terminology of western media coverage changes according to the status of the government/country being reported on, as either approved or unapproved of by western geo-political interests. More subtle than "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter", but analogous.
Document:Washington Wants Syria's OilArticle30 August 2017Anna JaungerThe future of Syria and its geopolitical strategic equation will depend on who controls the oil-rich region of Deir al-Zor.
Document:Washington with ISIS - Moscow with SyriaInterview12 September 2015Michel ChossudovskyPress TV interview with Prof Michael Chossudovsky that juxtaposes Russian and US relations with the Syrian State together with the realities (and legalities) behind their respective deeds and actions.
Document:Western focus on delegitimizing Syria electionarticle4 June 2014Sharmine NarwaniAscerbic commentary on the attitudes and reporting of the western media on the June 2014 presidential election in Syria
Document:What is the point of tourists' checks and tests if migrants can just walk into Dover?article5 June 2021Peter HitchensA blog post outlining the illogical policy of lockdown measures in the pandemic era, followed by sections about political correctness, and the Douma attack whistleblowers and Wikileaks.
Document:Why Tony is right to entertain AssadArticle17 December 2002Rod LiddleBashar al Assad became the first Syrian leader to visit the United Kingdom in 2002.
Document:World War and the Russia-China VetoArticle10 February 2012Carla SteaA discussion of the unrest in Syria. It goes on to detail the appalling and ongoing abuses of human rights in post-Gaddafi Libya - the direct result of the 2011 UNSCR 1973, and the military action it was deemed by NATO to authorise. These abuses, carried out by NATO installed proxies, arguably worse than anything happening in Syria, are a stark warning of what Syrians can expect should NATO succeed in its agenda of "Regime change".
File:DIA-287.pdfreport12 August 2012DIAA declassified DIA document which clearly demonstrates that the rise of ISIS in the Middle East was planned and facilitated by the US Government - as later admitted by DIA director Michael T. Flynn.
File:War On Syria.pdfeBookNovember 2011Nile Bowie
'Tony Cartalucci'
A look at the intricacies of the West's methods of unconventional warfare over the last several years, finally miring Syria in a state of war. In spite of a strangely disjointed 'author's note' introduction, this is a solid account of early 21st century Western methods of covert/proxy warfare (with Syria as its main focus).
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References