By Ranjan Soloman
3 January 2013
@ Palestine Update
Syria is on the brink of a huge externally sponsored disaster. Everything about what is happening in that country is repugnant and deplorable. The western allies are supporting a proxy war – a typical colonial tactic to destabilize and then conquer. The theory under construct now is that the Syrian regime is treacherous and dubious because it is preparing to assault the rebels with chemical weapons. The corporate media deals out this gobbledygook with a regularity and data that nudge gullible unthinking readers to swallow the bait. Not new, this strategy – echoes of Iraq and the invention of the Weapons of Mass Destruction conspiracy theory. The ‘chemical weapon’ theory has many buyers in the west. The media’s tactics in prompting and propping up ‘Islamaphobia’ is working. When war is announced and their armies and air force invades Syria to complete the job that the rebels cannot win on their own, the people of the west would have sanctioned the invasion believing that their leaders were engaged in the noble task of saving Syria from a maniac by a new name other than Gaddafi, Saddam Hussein, or Osama Bin laden.
To do what it did in Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, the West lied. It is lying now. The report is out and it is bad news. The US is now officially at war with Syria. They have de facto recognized the rebel fighters as a legitimate Syrian authority. The hard truth is that rebels have probably got the chemical weapons in their hands – they were smuggled from Libya months ago. They will be unleashed on innocent populations, the crime will be uncovered with devious propaganda and the west will then enter to announce their moral outrage! Then hand over Syria to the oil capitalists! Of course, there will be a stooge regime made functional and managed by the west. The terrorists would be transformed into rulers, diplomats, bureaucrats, and official army thugs.
Meanwhile the destabilisation of Syria will be intensified, the larger strategy being to generate chaos and disenchantment with President Assad- who may not have the support of all his people, but carries more credibility and standing than the rag tag opposition who strut around as ‘rebels with a cause’. The ‘rebels’ are mercenaries from outside Syria having infiltrated under orders to be ruthless, to kill, and be merciless. It is predicted that by the time the conflict sees any final solutions; more than 100,000 people could be killed. It could be even worse.
Chances for peace are denied only because they do not serve the interests of the west and Israel. Reasonable formulas for peace are dismissed as unworkable. The Syrian rebels reject dialogue until the departure of President Assad.
Russia and Iran are playing pivotal roles in preventing a human catastrophe in the country and seeking to resolve the crisis through diplomacy. They are not looking at regime change. Iran is vilified in the western world as a desperado nation whose only intent as a nation is criminal and, in the last few years, a nuclear risk. Iran has shown the maximum maturity and positive intent. Iran has, in fact, proposed a 6-point peace plan which assigns the Syrian nation the lawful right to decide it’s the destiny and future through an internationally-recognized democratic process. The plan, among others, calls for an immediate end to any armed actions; ushering in a UN-monitored democratic process; the Damascus regime and the opposition to cooperate with UN and its special committee to stop armed operations especially in the residential areas to restore peace and stability; an immediate, serious and just distribution of humanitarian aids to Syrian people; the lifting of economic sanctions on the Syrian people in order to prepare the ground for the return of all Syrian refugees to their homeland; the resumption of comprehensive national dialogues by different opposing social and political parties and Damascus to rapidly form a national reconciliation committee in order to unanimously form a transitional government; a free and competitive election for the formation of a new parliament and senate and the composition of a constitution; and the immediate release of all political prisoners from all parties by the government and opposition groups, and establishment of a competent court of justice to investigate cases of those who committed crimes in that country. Ironically, the plan also steps outside Syrian terrain when it asks for the media to cease wrong reporting about Syria- a ploy to ease international suspicion about the Assad regime and the character of the Syrian regime. With no counter argument worthy of contesting the Iranian plan, the Syrian rebels dismissed it as a “last-ditch bid to save the regime of President Bashar al-Assad”. The Syrian regime, on the other hand, is eager to examine legitimate options to bring to an end the nearly two-year crisis through political dialogue.
Syria faces a tragedy of incalculably sadistic scope. How many more deaths in war and post-war will it take to forge a peace? There are still individuals and groups in the west who see through the cruel and self-fulfilling designs of their governments. Despite the hurdles, they are examining legal options in favour of Syria – an option that can take the western allies to the International Court of justice. The Rule of Law could well go in favour of Syria. If only the western allies truly believe in international law they would recognize that they are on the wrong side of the law. Mere sanctions – unilateral as they are in this case- are enough for a verdict in favour of Syria because sanctions are as bad as war and crimes that inflict suffering on innocent populations by bringing on disaster in the form of deprivation of the basics of life. Unless, the west is challenged for its illegal wars and leaders declared criminals, the assaults will continue with increased arrogance and brazenly. Moreover, the west is supporting armed crimes that it funds. Syria is a good test case for such action. The evidence against the west is quite harsh.
Badayl-Alternatives offer you the views expressed above along with weblinks that provide more analysis and perspectives into the Syrian tragedy. We hope this is useful in your understanding of the conflict especially at a time when the media provides a one-sided standpoint