US Continues Supporting Terrorists in Syria
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
It’s naive to believe otherwise. It’s central to US strategy since launching war for regime change.
Tactics alone changed from then to now, not Washington’s objective – allied with Israel and other rogue states to topple Syria’s legitimate government.
In response to Trump’s announced end to covert CIA-arming and training of so-called “moderate rebels” (aka terrorists like all other anti-government groups), Russia’s Information and Press Department deputy director Artyom Kozhin said the following:
“We have not heard anything regarding this decision from the official sources. Neither do we know about the status of other similar programs that could be implemented by other US agencies.”
“(W)e have expressed how we feel when it comes to the US flirting with militants in Syria more than once. We have forewarned that this flirtation could have unpredictable military and political consequences.”
“We repeatedly pointed to the Americans’ unscrupulous actions taken in Syria in the pursuit of their self-seeking geopolitical interests.”
“It is an open secret that a substantial number of militants who have been trained under the US Train and Equip program ultimately joined ISIS and al-Nusra.”
“We regard this as a repetition of the tragic story of Afghanistan and Libya. The potential consequences of this should be obvious to everyone.”
On Friday, Sergey Lavrov minced no words, saying Washington continues arming anti-government terrorist groups in Syria, euphemistically called the moderate opposition.
It has illegal bases in the country, established without Security Council or Damascus authorization.
According to CENTCOM commander General Joseph Votel, US forces will remain in Syria after the battle for Raqqa is over – on the phony pretext of stabilizing the region.
Washington wants northern Syrian territory occupied, along with other areas it’s able to gain control over – a scheme risking direct confrontation with Russia and Damascus.
Trump wants increased funding for US military bases in Iraq and Syria, reflecting plans for permanent (illegal) US occupation.
Saying it’s to continue combating ISIS is willful deception, concealing America’s support for the terrorist group and likeminded ones.
On July 19, Russia’s upper house Federation Council ratified a January protocol agreed on in Damascus to establish the legal presence of Russian aerial forces and support personnel in Syria for 49 years – to be automatically extended for subsequent 25-year periods.
The move aims to secure and protect Syrian sovereignty. It continues longstanding mutually cooperative bilateral relations.
It signifies Russia’s intention to challenge US, NATO and Israeli imperial designs on the country.
Separately in letters to the UN secretary-general and Security Council president, Syria demanded compensation from Washington and its “illegitimate coalition” allies for terror-bombing civilian targets and destroying vital infrastructure.
Damascus called for an immediate halt to US-led aggression, massacring tens of thousands of civilians, a demand the Trump administration surely will ignore.
Endless war and regime change remain its objectives, no matter the human toll.
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