DRUMS OF WAR

 “War is the health of a totalitarian state and peace is its disease”

-Norman Mailer (US Novelist and Anti-Vietnam war activist)

The preparations of the war are already in full swing. American B-52 Bombers loaded with cruise missiles, stealth fighters and low flying B1S fighter jets are being readied in the US bases. Moreover the British media have reported the supply of sophisticated arms to Syrian rebels under close supervision by CIA to overthrow the government in Syria. These developments have shaped after American President Barak Obama stated on 31^st August 2013 to take a Military action against the Syrian regime.

"After careful deliberation I have decided that the United States should take military action against Syrian military targets" [i]

-Mr Obama said from the Rose Garden.

The conditions have worsened after a chemical_attack[ii] occurred in Khal al-Asal, Aleppo, Syria on 19^th March 2013. The US Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry has been putting his continuous efforts to muster support from European nations against the Syrian-Assad government for its alleged use of chemical weapon on unhuman grounds. However the Syrian government has been blaming the rebel groups and Saudi Arabia for the attack ever since it took place. The question of what and how much of it is truth lays very far. It is important to understand the premise and a bit of history before we proceed.

The involvement of US in overthrowing regimes and governments in Central and West Asia can be traced back to the cold war era.

Blood for Oil

IRAN

     Recent declassified CIA documents have revealed the

extensive role of United States and CIA in the destabilization program launched against Iran in early 1950s. Muhammad_Mossadeq[iii] was the democratically elected PM of Iran and a secular nationalist. Mossadeq decided to gain full control over Iran’s energy resources by nationalizing the oil companies. However the cheap oil prices and high profits for Britain and US were increasingly important. Instigated by the CIA, the western media demonized Mossadeq as an “unstable, intemperate and unreliable” ally of the west. CIA’s clandestine operations to provide arms to the rebels of Shah of Iran, eventually lead to the overthrow of Mossadeq’s democratically elected government and establishment of a totalitarian government responsive to the demands of west.

SYRIA

The US had played a role in ensuring Syria’s Independence in 1946, however their relations started to deteriorate after US’s prompt recognition of the state of Israel. America had wanted the Arabian American Oil Company pipeline be laid through Syria. However their relations got worsened when the Syrian parliament vetoed the passage rights for oil pipeline through its territory. This instigated the then American President Harry Truman to order the CIA to stage the very first military coup in the region. In March 1949, the Syrian PM Shukri al-Quwaiti was overthrown. Many years’ later plans were yet again made by CIA and the English M16 to destabilize and overthrow governments in Syria such as “Operation Straggle”.

THE BLOOD FOR OIL WARS STAGED TO SECURE KUWAIT IN 1990S AND IRAQ IN 2003 ARE FURTHER SUCH ILLUSTRATIONS OF DOMINANCE AND AGGRETION SHOWN BY THE UNITED STATES TIME AND AGAIN.

CURRENT STATUS QUO

John Kerry has come under widespread ridicule by downplaying the role of Al Qaeda and assorted jihadi groups in the Syrian conflict by claiming that “moderate democrats” (including the government) were in control of the rebels. This is pretty much clear and visible that the Gulf Monarchies of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and Israel are igniting the mayhem in Syria. The Syrian government is thence beholding Saudi-Arabia supported fighters responsible for the chemical attack. US, Saudi Arabia and Israel have also refused to support Geneva_II (Peace conference)[iv] without which will lead to a proxy war being perpetrated for oil, resources and control.

ISRAEL’S SHARE

Israel considers Iran as their key enemy and they believe US’s military action in Syria will weaken the Persian presence in West Asia. In fact a high level Israeli military delegation was send to Washington to convince the US political establishment that military action against Syria was an essential step to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons capability.

AMERICA’S STAND

While Obama has indeed asked for the congressional vote on Syria, he anyways states that he still holds the option of attacking Syria regardless of the vote. Recently in a press conference he reclaimed that US has the prerogative to attack a third country even if the military action is not sanctioned by the UN. While Russia and China (permanent members of UN Security Council) have already vetoed their decision regarding Syria, such a release by the American President yet again puts a question on their hypocritical display of people’s government and clearly marks the violation of international laws.

Britain’s PM David Cameron’s intention to support US has been blocked by the British parliament and French President Francois Hollande is already facing barrage at home for his decision to support US. America is finally standing alone against the grandmaster Russia.

THE RUSSIAN GRANDMASTER

     Pertaining to the chemical attacks in Syria, the Russian authorities probed the entire scene and based on the samples collected they reported that the shells fired while when the attack took place were not Syrian. They proved that the attack was not sanctioned by Assad. Russia retaliated back in the September 2013 Russian G-20 Summit[v]. Moscow firmed its stand on Syria by declaring that “Russia defends not Assad and his regime but international law and the supremacy of the UN. Forceful removal of the Syrian leader will destabilize the entire West Asia and pose a threat of terrorist slipover to Russia’s North Caucasus.”[vi]

Vladimir Putin arranged a closed-door three hour debate on Syrian crisis on official dinner of G-20 summit, where the leaders of India, China, Brazil, Indonesia, Argentina, South Africa, and Italy joined Russia against US’s military action. In fact he was particularly impressed by the “unexpectedly” strong stand of Manmohan Singh against US’s unilateral strike.

OUTPLAYED BY PUTIN

     Putin has made a game changing proposal for Obama: Moscow would persuade Damascus to place its stock of chemical weapons under international council and the US would drop the plans of a military strike. This has left Obama with very little room to maneuver:

IF HE WENT FOR A UNILATERAL STRIKE, HE WOULD SHATTER HIS INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION; IF HE BACKED AWAY, HE WOULD LOOSE FACE AT HOME.

The BBC quoted the ending of Putin’s 2013 G-20 summit as “The turning point, which showed that the rest of the world no longer wants the United States to step in as the world’s policemen…”

-Yognik Baghel

The author is a civil service aspirant. All the views expressed are based on media coverage and news references duly addressed hereof.

References:

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[i] http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/08/31/obama-syria-military-action_n_3849406.html

[ii] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khan_al-Assal_chemical_attack

[iii] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_Mosaddegh

[iv] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_II_Middle_East_peace_conference

[v] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_G-20_Saint_Petersburg_summit

[vi] http://uprootedpalestinians.wordpress.com/2013/09/23/putin-military-intervention-will-destabilize-syria-middle-east/

News Agencies

thehindu.com/

frontline.in

abc.go.com

www.bbc.com

in.reuters.com

timesofindia.indiatimes.com