 |
March
15 Marks the Fifth Anniversary |
|
By
Stephen Lendman |
| On March 15, 44 BC (the Ides of March), Roman senators assassinated
Julius Caesar. On the same date in 2011, Obama began raping the Syrian Arab Republic - a wanton act of naked aggression, mass murder and destruction, using ISIS and other terrorist groups to do his dirty work. On the eve of so-called peace talks (Geneva III), conflict rages, multiple ceasefire violations occurring daily, peace and stability as distant as ever. Chances for achieving it now is as unlikely as earlier. Syria has no legitimate peace partner. Washington and its rogue allies want war, Assad replaced by puppet governance, Syrian sovereignty destroyed, the nation divided into mini-states, federalization a first step to partition - the will of its people entirely ignored. Assad is Syria’s legitimate leader, overwhelmingly supported, reelected in June 2014 by an 89% majority - international monitors calling the process open, free and fair. In February 2012, Syrians overwhelmingly approved constitutional reforms by national referendum by a nearly 90% majority. It includes political pluralism established for the first time, presidential term limits and press freedom. Syria wants a just, durable peace. Its delegation arrived in Geneva in good faith. Before talks begin, John Kerry irresponsibly accused its government of disrupting things by so-called new conditions, saying: “President Assad is singing on a completely different song sheet and sent his foreign minister out yesterday to try to act as a spoiler and take off the table what President Putin and the Iranians have agreed to.” He blamed him for daily ceasefire violations committed by US supported terrorists. Syria, Russia and Iran remain firm on the right of Syrians alone to decide who’ll lead them, free from foreign interference. International law prohibits nations from interfering in the affairs of others, except in self-defense if attacked. Syria threatens no one. Its Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem affirmed his nation’s sovereign rights ahead of talks. He rejects any attempt by Saudi cobbled together opposition terrorist groups and pro-Western UN envoy Steffan de Mistura to include presidential elections on the agenda. “Neither he nor anyone else…has the right to” deny Syrians their exclusive right, he said, mandated under international law. “We will not talk with anyone who wants to discuss the presidency. Bashar al-Assad is a red line, and is the property of the Syrian people.” If opposition elements insist otherwise, “there’s no reason for them to come to Geneva.” Saudi-controlled opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) senior negotiator Mohammed Alloush said “the transitional period begins with the departure of (Assad) or his death.” He cannot remain “in power.” Turkey is a key obstacle to peace, shelling cross-border on the phony pretext of protecting national security and combating the scourge of ISIS it actively supports. Its forces occupy several hundred meters within Syrian territory, solidifying control of border areas, a breach of international law and ceasefire terms agreed on. Talks are scheduled to begin Tuesday. Given irreconcilable differences between both sides, perhaps they’ll end before barely getting started. Chances for peaceful conflict resolution are virtually nil. So-called anti-government “moderate rebels” don’t exist. As long as Washington and its rogue partners support ISIS and other terrorist groups, endless war will rage. Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III." http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. |
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