By Stephen Lendman
1-12-14

Obama initiated war on Syria. He wants regime change. He wants continued bloodshed, destruction and human suffering to get it. He deplores peace.

He bears full responsibility for nearly three years of conflict. He began it. He wants it continued. He says one thing. He does another. His policies speak for themselves.

On January 22, so-called Geneva II peace talks are scheduled to begin. Mid-2012 Geneva I talks ended in failure. Washington prevented success.

Talks were called a "last ditch effort" to halt violence. Similar rhetoric followed Kofi Annan's one-sided peace plan.

It placed the conflict ending burden on Assad. It did so unfairly. Western backed death squads bear full responsibility.

Since conflict erupted, Assad's been wrongfully blamed for their crimes. He's more victim than villain.

Washington wants him ousted. It wants him prevented from defending his people. If not him, who will?

Obama, complicit NATO partners, Israel, and rogue regional despots want him toppled. They want him out violently. Peaceful resolution is smoke screen deception.

Conflict rages out-of-control. Conditions are worse than ever. Millions of ordinary Syrians suffer most. Ongoing war bears testimony to longstanding US viciousness.

Syria is Obama's war. He bears full responsibility. Regime change was planned years ago. Conflict continues. It shows no signs of ending.

On January 8, Russia blocked Washington's latest Security Council effort. It wrongfully blame Assad.

One-sided SC language condemned him for attacking Western-backed death squads in Aleppo.

On December 19, Moscow vetoed a draft Aleppo bombing statement. It wrongfully blamed Assad. He's defending his people. He's acting responsibly.

He's battling Western-backed death squads. He's defending ordinary Syrians. Washington disgracefully calls him a "brutal dictator."

On January 7, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki wrongfully accused him of "kill(ing) tens of thousands of his people."

He's "not someone that we see a future for in...Syria," she added. "You know what our focus is," she claimed. It's "bringing an end to the suffering and bloodshed of the Syrian people."

It bears repeating. Washington bears full responsibility. Assad is doing his job. He's doing what any leader would do.

He's fighting terrorism. He's battling death squad invaders. They've committed horrific atrocities. Western media largely ignore them. Assad is blamed for their crimes.

Expect Washington to manipulate planned Geneva II talks. Psaki stressed "putting a transitional government in place."

Talks aren't about peaceful conflict resolution. They're for regime change. Syrians alone may decide who'll lead them.

Washington wants them denied. America's agenda alone matters. National sovereignty doesn't count. Nor do rule of law principles. US policy makers violate them consistently.

No nation operates more lawlessly than America. None does so more egregiously. None causes more harm. Washington does it globally.

Ravaging one nation after another is longstanding US policy. So is blaming victims for its crimes. Assad is in the eye of the storm. Iran's turn is next.

Congressional hawks want war, not peace. Obama blocked Tehran's Geneva II participation. According to Psaki:

"Iran has done nothing but help (Assad), help bring foreign fighters in, help the regime's efforts to brutalize the Syrian people."

"And if they wanted to send a message to the world about their seriousness of having a positive outcome, there are steps they could take."

"There's no indication that they have any desire or interest in taking any of these steps."

"(U)nless Iran endorses, supports, (and) embraces the Geneva (II) communique, we wouldn't support their attendance."

Washington wants its language blaming Assad for ongoing conflict. It wants transitional government approved. It wants pro-Western stooges in charge.

It wants Syrians having no say. When Geneva I ended, then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said:

"Assad will still have to go. What we have done here is to strip away the fiction that he and those with blood on their hands can stay in power."

US Geneva II policy remains unchanged. Syrian blood is on Obama's hands. Iran justifiably opposes imperial lawlessness. It won't endorse agreements furthering them. No nation should.

On January 10, Reuters headlined "Iran will not attend Syria peace talks: US officials."

They spoke anonymously. According to Reuters, they said "barring a dramatic change in Tehran's position, Iran would neither participate formally...nor join informally on the sidelines."

"That's right, they're not coming," said one official. On January 5, John Kerry said Iran could "contribute from the sidelines."

Suggesting it was insulting. Tehran, of course, rejected marginalization. On January 6, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said:

"Since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, Iran has reiterated its principled policy, which is based on the necessity of adopting a political solution."

"Any (proposed) solution should respect the Syrian people's right to determine their own destiny and should be based on Syrian-Syrian dialogue."

"Iran has always announced its readiness to make a contribution in this regard...but Tehran will only accept those proposals which respect the Islamic Republic of Iran's dignity."

On January 11, Voice of Russia headlined "West sees toppling Assad more important than ending bloodshed in Syria."

Indeed so. It's why conflict continues. It's why so-called peace talks are cover for regime change.

It's unclear what nations are attending. It's uncertain who'll represent opposition forces. They've deeply divided. They're battling each other.

Syria justifiably won't negotiate with terrorists. They want continued conflict. They reject peace. Rajab Safarov heads the Centre for the Study of Modern Iran.

"It's pointless to hold a conference with no Iranian delegation attending," he believes.

"Actually, the Middle East problem has not been settled to this day precisely due to the non-participation of such an important regional player as Iran."

"So, if Iran does not attend the forthcoming Geneva conference, any decisions the other conferees may make will prove ineffective."

According to Centre for Public and Political Studies director Vladimir Yevseev:

"Before starting talks with that largely shattered opposition in Geneva, all countries involved in the Syrian conflict to a greater or lesser extent should meet under the UN aegis to adopt a resolution that would recognize any interference in Syria's internal affairs as an international crime."

"This could be followed by a peacekeeping operation to seal the borders that foreign mercenaries have been crossing to get into Syria from neighboring states."

"The second stage of the operation would focus on disarming foreign militants."

Resolving ongoing conflict requires Washington calling off its dogs. Syrians alone should decide who'll lead them.

International law is clear. No nation may interfere in the internal affairs of others. Sovereign rights are inviolable. Outside interference is unacceptable. It's lawless. It has no legitimacy.

It's longstanding US policy. It assures continued conflict. Syria's agony remains ongoing. It shows no signs of ending.

Expect Geneva II failure like earlier initiatives. Washington bears full responsibility. It began conflict. It continues.

It won't end as long as Washington demands regime change. It'll continue as long as Assad remains in charge.

Polls show he was overwhelming support. Demanding his removal assures continued conflict. No end in sight looms.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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