Stephen Lendman

New evidence adds greater credibility to numerous past reports. So-called "rebels" bear responsibility for chemical weapons use. They're aided and abetted by Washington, other Western nations, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and other regional rogue states. They're longstanding imperial partners. Human life has no value. Unchallenged dominance counts most. Nothing's too lawless to deter seeking it. Ravaging one country after another proves it. Syria's in the eye of the storm. Conflict persists daily. Mass killing and destruction follow.

Western-recruited death squad invaders bear responsibility. There's nothing civil about what's ongoing. Lawless aggression explains it. No evidence links Syrian forces to chemical weapons use. Claiming otherwise doesn't wash. Accusations exclude proof. Nothing independently verifiable exists. False charges substitute for truth and full disclosure. It's standard rogue state policy. Complicit partners operate this way. Previous articles discussed clear evidence. So-called "rebels" used chemical weapons multiple times.

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Stephen Lendman

"Friends of Syria": A rogue's gallery of scoundrels

So-called "Friends of Syria" are their worst enemies. They're a rogue's gallery of scoundrels. They're complicit with Washington's imperium. They violate core international law principles. They're no friends of peace, stability and freedom. Umbrella group members America, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, UAE, and Qatar met in Doha.

They agreed on "secret" escalating measures. They hope to tip the military balance. They're desperate to counter Assad's impressive victories. He's routing insurgents convincingly. They're no match against Syria's military strength. Qatar Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani said "force may be the only way to enforce righteousness and supplying weapons to the opposition may be the only way to reach peace in Syria." "(M)ost countries, except for two, are agreed on how to provide assistance to the rebels through the military council," Al Thani added.

Western-sponsored death squads terrorized Syrians since conflict began. Al Thani urges escalated violence. Most Syrian enemies agree. They're responsible for mass killing and destruction. They're in lockstep with Washington's imperial plans. They want much more barbarity than already. They want Syria entirely ravaged and destroyed. They risk cross-border violence threatening their own governments.

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Stephen Lendman

Vladimir Putin wasn’t the odd man out over Syria at the G8 summit.
In fact, his view prevailed. When Stephen Harper told reporters that
Vladimir Putin had made concessions to other leaders, he was wrong.
The reverse seems to be true, writes Thomas Walkom. (The Star)

On June 17, G8 leaders began two days of talks in Northern Ireland. Seven nations want escalated war on Syria. Putin's alone. He's an outlier for peaceful conflict resolution.

Obama's hands are bloodrenched. He bears full responsibility for ravaging Syria. It's been ongoing since early 2011. It was planned many years earlier. On Monday, Obama lied saying:

"We're not taking sides in a religious war. Really, what we're trying to do is take sides against extremists of all sorts and in favor of people who are in favor of moderation, tolerance, representative government, and over the long-term, stability and prosperity for the people of Syria." "We share an interest in reducing the violence, securing chemical weapons and ensuring that they are neither used nor are they subject to proliferation." "We want to try to resolve the issue through political means if possible, so we will instruct our teams to continue to work on the potential of a Geneva follow-up."

Since conflict began, America's been arming, training, funding and directing death squad fighters in Syria. They're imported from dozens of regional and other countries.

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Stephen Lendman

Previous articles discussed Washington-supported death squads in Syria. It's common practice in all US direct and proxy wars. Massacres and unspeakable atrocities are committed. Women are raped. Civilians are treated like combatants. Official coverup and denial follow.

Vietnam's Operation Phoenix became a prototype for today's wars. Terrorizing people into submission is official US policy. Guns for hire are enlisted, armed, funded, trained, and directed. Nothing too heinous is out of bounds. Killing continues daily like sport. So do gruesome atrocities.

In March 2012, Der Spiegel discussed the "Homs burial brigade." An insurgent "executioner" said he and comrades "kill in the name of the Syrian revolution. They leave torture (to) the so-called interrogation brigade...." "They do the ugly work." He believes in violence, he said. He "cut the throats of four men." He machine-gunned many more. Executions happen regularly. Atrocities are routinely committed.

On May 14, Russia Today discussed a graphic video. It showed an insurgent commander mutilating a Syrian soldier's corpse. Images showed him cutting out a soldier's heart and liver. He held the organs in his hands. He appeared to bite into them. He addressed the camera, saying:

"I swear to God we will eat your hearts and your livers, you soldiers of Bashar the dog." Others off-camera chanted "Allahu akbar (God is great)." The person filming said "God bless you, Abu Sakkar. You look like you are drawing (carving) a heart of love on him."

Even Human Rights Watch (HRW) was outraged. Nearly always it's reliably pro-Western. It backs NATO's imperial wars. It supports Washington's regime change plans. It's one-sidedly anti-Assad.

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Stephen Lendman

In late January, Lebanese military sources reported multiple Israeli violations of Lebanon's airspace. One or more targets on the Syrian-Lebanese border were struck. Around the same time, Israeli warplanes attacked a military research center in Jamraya. It's about 10 miles from the Lebanese border. Early Sunday morning, Israel struck it again. Video footage showed multiple explosions. Huge fires followed.

On May 5, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) headlined "Explosions Hit Scientific Research Center in Jamraya Caused by an Israeli Rocket Attack, Casualties Reported." The Damascus al-Hameh area was struck. Syrian state television said:

"The new Israeli attack is an attempt to raise the morale of the terrorist groups which have been reeling from strikes by our noble army." "This new Israeli aggression is a clear attempt to alleviate the pressure on the armed terrorist groups after our army beat them back in several regions and after the army's victories on the road to recovering security and stability in Syria." "This attack proves the direct involvement of the Israeli occupation in the conspiracy against Syria and its links with terrorist groups in the aggression supported by Western countries and some Gulf countries."

Israeli officials confirmed Saturday's attack. YNet News said an unnamed "senior" Israeli source corroborated the second one. He claimed missiles intended for Hezbollah were targeted. Previous articles suggested otherwise. Assad needs all the weapons he can get. If reports were accurate, evidence would have corroborated them. None was forthcoming.

Obama ignored Israel's naked aggression. He claimed it's entitled to defend itself against enemies, saying: "The Israelis, justifiably, have to guard against the transfer of advanced weaponry to terrorist organizations like Hezbollah." He shares responsibility for what happened. These type incidents are jointly planned. Both nations partner in imperial crimes. Doing so is longstanding.

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Stephen Lendman

Things appear heading closer toward full-scale US intervention. The fullness of time will have final say.

On April 28, The New York Times headlined "Lawmakers Call for Stronger US Action in Syria," saying: Republicans "took President Obama to task Sunday for what they characterized as dangerous inaction in Syria…." Senators John McCain (R. AZ) and Lindsey Graham are Armed Services Committee members. They "warn(ed) that failure to intervene in Syria would embolden nations like Iran and North Korea." "If we keep this hands-off approach to Syria, this indecisive action toward Syria, kind of not knowing what we’re going to do next, we’re going to start a war with Iran because Iran’s going to take our inaction in Syria as meaning we’re not serious about their nuclear weapons program," said Graham. Michigan Republican Representative Mike Rogers claims Assad's been using chemical weapons for the past two years. Obama's "red line" can't be a "dotted line," he said.

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Stephen Lendman

Munich's Security Conference is held annually. This year marks the 49th session. Dozens of countries participated. Hundreds of world leaders attended. They included heads of state, foreign affairs and defense ministers, as well as other senior figures. Active engagement was prioritized. Current and future security challenges were discussed.

In 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin took full advantage. He pulled no punches. He sharply criticized US foreign policy. He called it:

"very dangerous (in its) uncontained hyper-use of force - military force - in international relations, force that is plunging the world into an abyss of permanent conflicts." US imperialism, he stressed, "overstepped its national borders in every way." "(U)nilateral illegal actions have not resolved any single problem. They have become a hotbed of further conflicts." "We are seeing increasing disregard for the fundamental principles of international law....No one feels safe! Because no one can feel that international law is like a stone wall that will protect them." "Of course, such a policy stimulates an arms race. The dominance of force inevitably encourages a number of countries to acquire weapons of mass destruction."

Putin also addressed a "unipolar world." He called it one

"in which there is one master, one sovereign. And at the end of the day, this is pernicious not only for all those within this system, but also for the sovereign itself because it destroys itself from within." [He added that] "We are constantly being taught about democracy. But for some reason those who teach us do not want to learn themselves."

America deplores democracy at home and abroad. It prioritizes unchallenged dominance. It demands what it says goes. Russia supports peace, not war. It favors diplomatic conflict resolution.

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Stephen Lendman

Since last weekend, Israel attacked Syria multiple times. Doing so was premeditated, unprovoked aggression. Fundamental UN Charter provisions were violated. Israeli officials refused comment. For days, America was silent.

On January 30, anonymous US officials said Israeli officials informed Washington in advance. Make no mistake. All significant regional belligerent actions reflect joint US/Israeli policy. It's longstanding.

On January 28, Paul Joseph Watson headlined "Hacked Emails Reveal 'Washington-Approved' Plan to Stage Chemical Weapons (False Flag) Attack in Syria," saying: British security company Britam Defence admitted hacking "but denied that the emails released….were genuine." A German hacker supplied the leaked emails. Qatar's involved. At issue is crossing Obama's "red line." Doing so is cause for US/NATO intervention.

False flags are a US tradition. Israel prioritizes them. They're Big Lies, but who knows. Official reports and media scoundrels claim otherwise. They're pretexts for planned aggression. Longstanding US policy involves replacing Assad with subservient puppet leadership. So far, proxy war rages. Full-scale intervention may follow.

US officials, other Western ones, and Ban Ki-moon failed to condemn Israeli aggression. More on Ban below.

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Stephen Lendman

A previous article discussed Israel's Wednesday attack on Lebanon. Reports suggested Syrian weapons and munitions heading cross border were struck. It asked why would Assad send vitally needed weapons and munitions to Lebanon? He needs all he can get. Assad's got all he can handle. He's contesting Washington's proxy war.

What's Israel up to? Is something else going on? Is it trying to provoke Syria to retaliate? Does it want to entrap it in all-out war? Doing so would involve Washington and NATO. It would mean Syria's undoing. It would ignite regional conflict. Potentially it could morph into global war.

Assad's got hostile neighbors. Turkey and Jordan are threatening. Israel attacked before. Naked aggression is longstanding Israeli policy. In June 1967, it attacked Syria preemptively. It was long-planned. Israel wasn't threatened. Former Prime Minister Menachem Begin later admitted it. "We must be honest with ourselves, he said. "We decided to attack." Israeli Air Force Commander General Mordechai Hod said "(s)ixteen years of planning had gone into those initial 80 minutes. We lived with the plan. We slept on the plan. We ate the plan. Constantly we perfected it." IDF Commander General Haim Barlev said "(w)e were not threatened with genocide on the eve of the Six Day War, and we had never thought of such a possibility."

Other Israeli military and government officials voiced similar sentiments. Israel wages wars of choice. So are separate premeditated attacks. Some precede larger conflicts. Others serve specific purposes. Netanyahu wages war without declaring it. Gaza is bombed, shelled, and invaded regularly. Targeted assassinations are commonplace. So are cyber attacks, deadly explosions, other sabotage, as well as various covert and overt acts.

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Stephen Lendman

Bodies of executed men were found on the side of a canal in the
northern Syrian city of Aleppo on Tuesday. (AFP/Saudi Gazette)

Israel partners with Washington's wars. It's been largely covertly involved against Syria. It's now blatantly overt. Since last weekend, Israeli warplanes violated Syrian airspace multiple times. They overflew the Beka Valley. They attacked a weapons storage facility. They struck a convoy allegedly en route to Lebanon. On Wednesday, they bombed a scientific research center near Damascus. These actions and similar ones are naked acts of aggression. A follow-up article will discuss this further.

Washington planned war on Syria years ago. Previous articles discussed General Wesley Clark's "Winning Modern Wars: Iraq, Terrorism, and the American Empire." Post-9/11, Pentagon sources told him plans targeted Iraq, Lebanon, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Iran and Syria for regime change. Earlier they were finalized against Afghanistan. Clark asked:

"And what about the real sources of terrorists - US allies in the region like Egypt, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia?" "Wasn't it repressive policies of the first, and the corruption and poverty of the second, that were generating many of the angry young men who became terrorists?" "And what of the radical ideology and direct funding spewing from Saudi Arabia?" "It seemed that we were being taken into a strategy more likely to make us the enemy - encouraging what could look like a 'clash of civilizations' - not a good strategy for winning the war on terror."

For nearly two years, Syria's been on the boil. Conflict shows no signs of ending. Washington's dirty hands prevent it. The latest Aleppo massacre reflects earlier ones. Western-recruited death squads bear full responsibility.

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