Stop the Killing, Stop the Carnage, Stop the War

[wvwvw]

ISIS, Not Russia, Is the Enemy in Syria
By Patrick J. Buchanan
October 7, 2016
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Denouncing Russian air strikes on Aleppo as “barbaric,” Mike Pence declared in Tuesday’s debate:

“The provocations by Russia need to be met with American strength. … The United States of America should be prepared to use military force, to strike military targets of Bashar Assad regime.”

John McCain went further:

“The U.S. … must issue an ultimatum to Mr. Assad — stop flying or lose your aircraft … If Russia continues its indiscriminate bombing, we should make clear that we will take steps to hold its aircraft at greater risk.”

Yet one gets the impression this is bluster and bluff.

Pence has walked his warnings back. And there are few echoes of McCain’s hawkishness. Even Hillary Clinton’s call for a “no-fly zone” has been muted.

The American people have no stomach for a new war in Syria.

Nor does it make sense to expand our enemies list in that bleeding and broken country — from ISIS and the al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front — to Syria’s armed forces, Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah.

These last three have been battling to save Assad’s regime because they see vital interests imperiled should it fall.

We have not plunged into Syria because we have no vital interest at risk in Syria. We have lived with the Assads since Richard Nixon went to Damascus.

President Obama, who has four months left in office, is not going to intervene. And Congress, which has the sole power to declare war, has never authorized a war on Syria.

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Obama would be committing an impeachable act if he started shooting down Russian or Syrian planes over Syrian territory. He might also be putting us on the escalator to World War III.

For Russia has moved its S-400 anti-aircraft system into Syria to its air base near Latakia, and its S-300 system to its naval base at Tartus.

As the rebels have no air force, that message is for us.

Russia is also moving its aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, into the Med. Vladimir Putin is doubling down in Syria.

Last weekend, the Russian Foreign Ministry warned that U.S. attacks in Syria “will lead to terrible tectonic consequences not only on the territory of this country but also in the region on the whole.”

Translation: Attack Syria’s air force, and the war you Americans start could encompass the entire Middle East.

Last week, too, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford warned that creating a “no-fly zone” in Syria could mean war — with Russia. Dunford’s crisp retort to Sen. Roger Wicker:

“Right now, senator, for us to control all of the airspace in Syria it would require us to go to war, against Syria and Russia. That’s a pretty fundamental decision that certainly I’m not going to make.”

And neither, thankfully, will Barack Obama.

So, where are we, and how did we get here?

Five years ago, Obama declared that Assad must step down. Ignoring him, Assad went all out to crush the rebels, both those we backed and the Islamist terrorists.

Obama then drew a “red line,” declaring that Assad’s use of chemical weapons would lead to U.S. strikes. But when Obama readied military action in 2013, Americans rose up and roared, “No!”

Reading the country right, Congress refused to authorize U.S. military action. Egg all over his face, Obama again backed down.

When Assad began losing the war, Putin stepped in to save his lone Arab ally, and swiftly reversed Assad’s fortunes.

Now, with 10,000 troops — Syrian, Iraqi Shiite militia, Hezbollah, Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Afghan mercenaries — poised to attack Aleppo, backed by Russian air power, Assad may be on the cusp of victory in the bloodiest and most decisive battle of the war.

Assad and his allies intend to end this war — by winning it.

For the U.S. to reverse his gains now, and effect his removal, would require the introduction of massive U.S. air power and U.S. troops, and congressional authorization for war in Syria.

The time has come to recognize and accept reality.

While the U.S. and its Turkish, Kurdish and Sunni allies, working with the Assad coalition of Russia, Hezbollah, and the Iranians, can crush ISIS and al-Qaida in Syria, we cannot defeat the Assad coalition — not without risking a world war.

And Congress would never authorize such a war, nor would the American people sustain it.

As of today, there is no possibility that the rebels we back could defeat ISIS and the al-Nusra Front, let alone bring down Bashar Assad and run the Russians, Hezbollah, Iran and the Iraqi Shiite militias out of Syria.

Time to stop the killing, stop the carnage, stop the war and get the best terms for peace we can get. For continuing this war, when the prospects of victory are nil, raises its own question of morality.

[N1019]

ISIS, Not Russia, Is the Enemy in Syria

When Assad began losing the war, Putin stepped in to save his lone Arab ally, and swiftly reversed Assad’s fortunes.

Now, with 10,000 troops — Syrian, Iraqi Shiite militia, Hezbollah, Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Afghan mercenaries — poised to attack Aleppo, backed by Russian air power, Assad may be on the cusp of victory in the bloodiest and most decisive battle of the war.

Assad and his allies intend to end this war — by winning it.

For the U.S. to reverse his gains now, and effect his removal, would require the introduction of massive U.S. air power and U.S. troops, and congressional authorization for war in Syria.

The time has come to recognize and accept reality.

While the U.S. and its Turkish, Kurdish and Sunni allies, working with the Assad coalition of Russia, Hezbollah, and the Iranians, can crush ISIS and al-Qaida in Syria, we cannot defeat the Assad coalition — not without risking a world war.

And Congress would never authorize such a war, nor would the American people sustain it.

As of today, there is no possibility that the rebels we back could defeat ISIS and the al-Nusra Front, let alone bring down Bashar Assad and run the Russians, Hezbollah, Iran and the Iraqi Shiite militias out of Syria.

Time to stop the killing, stop the carnage, stop the war and get the best terms for peace we can get. For continuing this war, when the prospects of victory are nil, raises its own question of morality.

It sounds great, right? The US supposedly on the back foot, Russia swooping down to save the day and Assad still in power after all this time. Yeah. Good news. Except for the following salient points:

1. Syria is, for all intents and purposes, fucked. It will take a decade or more to rebuild with money that Syria doesn't have and probably can't repay. Syria cannot function as a useful ally of Iran. The Iran-Iraq-Syria-Lebanon pipeline still hasn't been built. The destruction will go on, with the only country left to destroy being Iran once the job in Syria is finished.

2. This has been a relatively cheap war for the US. They can continue supporting rebel groups indefinitely. Any supposed victory achieved by Assad and the Russian backed axis can be reversed in the future.

3. The US 'shadow government' is skilled in generating pretexts for war to break deadlocks where necessary, with false flag events and other stunts. Additionally, where public/congressional support for war is not available, they often resort to covert, undeclared wars and operations. American and allied forces have reportedly been operating in Syria for years, in some cases masquerading as or supporting ISIS. Ever wonder why ISIS was apparently so successful in certain battles? Some of those 'Western recruits' were Western special forces and mercenaries paid by Western intelligence services. No wonder Assad's forces and allies were being steamrolled.

4. The American-led axis has a virtually bottomless pit of resources they can continue throwing at the Middle East until they get what they want, even if it takes many years to achieve. Any Middle Eastern nation striving to protect its sovereignty and independence is in trouble.

5. Controlling a strategically important region like the Middle East is about controlling the whole God-damned world. Anyone who thinks the US will give up and walk away after a few tactical setbacks is delusional.

6. Anti-American and anti-imperialist propaganda pieces are doing a disservice to the vanquished peoples of the Middle East by giving them false hope. Encouraging them to believe that they might actually be able to win is like a cruel joke. They haven't a hope in hell. Then again, if leaders like Assad et al had swallowed their pride and submitted to the US rather than digging-in and pushing back, many lives may have been saved.

[Unome]

US lets Russia "be the bad guy" and kill the people that most people want to see dead, and bear the cost of being labelled the evil ones.

The whole situation is negative, no winners here.