Bolton Threatens Syria
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
Syria’s Idlib province is the last major stronghold in the country infested with US-supported terrorists.
Led by elite Syrian Tiger forces, government troops are mobilizing for an offensive to liberate the province, aided by Russian airpower.
Russian reconnaissance flights have been monitoring Iblib’s southern and western countrysides, tracking movements of heavily armed US-supported terrorists.
The offensive is set to be launched in the coming days, fierce resistance likely. The greatest obstacle Syrian forces face is US opposition to resolving the conflict it initiated for regime change.
According to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, Trump regime hardliners “are impeding a normal settlement of the…fight against terrorism in Idlib.”
They reject ending illegal US occupation of northern and southwest Syria. “Unlike the US and” its imperial partners, Russia continues going all-out to achieve “stabilization and normalization of the situation in that country together with the guarantor countries Turkey and Iran.”
Are Washington and Britain planning another CW false flag incident this time in Idlib province, intending to wrongfully blame it on Assad – a pretext for US-led terror-bombing of Syrian military and other targets like earlier.
On Wednesday, Trump’s hardline national security advisor John Bolton threatened Damascus, saying:
“We now see plans for the Syrian (forces) to resume offensive military activities in Idlib province.”
"We are obviously concerned about the possibility that Assad may use chemical weapons again.”
"Just so there’s no confusion here, if the Syrian (forces) use chemical weapons, we will respond very strongly, and they really ought to think about this a long time.”
Fact: No evidence suggests government forces used CWs at any time throughout years of US-sponsored naked aggression in the country.
Fact: Plenty of evidence indisputably proved that US-supported terrorists used CWs many times, mainly against civilians, Damascus falsely blamed for their high crimes.
Bolton lied calling Israeli terror-bombing of Syrian targets “self-defense.” US claims about combating the scourge of ISIS in Syria it supports is another bald-faced lie.
On Wednesday, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that al-Qaeda-linked White Helmets are preparing to stage another (false flag) CW attack – in Idlib province to be wrongfully blamed on government forces.
“(R)eports say that the past few days have witnessed an unusual activity by the White Helmets members as information is being reported about terrorists preparing to carry out a chemical attack in the areas between Jisr al-Shughour and the northeastern countryside of Lattakia province with the aim of accusing the army of this attack,” said SANA, adding:
“…White Helmets members used eight vans to transport a shipment of barrels from Atma factory near the Turkish borders which specializes in recycling chlorine, moving from Idlib’s northern countryside through Ariha until they reached Jisr al-Shughour area, all under heavy protection form al-Nusra terrorists, all while calls have been made to ‘reserve members’ of the White Helmets in several areas, instructing them to report for work.”
A joint US, UK, French statement said a military response would follow another CW incident, similar to their mid-April aggression, falsely accusing Syria of using CWs at the time.
A Final Comment
Sergey Lavrov slammed a secret world body directive prepared last year. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres disgracefully prohibited UN agencies from involvement in rebuilding liberated Syrian areas until (US-plotted) “political transition” (regime change) in the country is achieved.
The document titled “Parameters and Principles of UN Assistance in Syria” was clearly prepared on orders from Washington, Guterres aiding its imperial agenda in Syria and elsewhere – circumventing the Security Council, breaching its resolutions on Syria, other international law and the UN Charter.
Lavrov slammed his complicity with Washington’s “absolutely destructive” agenda, obstructing conflict resolution and reconstruction in Syria.
Guterres secretly prohibited UN agencies “from participating in any kind of projects aimed at restoring the Syrian economy,” said Lavrov.
The Trump regime and Guterres flagrantly breached Security Council Resolution 2254, stressing the “critical need to build conditions for the safe and voluntary return of refugees…and the rehabilitation of affected (Syrian) areas.”
The Trump regime and its imperial allies want endless war for regime change continued – a high crime supported by Guterres.
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