War Secretary Mattis Says Assad Must Go
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
In March 2011, the Obama regime launched naked aggression in Syria for regime change, the US objective unchanged under Trump.
The pro-war US Institute of Peace (USIP) is chaired by Bush/Cheney’s neocon national security advisor Stephen Hadley, the same post now held by extremist John Bolton.
Other USIP officials and so-called “experts” comprise a rogue’s gallery of hawkish extremists. On Tuesday, US war secretary James Mattis addressed the group, affirming Trump’s regime change objective in Syria, saying the following:
“(E)ventually Assad will have to be managed out of power. I don’t think any election run under the offices of the Syrian regime is going to have any credibility with the Syrian people or with the international community.”
Fact: Preemptively attacking another nation flagrantly violates international law, military action permitted only in self-defense if attacked or if clear evidence shows an attack is imminent.
Fact: Security Council members alone may authorize military action – not presidents, prime ministers, legislators, or the courts of any countries, no exceptions allowed for any reasons.
Fact: Meddling in the internal affairs of other countries also breaches fundamental international law. The US illegally does it repeatedly, notably by waging naked aggression, what’s been going on in multiple theaters endlessly post-9/11, including in Syria.
Fact: On June 4, 2014, Syrians overwhelmingly reelected Bashar al-Assad as president by an 89% majority, the electoral process judged open, free and fair by international monitors at the time.
Fact: Syrians want no one else leading, its their choice, no one else’s. Assad will easily remain president if again runs for reelection.
Fact: Under international law, citizens of all countries alone may may choose their governments and leadership – free from foreign interference.
Fact: US meddling in the internal affairs of other countries violates the letter and spirit of fundamental international, constitutional, and US statute laws.
Washington’s will alone matters, ignoring rule of law principles, intolerant of democratic governance at home and abroad, wanting pro-Western puppet regimes installed everywhere, serving its interests.
Mattis: “Russia”s best efforts to divert it into Astana process or Sochi have not produced anything worthwhile, and so we’re calling on Russia to support the UN Geneva process.”
Fact: Astana and Sochi aim to preserve and protect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Geneva aims are polar opposite, why the Trump regime and its imperial partners support it, wanting the Syrian Arab Republic transformed into another US vassal state.
General Gen. Vladimir Savchenko heads Russia’s Reconciliation Center for Syria, involved in seeking diplomatic conflict resolution – an unattainable objective because Washington under Republicans and undemocratic Dems wants endless war and regime change.
On Thursday, Savchenko warned that one or more (US-orchestrated) CW false flags could occur any time – in Idlib, Aleppo, and/or elsewhere.
“(P)oisonous substances” were delivered by (US-supported) terrorists and White Helmets to locations where incidents appear likely to be staged, Damascus to be wrongfully blamed, a pretext for escalated US-led terror-bombing of Syrian sites.
Jihadists “plan to use the poisonous substance to stage the use of chemical weapons against civilians by the Syrian government troops,” Savchenko warned, adding:
Heavily armed terrorists continue operating in Idlib’s demilitarized zone, refusing to leave, violating the Russian/Turkish agreed on ceasefire – likely on orders from Washington.
In the past 24 hours alone, they shelled Rweiset Iskandar in Latakia and Tell Marak in Hama – “three servicemen of the Syrian army…killed and four injured,” said Savchenko.
Separately on October 31, the Turkish Yeni Safak broadsheet reported on documents it obtained, showing ISIS receives arms and munitions directly from the US and its imperial partners.
An unnamed Kurdish YPG commander was quoted, saying “(t)here is a special team working under the supervision and guidance of the United States, whose mission is to secure the delivery of weapons to ISIS in Syria…”
Other anti-government jihadists are armed and supported the same way, used as US imperial proxies.
Many times, Syrian forces discovered US, other Western, and Israeli arms and munitions in areas liberated from ISIS, al-Nusra and other jihadists.
On Thursday, a large cache of US and Israeli weapons were found in liberated Deir Ezzor areas – including artillery, mortar launchers, anti-tank missiles, drones, and military equipment.
Imperial aggression rages in Syria with no prospect for diplomatic resolution because Washington wants endless war and regime change, not peace and stability restored to the country.
My newest book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”
