Vladimir Putin is smoking the hell out of terrorists in Syria and the world should be grateful for that. You could read below and contrast it with the reports you’ve been reading—and make up your own mind.
The US Middle East Policy—eliminate independent leaders (read Gaddafi, Saddam Hussein and Bashar al-Assad) and replace them with puppet regimes to gain unchallenged regional control—has just collapsed. Putin has replaced Washinigton as the guarantor of global security. He has risked himself and his country to defend the fundamental principles of international law, national sovereignty and self-determination.
For over a year, the United States has been pussy-footing with these homicidal maniacs. Enough of this song-and-dance routine. Now justice is being done to these terrorist militias who have killed 250,000 Syrians, ripped the country to shreds, and sent hundreds and thousands of refugees to Europe.
The typical misinformation campaign is on: (a) Russian jets are killing civilians; (b) it’s a ruse to keep Assad in power; (c ) that all Russia would do is to get bogged down in Syria a la Afghanistan or Vietnam and (d) Russians are targeting the US-supported moderates, not Islamic State (IS).
Let’s view each of these points:
(a) One day after warning Russia of civilian killings, the US bombs razed a hospital to ground in Afghanistan. The medical team of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), or Doctors Without Borders, told Reuters that they “frantically phoned” NATO and Washington DC as bombs rained on the hospital for “nearly an hour.”
(b) Russia doesn’t need any ruse to support Assad. It is supporting Asad. Over to Putin: “ We are supporting the government of Syria in the fight against a terrorist aggression…we wouldn’t achieve anything until we defeat terrorism in Syria.” Assad is not being propped up—he was popularly reelected in June 2014 by an overwhelming majority—a process judged open, fair and free by independent international monitors.
In February 2012, when the Syrian conflict had just begun, Russian ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Chrukin asked the Finnish diplomat Martti Ahtisaari to carry a message to Western powers. Churkin had said that Russians would be willing to broker a deal between the government and the opposition, including the eventual removal of Assad from the presidency. The West, Ahtisaari said, rejected the deal.
(c)As for Russia getting bogged down in Syria, the propagandists haven’t let you know what Putin said on September 30:
“We naturally have no intention of getting deeply entangled in this conflict. We will act strictly in accordance with our set mission. First, we will support the Syrian army only in its lawful fight against terrorist groups. Second, our support will be limited to airstrikes and will not involve ground operations. Third, our support will have a limited timeframe and will continue only while the Syrian army conducts its anti-terrorist offensive.”
(d) And “good terrorists.” Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov pulled no punches in front of reporters: “If it looks like a terrorist, if it acts like a terrorist, if it walks like a terrorist, if it fights like a terrorist, it’s a terrorist.”
These moderates are said to be Free Syrian Army (FSA). Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov questioned the claim: “Is there a Free Syrian Army? Does it still exist? Have not the majority of its fighters have switched sides and joined ISIL (IS)?” The fact is, all anti-Assad fighters are terrorists—al-Qaeda, al-Nusra or for that matter IS. The so-called moderates are non-existent or too few in numbers to matter.
These “good terrorists” have killed hundreds of thousands of Syrians; kidnapped, mutilated and beheaded innocents; raped and sold women; killed Christians and destroyed mosques and churches and priceless artifacts; starved 60,000 people in the Yarmouk refugee camp; cut a soldier’s heart; killed Syrian army generals with car bombs; shot sportsmen; set off car bombs outside schools, police stations, hospitals and universities.
Yet, these are not terrorists in US’ view. The world’s superpower locks up innocents in its prisons for years, claiming they were terrorists but doesn’t find these butchers classified as terrorists. Imagine al-Qaeda being quoted as “good terrorists !”
According to the Wall Street Journal: “Russian airstrikes in Syria targeted CIA-backed rebels…one area hit was location primarily held by rebels receiving funding, arms, training from CIA and allies…CIA is supporting terrorists as a means to triggering regime change in Syria.”
“The U.S. spy agency has been arming and training rebels in Syria since 2013 to fight the Assad regime (WSJ, September 30, 2015).
The above statements are in public domain yet not highlighted by mainstream media. Al-Nusra is described as the terrorist arm of the Free Syrian Army (FSA).
Interestingly, the misinformation campaigns began even before Russia had flown its first jet over Syrian airspace. “Russia didn’t even begin its operation against Islamic State… Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov didn’t even utter his first words at the UN Security Council, but numerous reports already emerged in the media that civilians are dying as a result of the Russian operation and that it’s aimed at democratic forces in the country (Syria),” Maria Zakharova, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, told media.
Just to nail down the lies, Russia is photographing and video-recording all its strikes with photographic evidence unlike fabricated, unauthentic lies in the mass media.
Meanwhile Russian air sorties are raining hell on terrorists. This rabble of CIA-funded “good terrorists” who do no worse than throat-slitting are caught in a cauldron. They stand no chance as would Islamic State (IS) in coming days against an A-rate military force. Russian bombers are destroying ammo dumps, fuel depots, military hardware, command posts anything that could help IS’ ability to wage war. The supply lines are being cut and jihadis are made to hang out to dry. It wants to bomb out these terrorists and let Quds brigade and Hezbollah to mop up afterwards, without having Russian boots on the ground.
Assad’s army is fighting its war against these so called “good terrorists.” For the moment, these are Assad’s enemies; it hasn’t moved against IS yet. Russians also are not moving against IS yet. Between the Russian troops and IS lie a huge land held by these “moderate” terrorists (see map). Moscow wants West and its regional allies to rein in its proxies. It wants to put pressure against Syria’s rivals—Turkey and Saudi Arabia—and bring them on to the diplomatic table.
Meanwhile Western powers have been left flat-footed by Russia. They still have to come up with a strategy. Its staggering for Western public to reflect and realize: how come our powers have no answer to such developments in a region where they have been operating for four years now? Did they ever have a strategy? Were they ever serious?
President Barack Obama’s words in UN were revealing. He said, “nowhere our commitment to international order has been more tested than in Syria…The United States is prepared to work with any nation, including Russia and Iran, to resolve the conflict.” There couldn’t be a bigger admission of West’s failed policy in Middle East.
A diplomatic solution, somewhere in future, could still include Assad’s departure. Russia perhaps wouldn’t mind that. But terrorists wouldn’t be allowed to operate in a political vacuum—it’s message has been clear. The world could have a sigh of relief.