War
Build Up: To Influence US Elections Or Is It Real?
Saeed Naqvi
Americans and the Russians are leaping
over the threshold in Aleppo – almost.
Note the rhetoric:
US State Department Spokesman, John
Kirby, says:
“Extremist groups will continue
to exploit the vacuums that are there in Syria to expand their operations,
which could include attacks against Russian interests, perhaps even Russian
cities. Russia will continue to send troops home in body bags, and will
continue to lose resources, perhaps even aircraft,”
If the war continues “more Russian lives
will be lost, more Russian aircraft will be shot down.”
This invites a double fisted punch from
Major General Igor Konashenkov, Chief of Information, Ministry of Defence:
“As
for Kirby’s threats about possible Russian aircraft losses and the sending of
Russian servicemen back to Russia in body bags, I would say that we know exactly
where and how many “unofficial specialists” operate in Syria and in the Aleppo
province and we know that they are involved in the operational planning and
that they supervise the operations of the militants. But if somebody tries to
implement threats (articulated by Kirby) it is by no means certain that these
militants (and their minders) will have the time to get the hell out of there.”
In fact Russian missiles have already
been fired on the Western led coalition. Read this report from Iranian Fars
news agency:
“The Russian warships fired three
Caliber missiles at the foreign officers’ coordination operations room in Dar
Ezza region in the Western part of Aleppo near Sam’an mountain, killing 30
Israeli and western officers,” Several US, Turkish, Saudi, Qatari and British and
Israeli officers were also killed.”
In the midst of all this, the UN Envoy
to Syria Staffan de Mistura makes a most extraordinary statement. He says, Russian and Syrian forces should immediately stop
their “aerial bombing” of
Aleppo. After this step, the militants from
the Fatah al-Sham Front group -- formerly known as the Nusra Front, which has
been linked to al Qaeda, should leave the city.
If the militants lay
down their weapons “in dignity” and leave, Mistura would “personally” accompany
them out. Why would De Mistura’s lead that group out of the city which U.N.
considers a terrorist organization?
It is all hurtling towards the US
elections on November 8.
So much part of the election propaganda
has Russia become that images of the Russian bear, in Donald Trump’s corner,
menacing the US, must be presumed to have been sketched in the minds of many
voters. The one who will fight this monstrous ogre is Hillary Clinton. This build
up of the “Russian enemy”, according to some analysts, may therefore be
advantageous to Clinton.
If, by some miracle, Russian noses can
be rubbed in the dust, Clinton supporters outside the last debate between the
candidates in Las Vegas on October 19, will blow the trumpet and throw up their
hats – just the images the media will rejoice in projecting.
By the same token, would a projection of
anything resembling American reversal in Aleppo, boomerang on Clinton? Would
such an outcome not make Trump look like a sage? “I told you we must talk to
the Russians and fight terrorism.” Should the alliance lose Aleppo, there will
be a scramble for Mosul. The propaganda machine is waiting to spin a victory
anywhere.
Anyone following US-Russian actions in
West Asia, particularly Syria, must come away with one unmistakable conclusion:
the US, France, Britain, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, tried their
damnedest to bring about regime change in Syria. They destroyed Syria but
Bashar al Assad is still President despite their six year long war against him.
Russians entered the war to fight terror
groups and protect Assad. If they prevail in Aleppo, they will look like the
victorious power. Indeed, when CNN’s Christiane Amanpour interviewed Russian
Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov in Moscow earlier in the week, he accused the
US of helping terrorism in Syria. One would have expected Amanpur to be on the
offensive in her follow up question, but she took it lying down.
Anglo-Saxons, Lavrov continued, were
unable to come to terms with the emergence of a multipolar world.
A totally composed Lavrov provided an
unsettling contrast to western leaders in the grip of panic. French and Spanish
representatives are appealing to the UN Security to impose a no fly zone over
Aleppo. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is advising air strikes over
Syria. They are all checkmated by the Russians on the ground in Syria and at
the UN.
The Russian resolution seeking a
ceasefire to enable humanitarian aid to the besieged in Aleppo comes with a
proviso: all aid convoys will be checked by Russian and Syrian forces.
Lo and behold, Egypt bolts from the
coalition on which the Saudis have spent blood and treasure – Egypt supports
the Russian resolution.
Just as the Russian-Syrian combine
increases its grip over Eastern Aleppo (so far in rebel – read al Nusra –
hands), 62 countries abandon all thought of dethroning Assad; they rush to the
Security Council to prevent further deaths in Aleppo. This would be quite
unremarkable were it not for a fact of historic importance. Saudi Arabia and
Qatar joined the group seeking a “transition according to the Geneva
conventions.” Look, who is citing the scriptures! On the eve of US elections,
it is all totally topsy turvy.
Supposing Clinton wins the election,
will she as President be able to affect the outcome in Syria? Or have the
Russians imposed a fait accompli by totally altering the situation on the
ground? Remember her imperious wave of hand as Secretary of State: “Get out of
the way, Assad.”
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