Russia Does Not Support US Call For Syrian Regime Change

Susanne Posel, Contributor
Activist Post

Sergey Lavrov, Russian foreign minister, believes that those in political power are deflating the possibility of ending the violence in Syria. The UN confirmed that 49 children and 34 women were among the murdered in Houla. It has been reported that on Friday afternoon, soldiers and pro-government forces entered Houla and began killing residents in their homes.

Lavrov told UK foreign minister William Hague, “It is clear that both sides had a hand in the Houla incident that left civilians dead, including women and children.”

Lavrov and Hauge spoke at a press conference where Lavrov indicated that Assad’s forced removal would hinder peace in Syria.

Lavrov points out the evidence of extreme violence at Houla, which shows that the resistance has access to military-grade weaponry. The UN agreed with Lavrov’s summation, saying that that there was government artillery involved in the killings.

Hague agreed with Lavrov, that Assad is partially to blame for the attack at Houla, yet not solely responsible. This is a back-track from a previous comment Hague made that there was “credible and horrific reports that a large number of civilians have been massacred at the hands of Syrian forces in the town of Houla.”

Lavrov stated that “There is no doubt that the government used artillery and tanks and this has been reported by UN observers who have visited the scene. There is also no doubt that many bodies have been found with injuries from firearms received at point-blank range. So the blame must be determined objectively.”

Lavrov said that he was deeply concerned that the UN-Arab League’s resourcefulness is being purposefully disrupted and reiterated that a regime change is not the solution. Lavrov also said that ending the violence in Syria is more important than who sits in power.

“When some countries, particularly those closest to Syria suggest the only solution to the conflict is regime change, it makes me doubt their commitment to the ceasefire,” stated Lavrov.

Shadi Hamid, research director of the Brookings Doha Center, contends that only military intervention will stop the violence in Syria. Hamid would like to see a coalition of Turkey, Arab nations and the US force a regime change.

Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton pounced on the Houla attack , saying that she personally vowed that she would pressure the international community to support the forced removal of Assad from power. Clinton said that Friday’s events were “a vicious assault that involved a regime artillery and tank barrage on a residential neighborhood.”

Clinton, in grand fashion, declared that: “We stand in solidarity with the Syrian people and the peaceful marchers in cities across Syria who have taken to the streets to denounce the massacre in Houla.”

While Clinton was calling for justification for US and NATO invading Syria, President Obama was verbally admonishing Russia to stand by the US in this endeavor. Obama hopes to have Valdimir Putin’s full support in the regime change, yet Lavrov’s comments show that Russia will not fulfill Obama’s wishes.

Obama maintains that Dimitry Medvedev was receptive to formulating a plan to remove Assad from power at the G8 Summit talks at Camp David.

Hague threatened that if the UN six point peace plan was not successful, war would be the only answer for Syira. “The Annan plan is the best hope for Syria, at the moment the only hope for Syria, to try and break the cycle of violence.”

Hague asserts that “there needs to be a fundamental change in the approach of the Assad regime if Syria is to be saved from ever greater chaos and disorder.”

The UN Security Council (UNSC) formally condemned the massacre at Houla, which prompted an emergency meeting initiated by Russia to discuss the situation and most feasible options.

The UNSC unanimously agreed to a non-binding agreement , demanding that the Syrian government retreat from the cities and return their weaponry to their military compounds.

Syria’s UN ambassador, Bashar Ja’afari, indicted some members of the UNSC of wanting to mislead the world. Ja’afari said: “Neither [UN observer mission head Maj Gen Robert] Mood nor anybody else told the Security Council in the informal session that he would blame the Syrian government forces for what happened.”

Syrian governmental representative have vehemently denied that their government have been part of the violent attacks.

Faisal Mukdad, the deputy Foreign Minister and government spokesman remarked that the rebels who are fighting against Bashar al-Assad were “criminals and drug dealers.”Mukdad says it was those rebels who “escalated the attacks” and the Syria has a right to defend itself.

Mukdad blames the US government and France for thwarting peace plans; referring to French foreign minister Alain Juppe’s comment “calling for war”. He says, “This is what the West wants – extremist and al-Qaeda forces controlling the whole region.”

The Syrian government blames “terrorists” for explosions of bomb blasts in Idlib. This bombing occurred after UN “peace monitors” arrived in Syria. The attack directly targeted Air Force and Military Intelligence headquarters, killing 20 security personnel.

China also publicly condemned the “cruel killings” yet did not assign blame, as did the US government and the UN.

Susanne Posel is the Chief Editor of Occupy Corporatism. Our alternative news site is dedicated to reporting the news as it actually happens; not as it is spun by the corporately funded mainstream media. You can find us on our Facebook page.