Lifting the Fake EU Arms Embargo

Stephen Lendman
Activist Post

On May 27, the so-called one-year EU arms embargo on Syria’s opposition ended. Officially it does so on June 1. EU nations agreed to end what never existed.

Since Washington’s war on Syria began in early 2011, arms flowed freely. Western-enlisted death squads get them. At issue is replacing Assad with a subservient pro-Western puppet.

Syria’s being ravaged in the process. Washington, key NATO partners, Israel and rogue Arab state allies bear full responsibility.

War rages ahead of Geneva II. Planned peace talks are pretense. Syrians genuinely want it. So does Russia going all out to achieve it. Other nations urge peace.

America prioritizes conflict and instability. It does so for unchallenged dominance. Peaceful conflict resolution is illusory. Previous efforts fell short. Expect Geneva II to fare no better.

Permanent war is official US policy. The business of America is war. Obama’s waging multiple direct and proxy ones. He’s got more death and destruction in mind.

CIA and Britain’s MI 5 operatives, as well as Western special forces actively aid so-called “rebels.” They’ve been doing so throughout most of the conflict.

On February 8, 2012, Infowars headlined “British Special Forces Enter Syria to Aid Rebels,” saying:

They’re “directing rebel fighters in a repeat of how Libyan rebels were aided” to oust Gaddafi. Qatari special forces are also involved. Very likely others are.

Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorists who fought US troops in Iraq and helped NATO powers overthrow (Gaddafi) were airlifted into Syria (to) topple (Assad) in November last year.

More come in regularly. They supplement existing ranks or replace elements Syria’s military eliminated. No end of conflict looms.

Appalling atrocities are committed. Assad’s wrongfully blamed for foreign death squad crimes. He’s falsely accused of using chemical weapons.

On May 28, Reuters headlined “Syria fighting rages, more chemical attacks reported,” saying:

“(F)urther reports surfaced of chemical weapons attacks by (Assad’s) forces on rebel areas.” These allegations and previous ones are spurious.

On May 24, Voice of Russia headlined “Russian journalists have proof Syrian insurgents used chemical weapons,” saying:

They have video proof. They gave it to the UN Secretariat. They show “chemical weapons attacks allegedly committed by opposition fighters in the vicinity of Aleppo on March 19.”

This was confirmed by the spokesman for the Deputy Secretary General Farhan Haq.

RTR journalist Anastasia Popova confirmed toxic substances use. Eyewitness accounts supplemented video evidence. Nonetheless, spurious anti-Assad accusations persist.

On May 27, the UN News Centre headlined “UN rights chief urges end to ‘intolerable’ suffering in Syria.”

Navi Pillay addressed the 23rd Human Rights Council session. She stopped short of pointing fingers the right way. She consistently blames Assad for Western-backed death squad crimes.

“A humanitarian, political and social disaster is already upon us,” she said, “and what looms is truly a nightmare.”

Civilians bear the brunt of this crisis in which human rights violations have reached horrific dimensions. 

Confronted with the flagrant disregard of international law and human life on every side, I feel utter dismay. 

I am extremely concerned at current reports suggesting that hundreds of civilians have been killed or injured, and thousands may remain trapped, by indiscriminate shelling and aerial attacks by Government forces in Al Qusayr.

She admitted that anti-government forces also commit human rights violations. She consistently blames Assad most of all. She avoids explaining Washington’s war on Syria.

She’s a reliable imperial tool. She’s been so in previous capacities. She suppresses truth. Responsible major powers are absolved.

Victims are blamed for their crimes. She did it before. She’s doing it now. She aids and abets lawless aggression. She facilitates human rights abuses in the process.

On May 27, the Human Rights Council (HRC) convened its 23rd session. President Remigiusz Henczel addressed a days earlier request to debate deteriorating conditions in Syria.

Qatar claimed Syrian forces were massacring their people. A May 16 Financial Times report headlined “Qatar bankrolls Syrian revolt with cash and arms.”

(I)t spent as much as $3bn over the past two years supporting the rebellion in Syria, far exceeding any other government, but is now being nudged aside by Saudi Arabia as the prime source of arms to rebels.

Washington orchestrates everything. Turkey’s its main attack dog. CIA elements operate in its territory near Syria. They facilitate cross-border weapons shipments.

Syria’s representative addressed the HRC session. He objected to debate on his country. Turkey and Qatar requested it.

He said they’re directly responsible for what’s going on. They’re encouraging terrorist attacks on Syrian soil. They’re arming and training insurgent elements.

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague called ending the so-called arms embargo the right decision. He led efforts to do so. He suggested Britain would go it alone otherwise.

He claimed ending the embargo “is part of supporting the diplomatic work to bring about the political solution.” It’s “necessary and right,” he said.

Doing so will “protect civilians,” he added. Tory MP John Baron disagreed, saying:

It beggars belief, the idea that pouring more arms into this conflict could not or would not escalate the violence. Of course, its not going to do that. 

But it could do something more dangerous. That is it could escalate the conflict beyond Syria’s borders. That is why it could be a mistake of historic proportions.

Oxfam’s Anna Macdonald said supplying more weapons “add(s) fuel to the fire. We are concerned that supplying arms to the opposition won’t level the playing field. In fact, it will fuel a deadly arms race that will have even worse consequences for civilians.”

The millions of people suffering in Syria right now don’t need more arms. They need aid.

Shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander asked “how does supplying weapons help to secure a lasting peace?”

Supplying them in greater numbers assures more death and destruction. Doing so complies with Washington’s longstanding agenda.

The road to Tehran runs through Damascus. Replacing independent governments with pro-Western ones is prioritized.

Twenty-one EU nations are NATO members. It’s an alliance for war, not peace. It’s for offense, not defense. It’s a killing machine. America runs it.

Britain, France, Germany and other EU nations partner in its imperial wars. Doing so ravages one country after another.

Last October, Nobel Committee members awarded EU nations their Peace Prize. They claimed doing so reflected their decades long contribution “to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe.”

They ignored their role in Eurasian conflicts and beyond. They turned a blind eye to NATO’s global ambitions. It’s part of Washington’s full spectrum dominance agenda.

It’s potentially catastrophic if not stopped. It assures greater wars on humanity. Global war is possible. Washington controls NATO policy. Its so-called Partnership for Peace is a thinly veiled pro-war agenda.

War is peace reflects longstanding US policy. Syria’s conflict potentially could spin out of control. The entire region and beyond could become embroiled.

During last year’s pre-election campaign, Republicans stressed “American exceptionalism.” Democrats countered saying:

We also understand the indispensable role that the United States must continue to play in promoting international peace and prosperity.

In 1996, Clinton aide Sidney Blumenthal coined the term “indispensable nation.” Clinton used it as justification for NATO’s Bosnia intervention.

In several speeches, Obama stressed American exceptionalism and the term indispensable nation. Most others disagree. They do so for good reason.

America prioritizes war, not peace. Permanent war is longstanding policy. One country after another is ravaged. Millions perish. Millions more remain vulnerable.

Where this ends who knows. Humanity may not survive the onslaught.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at [email protected]. His new book is titled How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion and Class War. Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening. http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/