Middle East Pretense

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

The oil-rich Middle East is the world's top flashpoint, the most likely hot spot for WW III to start if Republicans or undemocratic Dem hardliners dare launch it.

Iraq has been devastated by US-orchestrated and/or waged wars since the 1980s, Syria since 2011, historic Palestine for over 70 years, possible because of Washington's one-sided support for Israel since its 1948 creation.

The region remains in turmoil over US-led NATO wars - Israel, the Saudis, other Arab states, and Turkey junior partners in what's going on. 

Everything related to US hegemonic aims involves Big Lies and deception. Pentagon forces are in Iraq, Syria, and elsewhere regionally to stay, along with everywhere else where they're deployed. 

US special forces are in around 80% of world countries, their mission far removed from being good will ambassadors.

Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah alone are allied with Damascus against the scourge of US-supported terrorists in Syria. Alleged Turkish support for their mission is pretense, not real, Erdogan a regional menace, an enemy of peace and stability.

According to the Arabic-language broadsheet al-Watan, Turkey's military is directly aiding al-Nusra terrorists in northern Syria. Erdogan pretends otherwise. 

He's providing them with weapons shipped from Turkish territory, logistical help, and cross-border safe haven status. Al-Watan reported that he urged al-Nusra jihadists to continue occupying Idlib. 

With Turkish help, they moved into northwestern Hama province and western Aleppo province. They threaten to expand their reach further if not confronted and stopped.

Russia pretends that Erdogan is observing what he and Putin agreed on last September. The so-called Sochi Agreement established an Idlib province, Syria demilitarized zone bordering Turkey, Ankara to disarm area terrorists.

With Turkish, US, and NATO help, al-Nusra and other terrorists continue using the province as a platform for attacks on Syrian military forces and civilians.

Failure to launch an offensive to liberate the last terrorist stronghold in the country let thousands of al-Nusra and other jihadists increase their ranks and become more heavily armed - the eventual battle to defeat them made all the harder.

Secretly, Erdogan wants Assad toppled and northern Syrian territory bordering Turkey annexed. That's what his cross-border incursions against Kurdish YPG fighters are mainly about. 

Ankara faces no terrorist threat from bordering countries Syria, Iraq, Iran, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Armenia or Azerbaijan.

According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, "more than 1,000" ceasefire violations occurred since the September Sochi Agreement. Cessation of hostilities is more fantasy than real.

On Monday, Russian reconciliation center in Syria head Sergey Solomatin said "(i)llegal armed groups operating in the Idlib de-escalation zone continue to violate the ceasefire regime," adding:

"(D)uring the day, three shelling attacks by militants were reported from the settlement of Nahshebba in the Latakia governorate, and from Aleppo's southwestern suburb and its Suqqari neighborhood."

Attacks by US/NATO/Turkish supported terrorists in Idlib occur daily. Obama regime launched aggression, escalated by Trump, has been ongoing for nearly eight years with no prospect for resolution because US aims to replace Assad with pro-Western puppet rule, isolating Iran, remain firm.

Al-Nusra leader Abu Mohammad Al-Joulani openly declared his support for Turkish cross-border attacks on Kurdish YPG fighters, saying it's an "operation to liberate the eastern Euphrates," part of what he called the "Syrian revolution."

With US, NATO, and Turkish help, al-Nusra jihadists control Idlib province. On Monday, Turkish Foreign Minister Melvet Cavusoglu blamed Damascus and its allies for turning Idlib into a "terrorist nest" - the Erdogan regime supports he failed to explain.

He lied claiming Ankara is fully observing the Sochi Agreement to restore peace and stability to the province. Ignoring the agreement's failure, he called it "successfully" implemented.

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My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html