THERE’S A WINO IN THE WHITE HOUSE; THE VIEW FROM DAMASCUS

Monday, 22 September 2014

THERE’S A WINO IN THE WHITE HOUSE; THE VIEW FROM DAMASCUS

The Syrian government has no reason to trust the U.S. over anything. Since the 1950s, the CIA referred to successive administrations in Damascus as the “crazies” and treated them accordingly. Aaron Copeland documented that in his book which came as a bit of shocker to many of us who, although very young, thought the American government more refined and serious about the curious business of diplomacy – a profession no different than the special effects used to hide the ugliness that rages in the caged world of realpolitik. Throughout the 50s and 60s, and even into the 70s to our decade now, the U.S. has never had a healthy and constructive relationship with any Syrian government. Some might argue that the war against terror brought the CIA and its Syrian counterparts into a bon menage during Clinton’s presidency, yet, that was most short-lived and, sadly, dispensable despite the spooky protestations of the “terrorism warriors” at Langley. Syria and the United States have almost always been trapped in a political doldrum where no winds of change ever heave.

Notwithstanding Obama’s pre-electoral declarations about his willingness to meet enemies half way, e.g. Cuba, North Korea, Syria, inter alia, there was never a tissue of truth in anything he said. And this is pretty much how the Syrians think of the U.S.: a nation bottled up in a never-ending political campaign, staged in the media, with one immutable script.

While the Syrians have sought out an American-Syrian modus vivendi, the U.S. has been feverishly negative, always rebuffing overtures by a whole series of Syrian diplomats who made it their business to interact with the State Department. Some Syrian ambassadors had achieved a considerable measure of fame and respect in their careers, one being Dr. Rafic Joueijati (the Dean of Arab Diplomats) who, lamentably, retired at the worst time and accepted some position as a professor in Kuwait; hardly a place to expand one’s intellectual horizons. Another was Dr. Imad Moustapha who zealously engaged the Syrian Jewish community in Brooklyn, N.Y., in an effort to rekindle a sense of patriotism for their homeland. Dr. Moustapha even published an Internet magazine of his own devoted to the arts. But, all that was for naught as consecutive American administrations persisted in defying logic and reason. This can only be attributable to a parallel foreign policy affected by Jewish-American financial contributions to the Democrat Party; and Christian Zionism which works hard to subvert the natural course of rational foreign policy by guaranteeing votes for the Republican Party but only in exchange for crackpot, knee- jerk support for the Zionist State.

Besides Henry Kissinger’s openly Zionist programs which came into full bloom during the 1973 October War and his subsequent “shuttle” diplomacy, there were overt American efforts to scupper the Syrian peacekeeping role in the Lebanon after having given the famous “green light” to former president, Hafezh Al-Assad. The effort to destabilize Syria was, once again, in the form of support for the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood which carried out thousands of terrorist operations inside the country, all with the aim of overthrowing the progressive and secular Ba’athist government. The support came in the form of weapons delivered to the terrorists by way of American proxies, including the Zionist Ghetto State, the Phalange Party and even, Saddam Hussein when he was in a very pro-American mode— oh so very Sunni. Assad emerged victorious, but, with a price so heavy, Syria is still paying for it today.

It can be taken as axiomatic that the only way Syrians can trust Americans is if the latter withdraws from involvement in the Middle East. This is very improbable. The geography and energy resources will continue to attract the United States as a force determined to impose its fiat, its preferences, its demands, its exploitation, even if Arab skulls pile up like a garden of giant cenotaphs. To Syrians, the proof is in the Palestinian effort to arrive at a peaceful resolution with the Zionist regime. While Palestinians continue to place their trust in Washington D.C., they also watch the inexorable encroachment on lands intended to be theirs when and if they achieve their goals – lands which when annexed by the Zionists only elicit lukewarm protests from the Americans whose singular method of expression appears to be blowing their noses into an overly used handkerchief.

Syrians are convinced that the American presidency is a sinecure granted by the Zionist establishment. No matter how much the U.S. might try to cajole Damascus into cooperating on a project like fighting ISIS, the Syrians will assume “it smells like British”. It is here where the Bashar Al-Assad administration differs from his father’s. During the 1973 October War, Soviet ambassador, Nurittin Mykhytdinov, famously remarked: “The Syrians will take anything but advice”. This was an affirmation of Syria’s self-perceived independence and non-alignment. That has changed under this president in Damascus. Dr. Assad is more convinced of American treachery than even his father. This is why so many Iranian diplomats and political heavyweights continue to travel to Damascus (and vice versa) in order to consult on policy. Dr. Assad is a team player and his loyalty to his allies requires coordination and cooperation. This is viewed in Moscow as quite refreshing and may be the reason why Vladimir Putin has been as supportive as he has, sending his Defense Minister to the American capital to warn the Pentagon that an attack on Syria is an attack on Moscow; telling Patriarch Kyril publicly that he would rather see terrorists in the streets of Moscow than in Damascus.

I have information that the Syrian government is anxiously awaiting the expected American air assault on ISIS which might include attacking terrorist positions on Syrian soil. As the Russians, Syrians, Chinese and Iranians have made clear in numerous pronouncements, such attacks must be conducted with the permission of the Syrian government. Absent that, American action will be illegal under international law. The Europeans have come to that same conclusion which is why they have dodged the issue of attacks in Syria. But, as one British diplomat stated recently, the Americans are not as assiduous in following law. That position could be veridical given American blustering over their metaphysical exceptionalism, hot pursuit, self-defense and even “Manifest Destiny”, not to mention plain old American cowboy can-do ethics. The pettifoggers at Foggy Bottom are probably brainstorming a series of damage control positions if the American military is caught attacking not just ISIS, but, the Syrian Army!

(Image: Flickr.com)

Barack Obama impresses the Syrians as a wino. He makes no sense to them. They are aware of SyrPer’s groundbreaking analysis of how Obama wants to conduct his wars through what we have dubbed “The Obama Doctrine”, i.e. never fight a war yourself, use proxies instead. So, what happens when he has to fight? This is an unknown factor. Everybody knows he likes the well-planned whack with drones – he certainly doesn’t cower if it involves unindicted American citizens. He promised to close down a notorious prison at Gitmo Bay, although he didn’t, and maintains it to this day. He promised greater freedoms while his Attorney General lords over the most widespread and intrusive surveillance regime of any in American history. All these things give the Syrians the impression the American president is addicted to Wild Irish Rose. The Syrians are convinced the American president is inconsistent and unreliable………at sea and 6 sheets to the wind.

Syrian anti-aircraft defenses will disclose technology if the U.S. attacks ISIS on Syrian soil without coordinating with Damascus. The Neo-Cons in Washington claim that the U.S. has the ability to neutralize SAA missiles. This is coming from a cult notorious for evading military service while feasting on nova lox and gefilte fish in the Hamptons. But, if Russian advances in radar technology and missile design are as impressive as they seem, the U.S. might lose assets flying over Syria. As Hollande’s popularity in France sinks to the bottom of the commode, Dr. Assad’s will burst out into the Stratosphere and all it takes is one downing of an F-16! And if Dr. Assad really wants to get mean, he could harpoon a French Rafale which conveniently strayed into Syrian airspace. Wouldn’t that be ducky?

As the U.S. continues its buildup in Iraq with the laughable “no boots on the ground” promise, Syria, Russia and Iran are quietly marshaling their own assets. Iran is reportedly calling up reservists in both the army and IRGC. Russia has made more deliveries to Syria with equipment believed to be the most advanced in its conventional arsenal. The western media is very quiet about all this because Mr. Kerry doesn’t want anybody to know that American actions in Iraq could trigger WWIII – or at least the survivalists might suggest that.

A reader of ours sent me a German language article that discussed an agreement between Syria and the U.S. Some have said the U.S. is in contact with Damascus through the good offices of the Norwegian legation; all this to coordinate action against ISIS. I sure hope that’s true. Maybe our president is not as soused as we think.

Yet, the opposition is not so convinced. They are collecting chemical weapons for use in Syria to goad the U.S. into attacking their own country in a false flag scenario. The Syrian Foreign Ministry has just given warning about that. The “opposition”, whatever it may be, seems to share Dr. Assad’s view that Obama is fragile, given to erratic behavior. Maybe, they too think there’s a wino in the White House.