Syria: Imperialists prepare for military intervention
By Joyce Chediac
Published Dec 7, 2011 8:37 PM
The U.S.-NATO forces, using the United Nations and the Arab League as
a cover, are positioning themselves for a military intervention in
Syria. At the same time, they have upped their economic war on the
government led by Bashir al-Assad.
The scenario resembles what was done against the Libyan government
before the U.S.-NATO bombardment began. This time, however, Turkey has
joined the imperialist camp in applying economic pressure and letting
its soil be used as a rear base for Assad opponents.
This intervention has nothing to do with any repression the Assad
government has visited on any people in Syria. It is not meant to
╴save╴ the Syrian people any more than the massive bombardment of
Libya was meant to ╴save╴ Libyans. The goal is to make Syria an
imperialist puppet and to destroy the strategic alliance it has with
Hezbollah, the national liberation movement in Lebanon, and with Iran.
This would be a major blow not just to the people of Syria, but to the
whole region.
Sanctions have been imposed on Syria by the U.S., the European Union,
the Arab League countries and Turkey. In an unprecedented move, the
Arab League has even suspended the membership of Syria ╴ home of one
of the greatest Arab civilizations.
In close coordination with the White House, NATO member Turkey has
frozen Syria╴s financial assets and cut off transactions with Syria╴s
Central Bank. Turkey was one of Syria╴s biggest trading partners. On
Dec. 1, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden urged Turkey to impose sanctions
against Iran, too. This week Britain also increased sanctions against
Iran.
Sanctions are meant to destroy the Syrian economy and to isolate the
Assad government from its business support and the population. Money
transfers into and out of Syria are blocked, and Syrians cannot use
their credit cards abroad.
How Syrian gov╴t is being ╴set up╴
Like Libya, the Syrian government is being accused of atrocities. The
information these charges are based upon does not come from
independent human rights organizations. As reported in the
establishment Western media and Al-Jazeera, this information comes
from the Syrian opposition.
One group quoted widely, the Local Coordinating Committees of Syria,
is part of the Syrian National Council, which seeks to overthrow the
Assad government.
Meanwhile, the U.S. and Western European countries making the
accusations against Syria are themselves guilty of decades of
atrocities against the people of Iraq, Afghanistan and other
countries.
The U.S. and its allies were unable to get the U.N. Security Council
to level sanctions against Syria as it did against Libya with
Resolution 1973 last March. Russia and China vetoed this resolution,
based on that experience. So the U.S. and the EU convened a so-called
╴independent╴ United Nations Human Rights Commission, which has since
accused Assad of ╴crimes against humanity.╴
Now the Western powers are talking about ╴a growing international
consensus to take action.╴ (New York Times, Dec. 1) This
╴international consensus╴ is meant as a cover for a U.S.-NATO-Turkey
military intervention to recolonize Syria.
Foreign intervention worsens crisis
Already foreign intervention is sharpening Syria╴s crisis. Turkey has
provided a rear base and an arms source on Turkish soil near the
Syrian border for the military opposition to the Assad government.
According to the Canadian investigative group, Global Research, this
armed opposition is funded by the U.S., Turkey and other NATO allies.
This has fueled the fighting so that on Nov. 30 the U.N. declared
Syria in a ╴state of civil war.╴
Meanwhile, the Arab League, portrayed as a mediator, has called only
for the Assad government to stop fighting. It has made no such demand
of the armed opposition.
The Arab League, despite its name, really works against the interests
of the Arab people. It invited the U.S. and NATO to bomb Libya last
March. The Arab League is dominated by Saudi Arabia and the tiny
Persian Gulf emirates, which willingly increased their oil production
so the Western powers could impose sanctions on oil producers like
Libya, Iran and Syria without having to worry about oil shortfalls.
A U.S.-NATO-Turkey attack on Syria may be coming soon. The Cuban news
agency, Granma, reported on Nov. 25 that a U.S. aircraft carrier was
approaching the coast of Syria, that the U.S. embassy there ordered
its citizens to leave immediately, and that France has proposed a
formal NATO military intervention into Syria.
What╴s at stake in Syria?
With Syria there is a great deal at stake for the workers and rural
poor, not only in that country, but also throughout the Middle East.
Syria is in a strategic anti-imperialist and anti-Zionist alliance
with Iran, with Hezbollah in Lebanon and with Hamas in Gaza. This
alliance is crucial in holding back Israel, which has no declared
borders, from militarily attacking and taking over the whole area. n
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