Another U.S. intervention directly threatens interests of Russia

By Orkhan Sattarov, the head of the European Bureau of Vestnik Kavkaza

 

With the help of Iran and Hezbollah, President Bashar al-Assad managed to hold military positions in the devastating fight with the Syrian opposition. Support of Russia and China at the UN Security Council saved him from inevitable intervention of the West. The Syrian president was not arrested like Hosni Mubarak. He was not torn to pieces by the crowd like Muammar Gaddafi. He did not flee the country like Osama bin Laden. On the contrary, he emphasized that a captain should not leave the ship during a storm. Surviving the Arab Spring, a phenomenon depicted by world media as an Arab movement for democracy and justice, Assad made it to the moment when the revolutionary stardust was over and Islamic extremists became apparent. By that moment, Syria had turned into a patchwork country with terrorists of all kinds.

Being in a desperate situation, the Syrian president approved air raids of the U.S. and allies on positions of the Islamic State and the al-Nusra Front in his country, openly hailing the actions of the international community in fighting terrorists. The joint efforts of Bashar al-Assad and the U.S.-led coalition against the greatest enemy of the Syrian government are very significant in themselves. Does it mean that official Damascus got an indulgence from Washington?

The U.S. managed to join forces with Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, UAE and Qatar, demonstrating that it is not aggression against the Muslim world. Close cooperation with countries of the Arab League justifies actions of the West in the region. Obviously, Washington does not fully trust its allies in the Middle East, as can be seen in the independence of U.S. raids on the al-Nusra Front in Qatar, just like the bombers of the Khorasan Group. The allies only assisted the U.S. in bombing Islamic State, which threatens the stability of all the members of the coalition.

The formation of coalitions with Arab partners required certain concessions, especially in the more active role of the U.S. in ousting the Alawite and pro-Iranian regime of Bashar al-Assad. Unsurprisingly, Barack Obama declared plans to provide more support to the Syrian secular opposition simultaneously with starting the military operation against Islamic State. Paradoxically, it is Islamic State that keeps Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria protected from the Americans. Whether Washington would make peace with Assad after crushing IS is the question.

Obama said at the UN Security Council session on terrorism that violation of rights and freedom was making extremism stronger. He called for searches for political solutions to the Syrian crisis. The readiness of Washington to arm the secular opposition shows that the Americans want to free Syria from religious extremists and Assad.

By starting intervention in Syria, the White House creates a new situation for Moscow. The Syrian crisis has in fact gone out of the competence of the UN Security Council, where Russia and China had the right to a veto. When Damascus allows the Americans to bomb its territory, Russia cannot stop Washington and the developments. The Russian Foreign Ministry backs the anti-terrorist operation against Islamic State, but it could not neglect the risks of unsanctioned intervention. If the U.S. starts bombing facilities of the Syrian government after IS, it would be too late to protest, as happened in Libya.

The actual situation gives the U.S. a new card for dialogue with Russia in the Syrian conflict: partial or full lifting of the economic sanctions imposed by the EU and the U.S. over the situation in Ukraine. It is absolutely clear in President Obama’s speech at the UN General Assembly that the Americans will discuss the Syrian and the Ukrainian crises as inter-connected. The “common challenges” Obama mentioned in his speech may refer to the fight against the Islamic State and the situation in Syria. The West has made another step in the geopolitical struggle. It is Moscow’s turn to respond.

Americans want to free Syria from religious extremists and AssadBy Orkhan Sattarov, the head of the European Bureau of Vestnik KavkazaWith the help of Iran and Hezbollah, President Bashar al-Assad managed to hold military positions in the devastating fight with the Syrian opposition. Support of Russia and China at the UN Security Council saved him from inevitable intervention of the West. The Syrian president was not arrested like Hosni Mubarak. He was not torn to pieces by the crowd like Muammar Gaddafi. He did not flee the country like Osama bin Laden. On the contrary, he emphasized that a captain should not leave the ship during a storm. Surviving the Arab Spring, a phenomenon depicted by world media as an Arab movement for democracy and justice, Assad made it to the moment when the revolutionary stardust was over and Islamic extremists became apparent. By that moment, Syria had turned into a patchwork country with terrorists of all kinds.Being in a desperate situation, the Syrian president approved air raids of the U.S. and allies on positions of the Islamic State and the al-Nusra Front in his country, openly hailing the actions of the international community in fighting terrorists. The joint efforts of Bashar al-Assad and the U.S.-led coalition against the greatest enemy of the Syrian government are very significant in themselves. Does it mean that official Damascus got an indulgence from Washington?The U.S. managed to join forces with Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, UAE and Qatar, demonstrating that it is not aggression against the Muslim world. Close cooperation with countries of the Arab League justifies actions of the West in the region. Obviously, Washington does not fully trust its allies in the Middle East, as can be seen in the independence of U.S. raids on the al-Nusra Front in Qatar, just like the bombers of the Khorasan Group. The allies only assisted the U.S. in bombing Islamic State, which threatens the stability of all the members of the coalition.The formation of coalitions with Arab partners required certain concessions, especially in the more active role of the U.S. in ousting the Alawite and pro-Iranian regime of Bashar al-Assad. Unsurprisingly, Barack Obama declared plans to provide more support to the Syrian secular opposition simultaneously with starting the military operation against Islamic State. Paradoxically, it is Islamic State that keeps Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria protected from the Americans. Whether Washington would make peace with Assad after crushing IS is the question.Obama said at the UN Security Council session on terrorism that violation of rights and freedom was making extremism stronger. He called for searches for political solutions to the Syrian crisis. The readiness of Washington to arm the secular opposition shows that the Americans want to free Syria from religious extremists and Assad.By starting intervention in Syria, the White House creates a new situation for Moscow. The Syrian crisis has in fact gone out of the competence of the UN Security Council, where Russia and China had the right to a veto. When Damascus allows the Americans to bomb its territory, Russia cannot stop Washington and the developments. The Russian Foreign Ministry backs the anti-terrorist operation against Islamic State, but it could not neglect the risks of unsanctioned intervention. If the U.S. starts bombing facilities of the Syrian government after IS, it would be too late to protest, as happened in Libya.The actual situation gives the U.S. a new card for dialogue with Russia in the Syrian conflict: partial or full lifting of the economic sanctions imposed by the EU and the U.S. over the situation in Ukraine. It is absolutely clear in President Obama’s speech at the UN General Assembly that the Americans will discuss the Syrian and the Ukrainian crises as inter-connected. The “common challenges” Obama mentioned in his speech may refer to the fight against the Islamic State and the situation in Syria. The West has made another step in the geopolitical struggle. It is Moscow’s turn to res