US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said yesterday in Malaysia that President Barack Obama had requested development of military plans for Syria. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called US Secretary of State John Kerry and urged the US to abstain from provocations until the end of the UN investigation of chemical weapons that starts today, RIA Novosti reports.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that the US were destined to fail military aggression against Syria. He reminded that the US, France and the UK had been talking about military intervention since the very start of the crisis.
Yevgeny Satanovsky, President of the Institute for the Middle East, reminded that Obama was the Commander-in-Chief of the US Armed Forces and head of the world’s biggest economy. France, UK and the US were promoting the idea for a long time under pressure of Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Satanovsky believes that Obama was striving to improve his image.
Vladimir Yevseyev, Director of the Center for Socio-Political Studies, clarified that the order for a military scenario had been given under great pressure from the Congress and supporters. The expert expressed concerns about appointment of Susan Rice as the National Security Advisor. He believes that Rice encouraged intervention in Libya. He reminded that Kerry was harsh towards Syria as well.
Yevseyev noted that a US ambassador had died in Benghazi, the US were concerned with reduction of presence in Iraq and Afghanistan. An attack with cruise missiles may happen. The US may also encourage Israel and Turkey to act. But the situation in Egypt may cause instability all over the Middle East. The Russian fleet in the area is a factor preventing unsanctioned attacks.
The expert called the Western policy in the Middle East and North Africa destructive. He predicts that the US moral leadership would decline. Yevseyev fears that such policy would cause great bloodshed.
