David Swanson / David Swanson.org & World BEYOND War – 2018-09-12 23:27:22
Leave Syria the Hell Alone
David Swanson / David Swanson.org & World BEYOND War
(September 11, 2018) — Last weekend I was on Iranian TV being asked about the meeting in Tehran at which the presidents of Iran and Russia had refused to agree with the President of Turkey to stop bombing people in Syria. I said Iran and Russia were wrong.
I also said that nobody involved, least of all the United States, was right.
Not only would the United States and the world be infinitely better off if, in response to 9/11, the US government had done nothing at all (as Jon Schwartz tweets each year) but Syria would be dramatically better off if just about any outside force had never gotten in or now got out.
Here’s my 5-step plan for Syria:
1. Get the bloody hell out and stay out.
Why should Kosovo and Czechia and the Slovak Republic have the right to decide their fate, but Crimea and Diego Garcia and Okinawa — and Syria — not?
The whim of the US military should not be decisive in such matters. Stop trying to save Syria from the Syrians by killing Syrians. Enough. Do not come back.
2. Stop the simpletonism.
Opposing US crimes has nothing whatsoever to do with defending the crimes of Syria or Russia or Iran or Saudi Arabia or any other national or non-state government — and vice versa. The enemy of your exaggerated party line is probably necessary to the process of ending the mass slaughter.
3. Stop falling for propaganda.
There is nothing legal, moral, or in any way practical about launching or escalating a war because someone else used a particular type of weapon, or because you pretended someone else used a particular type of weapon.
The question of whether or not the weapon was used by the designated enemy is completely and utterly irrelevant to the question of whether to engage in the supreme international crime and the greatest immorality yet developed.
Unproven and even ludicrous claims are very, very tempting to critique. I am almost utterly powerless to stop you, or even to get you to understand my desire to stop you. But in so doing, you are accepting a dangerous framing of the debate in which the justifiability of mass-murder supposedly hangs on disputed facts. It does not — not ever. Nor does Congress have any power to legalize a crime.
4. Support real solutions.
The US government should not “do nothing,” even though that would be a dramatic improvement. It should, after completely removing every armed representative of itself from Syria and the entire region, and ceasing to export weapons, apologize, join the International Criminal Court rather than attacking it (even while trying to claim that Syrian crimes need addressing), join all the world’s major human rights treaties, spread democracy by developing one at home in the United States, and pay unprecedented but, in comparison to military expenditures, small reparations to Syria and surrounding nations with no strings attached.
5. Remember 2013.
Remember that popular pressure prevented a massive bombing campaign of Syria. Remember that this was done with non-partisan popular sentiment while the US President favored bombing people for their own good as acts of philanthropy.
If that could be done then, surely now during the open-barbarism of the Trump-sewer-twitter era we can block a new attack on Syria pre-announced as being based on the very same excuse as 5 years ago. Powerlessness is in the eye of the conceder.
As US Once Again Threatens Syria,
Numerous News Reports Challenge Previous
“Chemical Weapns Attacks”
Compiled by Environmentalists Against War from YouTube
Chemical Delusions: Bolton Threatens Another Attack on Syria
August 22, 2018 — RT America
The Trump administration is threatening to bomb Syria in the event of a chemical weapons attack.
Russia accuses UK of staging fake chemical attack in Syria — CBS News
https://www.cbsnews.com/…/russia-accuses-uk-of-staging-fake-chemi…
April 13, 2018 — Russia accuses UK of staging fake chemical attack in Syria
Fake chemical attacks in Syria could provoke further US strikes
https://www.independent.co.uk
April 11, 2017 — Russia has information about an attack on Damascus orchestrated by opposition rebels involving chemical weapons
How to film fake chemical attack – YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_xxoINyPvE
April 11, 2018 — Uploaded by Geopolitica Ru
The example of filming a fake chemical attack.
Ron Paul: Syrian Chemical Attack “Makes No Sense,” Another False …
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/…/ron_paul_syrian_chemical_attac…
April 9, 2018 — Uploaded by RonPaulLibertyReport
Will the Russians sit back and allow another US attack on the Syrian … he has challenged Assad in the past …
Russia Says They Have Evidence Chemical Attack Was Staged …
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/…/russia_says_they_have_evidence…
April 15, 2018 — Uploaded by RT
I’d like to begin by condemning the heinous attack on innocent Syrians with banned chemical weapons. It …
PressTV-Syrian gas attack was false flag: Fox News host
https://www.presstv.com/…/Syrian-chemical-weapons-attack-was-fals…
April 10, 2018 — Syrian chemical weapons attack was false flag operation, Fox News host … later Assad supposedly used …
Syria Chemical Attack Hoax Exposed — Peter Ford with Tucker Carlson
April 2018 — Video for Syrian chemical weapons attack was false flag operation tucker carlson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R2QhK0-Pe8
Apr 18, 2018 – Uploaded by GeeGee Tee
Peter Ford, former British Ambassador to Syria, explains to Americans what … Syria Chemical Attack Hoax …
Fake chemical weapons attack in Syria – YouTube
June 14, 2013 — Uploaded by Human Rights Investigations
This is video footage from the so-called chemical weapons attack in … a riot control grenade and quite …
Russia says Britain helped fake Syria chemical attack
www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-13/russia…syria…attack…/9657314
April 13, 2018 — The US State Department says it is “confident” the Syrian Government was responsible for a suspected attack
False Flag Chemical Attack in Syria? — YouTube
April 4, 2017 — Uploaded by Syriana Analysis
Similar to 2013 chemical attack, the Western governments, and … media accusing the Syrian government of …
Russia claims child doused in liquid following Syria ‘chemical weapons’
https://www.mirror.co.uk
April 19, 2018 — Russia claims that a video featuring a child being doused in liquid following the Syria ‘chemical weapons …
Seymour Hersh Reporting Trump Knew Latest Syria Chemical Attack …
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/…/ron_paul_seymour_hersh_report…
June 27, 2017 — Uploaded by RonPaulLibertyReport
“The answer was, ‘We have no evidence that Syria had sarin or used it … be all chemical weapons from a …
Video about Syrian Boy Victim of ‘Chemical Attack’ is Fake: Russian …
April 20, 2018 — Uploaded by CCTV+
A boy named Hassan Diab was used by some western organizations to fake chemical attack by the Syrian …
WATCH Syrian Boy in White Helmets FAKE Chemical Attack Video …
https://sputniknews.com/…/201804181063698154-syrian-boy-reveal…
April 18, 2018 — Uploaded by Sputnik
In the interview, Hassan Diab says that he and his mother heard loud … Syria: Boy in White Helmets FAKE …
Russia Warns Chemical Attack May Be Staged as Pretext for a US Attack on Syria
August 28, 2018 –United Nations
The Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia today said his country is “deeply concerned” and “strongly warned against” a possible chemical attack staged by the rebel group in Syria’s Idlib province.
NATO and ISIS Planning New Chemical Attack in Idlib
September 3, 2018 — Vesti News
America missile carriers are already converging in waters near Syria and CNN has reported a list of US targets has already been prepared.
