06-01-2018, 10:14 PM
*** 2-Jun-18 World View -- Israel makes deal with Russia as Syria's al-Assad makes anti-US rant
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** Syria's al-Assad makes delusional threats to US military
****
![[Image: g180601b.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g180601b.jpg)
Israeli Merkava Mark IV tanks take positions near the Syrian border in the Golan Heights on May 10, 2018. (AFP)
Syria's president Bashar al-Assad on Thursday threatened to expel
American forces from Syria:
<QUOTE>"This is the first option. If not, we're going to
resort to liberating those areas by force. We don't have any other
options, with the Americans or without the Americans.
This is our land, it's our right, and it's our duty to liberate
it. The Americans should leave, somehow they're going to leave.
They came to Iraq with no legal basis, and look what happened to
them. They have to learn the lesson. Iraq is no exception, and
Syria is no exception. People will not accept foreigners in this
region anymore."<END QUOTE>
American forces in Syria are supporting the mostly Kurdish Syrian
Democratic Forces (SDF) fighting in Syria's eastern province Deir
az-Zour against the so-called Islamic State (IS or ISIS or ISIL or
Daesh).
There are actually several reasons why American forces have
a legal basis to be in Syria.
First, the US has the right to fight ISIS, which is a terrorist army
within Syria's borders. ISIS has been using Syria as a launching pad
for terrorist acts against targets in Europe, America, Afghanistan,
Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, among others. ISIS has to be
controlled, and al-Assad has an obligation to control it, but has been
unwilling or unable to do so.
US-backed SDF forces have already defeated ISIS in their stronghold
Raqqa, but ISIS is still a formidable fighting force in Deir az-Zour.
Even today, many people believe that ISIS would have a resurgence in
Syria if American forces simply withdrew, and al-Assad wants.
A second major reason that justified American and other foreign forces
in Syria is that al-Assad has driven millions of refugees into
neighboring countries, destabilizing the entire region. Because of
al-Assad's genocidal attacks on innocent civilians, there five million
that have fled to other countries, with 3.5 million in Turkey, almost
one million in Lebanon, another million in Iraq and Jordan, and over a
million in Europe.
Syria has an obligation to control its own population and, when it
can't, affected nations have a right to respond.
A third reason, related to the last one, as we reported a few days ago,
is that Syria has now enacted
"Decree #10" which makes it impossible for refugees to return to their
homes, even after the war ends, thus making their expulsion from
Syria permanent.
This is the same kind of genocide and ethnic cleansing that's being
performed by the government of Burma (Myanmar) against the Rohingya
Muslims. Starting in 2013, Burma's Buddhist army has conducted
genocide and ethnic cleansing, massacring, torturing, raping and
mutilating thousands of Rohingyas. Burma's army have driven over
600,000 Rohingyas into neighboring Bangladesh, not only killing,
raping and mutilating them, burning down their homes and villages.
Furthermore, Burma is continuing the slaughter in order to
prevent the community of Rohingyas from returning to their homes
in Burma, thus completing the ethnic cleansing.
Al-Assad is doing exactly the same thing with "Decree #10," making it
impossible for most Sunni Muslims to return to their homes. This
means that the refugees will not be permitted to return home from
Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, Greece and other European countries.
Al-Assad has an obligation to provide homes for his own people, and
there's no reason why all these other countries should be forced to
tolerate his ethnic cleansing.
There's a third reason why US forces are justified in Syria: They've
been invited into Syria after all. Under the ceasefire "Astana
agreement" worked out last year by Turkey, Iran and Russia, and
approved by Syria, the US is responsible for maintaining the ceasefire in some of the de-confliction zones
defined by the Astana agreement. So the US
military has, in fact, been invited into Syria, albeit for a limited
reason.
In addition to being the worst genocidal monster so far this century,
al-Assad has been repeatedly delusional about the war in Syria that he
created. Possibly the most spectacular example occurred in 2016, when
al-Assad was using missiles, barrel bombs, chlorine gas, and other
weapons on innocent women and children in markets, schools and
hospitals, he bragged that the 'liberation' of Aleppo would be a 'historic event'
that will end
the war in Syria and be remembered long into the future.
Al-Assad has promised to regain control of all of Syria, but after the
"easy" battles in Aleppo and Ghouta, his final victory is nowhere in
sight, and he may not even succeed in the battles of Daraa in the
south and Idlib in the north. The Hill and Washington Times and Russia Today and Independent (London)
Related Articles
****
**** Israel and Russia reach agreement to keep Iran out of Syria's south
****
According to reports from Saudi and Israeli media, Russia's Defense
Minister Sergei Shoigu met in Moscow with his Israeli counterpart
Avigdor Lieberman, while President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed Syria on the phone.
The reports indicate that they reached agreement that Russia would
prevent Iranian and Hezbollah forces from occupying a 40 km buffer
zone in southern Syria along Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.
Furthermore, Russia gave Israel the "green light" to attack Iranian
targets a green light to launch military operations against any
threatening target, except positions of the forces of the Syrian
regime itself.
Israel has been concerned that Iran and Hezbollah could build
up troops and weapons in Syria along the border with the Golan
Heights, and launch attacks on Israel from there. Israeli
officials have repeatedly expressed concern to the Russians
that an Iranian buildup on the border could lead to a war between
Israel and Iran, something that Russia does not want. This
security issue is apparently the main argument that Israel used
to convince Russia to keep the Iranians out of the buffer zone.
However, the agreement is far less than Israel actually wants,
which is the forced withdrawal of all Iranian troops and weapons
from Syria. In the last few years, Israel has conducted repeated
airstrikes on Iranian targets, apparently with the blessing
of the Russians, who control the airspace over Syria.
However, a report from Debka, says that there is no agreement between
Russia and Israel at all. Debka's reports are written from Israel's
point of view, based on military and intelligence sources that provide
valuable insights. However, as usual, I have to warn readers that
they definitely do get some things wrong.
According to the latest Debka report:
<QUOTE>"Contrary to widespread reports, Syrian, Iranian and
Hizballah forces were moving into southern Syria on Friday, June 1
opposite the Jordanian and Israeli (Golan) borders. ...
DEBKAfile’s military and intelligence sources stress once against
that no agreement exists between Russia and Israel, or Russia and
Iran and Syria for Iranian and Hizballah forces to exit southern
Syria. It stands to reason that Tehran will never accept a deal to
remove its military personnel from the south while Israel is left
free to carry on striking Iranian military targets in other parts
of Syria. Reports of deals are being pumped out from Russian
sources alone."<END QUOTE>
Prior to the announcement of the Israeli-Russian agreement, Russia's
foreign minister Sergei Lavrov call on all non-Syrian forces to
withdraw from Syria's southern border, as soon as possible. This
would include Iranian and Hezbollah forces. Asharq Al-Awsat (Saudi Arabia) and Jerusalem Post and Bloomberg and Debka (Israel) and Jerusalem Post
Related Articles:
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Syria, Bashar al-Assad, Israel,
Islamic State / of Iraq and Syria/Sham/the Levant, IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh,
Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Decree #10, Burma, Myanmar, Rohingyas, Bangladesh,
Astana, Kazakhstan, Aleppo, Ghouta, Daraa, Idlib, Deir az-Zour,
Iran, Hezbollah, Golan Heights, Sergei Lavrov
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Syria's al-Assad makes delusional threats to US military
- Israel and Russia reach agreement to keep Iran out of Syria's south
****
**** Syria's al-Assad makes delusional threats to US military
****
Israeli Merkava Mark IV tanks take positions near the Syrian border in the Golan Heights on May 10, 2018. (AFP)
Syria's president Bashar al-Assad on Thursday threatened to expel
American forces from Syria:
<QUOTE>"This is the first option. If not, we're going to
resort to liberating those areas by force. We don't have any other
options, with the Americans or without the Americans.
This is our land, it's our right, and it's our duty to liberate
it. The Americans should leave, somehow they're going to leave.
They came to Iraq with no legal basis, and look what happened to
them. They have to learn the lesson. Iraq is no exception, and
Syria is no exception. People will not accept foreigners in this
region anymore."<END QUOTE>
American forces in Syria are supporting the mostly Kurdish Syrian
Democratic Forces (SDF) fighting in Syria's eastern province Deir
az-Zour against the so-called Islamic State (IS or ISIS or ISIL or
Daesh).
There are actually several reasons why American forces have
a legal basis to be in Syria.
First, the US has the right to fight ISIS, which is a terrorist army
within Syria's borders. ISIS has been using Syria as a launching pad
for terrorist acts against targets in Europe, America, Afghanistan,
Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, among others. ISIS has to be
controlled, and al-Assad has an obligation to control it, but has been
unwilling or unable to do so.
US-backed SDF forces have already defeated ISIS in their stronghold
Raqqa, but ISIS is still a formidable fighting force in Deir az-Zour.
Even today, many people believe that ISIS would have a resurgence in
Syria if American forces simply withdrew, and al-Assad wants.
A second major reason that justified American and other foreign forces
in Syria is that al-Assad has driven millions of refugees into
neighboring countries, destabilizing the entire region. Because of
al-Assad's genocidal attacks on innocent civilians, there five million
that have fled to other countries, with 3.5 million in Turkey, almost
one million in Lebanon, another million in Iraq and Jordan, and over a
million in Europe.
Syria has an obligation to control its own population and, when it
can't, affected nations have a right to respond.
A third reason, related to the last one, as we reported a few days ago,
is that Syria has now enacted
"Decree #10" which makes it impossible for refugees to return to their
homes, even after the war ends, thus making their expulsion from
Syria permanent.
This is the same kind of genocide and ethnic cleansing that's being
performed by the government of Burma (Myanmar) against the Rohingya
Muslims. Starting in 2013, Burma's Buddhist army has conducted
genocide and ethnic cleansing, massacring, torturing, raping and
mutilating thousands of Rohingyas. Burma's army have driven over
600,000 Rohingyas into neighboring Bangladesh, not only killing,
raping and mutilating them, burning down their homes and villages.
Furthermore, Burma is continuing the slaughter in order to
prevent the community of Rohingyas from returning to their homes
in Burma, thus completing the ethnic cleansing.
Al-Assad is doing exactly the same thing with "Decree #10," making it
impossible for most Sunni Muslims to return to their homes. This
means that the refugees will not be permitted to return home from
Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, Greece and other European countries.
Al-Assad has an obligation to provide homes for his own people, and
there's no reason why all these other countries should be forced to
tolerate his ethnic cleansing.
There's a third reason why US forces are justified in Syria: They've
been invited into Syria after all. Under the ceasefire "Astana
agreement" worked out last year by Turkey, Iran and Russia, and
approved by Syria, the US is responsible for maintaining the ceasefire in some of the de-confliction zones
defined by the Astana agreement. So the US
military has, in fact, been invited into Syria, albeit for a limited
reason.
In addition to being the worst genocidal monster so far this century,
al-Assad has been repeatedly delusional about the war in Syria that he
created. Possibly the most spectacular example occurred in 2016, when
al-Assad was using missiles, barrel bombs, chlorine gas, and other
weapons on innocent women and children in markets, schools and
hospitals, he bragged that the 'liberation' of Aleppo would be a 'historic event'
that will end
the war in Syria and be remembered long into the future.
Al-Assad has promised to regain control of all of Syria, but after the
"easy" battles in Aleppo and Ghouta, his final victory is nowhere in
sight, and he may not even succeed in the battles of Daraa in the
south and Idlib in the north. The Hill and Washington Times and Russia Today and Independent (London)
Related Articles
- U.S. threatens 'firm measures' against al-Assad's military action in Deraa, Syria (27-May-2018)
- With ceasefire, American forces become more deeply involved in Syria's civil war (11-Jul-2017)
- Syria and Russia see 'the light at the end of the tunnel' after Aleppo victory (18-Dec-2016)
****
**** Israel and Russia reach agreement to keep Iran out of Syria's south
****
According to reports from Saudi and Israeli media, Russia's Defense
Minister Sergei Shoigu met in Moscow with his Israeli counterpart
Avigdor Lieberman, while President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed Syria on the phone.
The reports indicate that they reached agreement that Russia would
prevent Iranian and Hezbollah forces from occupying a 40 km buffer
zone in southern Syria along Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.
Furthermore, Russia gave Israel the "green light" to attack Iranian
targets a green light to launch military operations against any
threatening target, except positions of the forces of the Syrian
regime itself.
Israel has been concerned that Iran and Hezbollah could build
up troops and weapons in Syria along the border with the Golan
Heights, and launch attacks on Israel from there. Israeli
officials have repeatedly expressed concern to the Russians
that an Iranian buildup on the border could lead to a war between
Israel and Iran, something that Russia does not want. This
security issue is apparently the main argument that Israel used
to convince Russia to keep the Iranians out of the buffer zone.
However, the agreement is far less than Israel actually wants,
which is the forced withdrawal of all Iranian troops and weapons
from Syria. In the last few years, Israel has conducted repeated
airstrikes on Iranian targets, apparently with the blessing
of the Russians, who control the airspace over Syria.
However, a report from Debka, says that there is no agreement between
Russia and Israel at all. Debka's reports are written from Israel's
point of view, based on military and intelligence sources that provide
valuable insights. However, as usual, I have to warn readers that
they definitely do get some things wrong.
According to the latest Debka report:
<QUOTE>"Contrary to widespread reports, Syrian, Iranian and
Hizballah forces were moving into southern Syria on Friday, June 1
opposite the Jordanian and Israeli (Golan) borders. ...
DEBKAfile’s military and intelligence sources stress once against
that no agreement exists between Russia and Israel, or Russia and
Iran and Syria for Iranian and Hizballah forces to exit southern
Syria. It stands to reason that Tehran will never accept a deal to
remove its military personnel from the south while Israel is left
free to carry on striking Iranian military targets in other parts
of Syria. Reports of deals are being pumped out from Russian
sources alone."<END QUOTE>
Prior to the announcement of the Israeli-Russian agreement, Russia's
foreign minister Sergei Lavrov call on all non-Syrian forces to
withdraw from Syria's southern border, as soon as possible. This
would include Iranian and Hezbollah forces. Asharq Al-Awsat (Saudi Arabia) and Jerusalem Post and Bloomberg and Debka (Israel) and Jerusalem Post
Related Articles:
- Israel braces for attack from Iran in retaliation for Sunday's airstrike (12-Apr-2018)
- Syrian war escalates sharply, after Israel, Iran, Turkey and Russia all lose aircraft (11-Feb-2018)
- Israeli warplanes strike Syrian weapons site, as UN confirms al-Assad's Sarin use (08-Sep-2017)
- Israel's warplanes strike weapons depot inside Syria near Damascus (28-Apr-2017)
- Israel and Syria have unprecedented missile clash over Jordan (19-Mar-2017)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Syria, Bashar al-Assad, Israel,
Islamic State / of Iraq and Syria/Sham/the Levant, IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh,
Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Decree #10, Burma, Myanmar, Rohingyas, Bangladesh,
Astana, Kazakhstan, Aleppo, Ghouta, Daraa, Idlib, Deir az-Zour,
Iran, Hezbollah, Golan Heights, Sergei Lavrov
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
