Obama's Syria Strategy

by Stephen Lendman

It's lawless. Ruthless, Transparent. Islamic State (IS) fighters hold mostly Kurdish-populated Kobani along Turkey's border under siege.

Controlling it looms. So does likely mass slaughter. Hundreds already are dead. Around 200,000 fled cross-border.

Today's Zaman is one of four English language Turkish broadsheets. On October 8, it headlined "Turkey asks US to ramp up air strikes against ISIL," saying:

They're needed to keep Islamic State fighters "from seizing" Kobani. According to Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan:

"Our government and our related institutions have emphasized to US officials the necessity of immediately ramping up air bombardment in a more active and efficient way."

IS fighters controlling territory along Turkey's border pressure Ankara to intervene.

Precisely what Washington wants. It's meddling in Turkish affairs. Perhaps manipulating internal street protests. Much like in Hong Kong.

Lawlessly interfering in affairs of other nations is longstanding US policy. Doing so serves its imperial interests.

It wants more partners against Assad. Letting proxy IS fighters threaten regional countries is a good way to enlist them, it believes.

At the same time, perhaps Turkey intends having IS elements crush Kurdish resistance in part. Forcing Southern Kurds to Northern Kurdistan.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined others internally. He called for escalated Western intervention.

"I am telling the West, dropping bombs from the air will not provide a solution," he said.

"The terror will not be over…unless there is cooperation for a ground operation."

"Months have passed but no results have been achieved. Kobani is about to fall…We are following attacks on Kobani and other towns…"

He called for imposing a no-fly zone over Syria, as well as border buffer zone for protection. Both require Security Council authorization.

If approved, bombing Syrian command and control capabilities would follow. So would targeting its military.

Last week, Ankara's parliament authorized armed intervention in Syria and Iraq. It approved deploying foreign combat troops in Turkey for the same purpose.

No action so far was taken. Except for Turkish forces blocking Kurdish fighters from entering Kobani to help besieged Kurds unable to flee.

Erdogan lied saying Turkey wants peace. He's allied with Obama's anti-Syrian plan.

So far without direct intervention on its territory. Perhaps it's coming. Together with Washington.

London-based Kurdish activist Mark Cambell said Washington and coalition partners do little to protect Kurds in Kobani.

Reports indicate Western air strikes allegedly targeting IS positions around Kobani were minimal at best. At Ankara's request.

Kurds fought unsuccessfully for human and civil rights for decades. They're treated like Israel treats Palestinians. Like America treats its unwanted.

Campbell believes Washington and Western alliance members aren't targeting IS fighters around Kobani to avoid upsetting Ankara.

"Everybody is saying this now," he said. "Hopefully one good thing that will come out of this is that the world will see this alliance with Turkey against the Kurdish movement, in Turkey and in Syria."

People fleeing Kobani "are being gassed on the border by Turkey. This is all a scenario that has been planned for many years."

"Kobani is part of a wider Kurdish movement linked to the PKK, and it's been a red line…(I)f it falls, it will be because of Turkey…"

"The situation is on a knife edge. The PKK want a political, negotiated solution. The Kurds in Kobani could work with Turkey to solve the whole issue in an amicable way that would unite all the forces against ISIS."

Precisely what Washington wants avoided. It's protecting its IS proxies. It's working with them cooperatively.

They're valued anti-Assad assets . Expect Pentagon combat troops to join them.

A previous article discussed likely US ground war. Hundreds of US special forces infest Iraq.

Perhaps others are in Syria covertly. Ahead of what appears likely US ground war involving large numbers of US combat forces.

Invasion could come any time. Expect it to be well underway before it's officially announced.

Pentagon commanders know bombing alone accomplishes little. Privately they're likely advising Obama to deploy combat troops.

On the pretext of fighting IS. To oust Assad without saying so. New NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg plans visiting Turkey.

According to Ankara's Foreign Ministry:

He'll meet with Erdogan, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz, and Chief of General Staff Gen. Necdet Ozel.

Meetings will include "a detailed exchange of views on growing instability in the Middle East, primarily Iraq and Syria, and current situation in Ukraine, as well as other principal issues on NATO's agenda in light of the Wales Summit decisions are expected to take place."

NATO pledged to activate its Alliance Treaty Article 5 obligation to collectively defend Turkey if needed.

Members may send troops if its security is endangered, Stoltenberg said. It's half million-strong military can protect itself regionally without help.

Stoltenberg didn't explain. At issue is enlisting broad support to oust Assad. Doing so cooperatively with IS proxies. US-trained foot soldiers on the ground.

What IS intends doing depends on what Washington wishes. It bears repeating. Perhaps they're being used to enlist a large anti-Syrian coalition. Longstanding plans call for Assad's ouster.

The moment of truth may approach. Perhaps sooner than most observers believe. The fullness of time will tell.

On Tuesday, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said discussions continue on "what role Turkey can plan, but we're not going to discuss that publicly much further than that."

Ankara is "determining what larger role (it'll) play broadly as part of the coalition moving forward, and that conversation's ongoing."

She said Washington "certainly" wants Turkey playing a larger role. She lied claiming its goal is a "campaign in Syria to destroy ISIL."

It's the pretext. Syria is the target. Psaki didn't explain. On the one hand, she said Washington doesn't want IS fighters gaining control of Kobani.

On the other, Washington won't defend it against IS attacks. It's not a "strategic goal," she claimed. She ducked questions trying to pin her down.

"I'm not in a position to give military analysis," she said. "I'm not going to read out private diplomatic conversations any further.

In response to a question regarding Obama saying US forces won't be involved, she responded saying:

"I think I will leave it at how I read out the call (between John Kerry and Turkey's prime minister)."

"And it was more of a discussion about how we can work together and what role they're going to be able to play."

With regard to Kurdish street protests in Turkey, she perhaps hinted at US involvement, saying:

"…(W)e, of course, as you know, broadly value freedom of expression and freedom of speech."

"We encourage people to do that peacefully, and certainly encourage authorities to respect protests when they're done peacefully as well."

She commented on Victoria Nuland's Kiev visit, saying:

She arrived on October 6. She'll remain "through (the) 8th to reaffirm the United States's commitment to Ukraine's territorial integrity, a (so-called) peaceful resolution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, and (unexplained) ongoing reform efforts…"

She lied saying "the Ukrainian Government has fulfilled its commitments under the September 5th Minsk Agreement and called on Russia and Russian-backed separatists to fulfill their own commitments, including by ending the ceasefire violations, restoring Ukrainian control to its side of the international border, withdrawing all foreign forces and equipment, and returning all hostages."

Monday was Putin's 62nd birthday. Psaki was asked if she'd use "the occasion to wish him a happy (one) from the podium."

She responded saying "we continue to believe (he) was Involved (in) an illegal intervention and certainly we don't celebrate that here."

These type comments reflect typical US hypocrisy, double standards, hubris, arrogance and Big Lies.

Psaki represents the worst of America's dark side. She regurgitates what superiors want her to say.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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