While Defense Secretary James Mattis and newly appointed National Security Advisor John Bolton disagreed on aspects of the Syrian strike, (“we are looking for the actual evidence”) it is generally acknowledged in the MSM that Trump agreed with Mattis in approving a more limited, antiseptic military strike on April 13th focused on three Syrian research facilities.
The preferred alternative offered by the MSM is that the aggressive Bolton lost out in his maiden voyage on the USS Trump to Armageddon to the more humanitarian Mattis and Joint Chief of Staff Joseph Dunford with Trump approving their more conciliatory approach. All of which turns out to be far from the reality. A good bet is that the lack of a full throttle US attack on Syria was not only in recognition that Trump lacked the incontrovertible evidence international law requires and that multiple US Navy carriers stationed in the Mediterranean, Persian Gulf and Black Sea were little more than sitting ducks for Russian retaliation.
To assume that the controversial Bolton would ever be content with a seat in the back of the bus while allowing a professional military man to run the show would be a woeful misread of Bolton’s recent past history. While the MSM apparently missed what buttons Bolton was pushing during the lead up to the strikes, the Israeli press filled in the blanks.
Let’s connect the dots….
The morning after the attack, Haaretz ran an article announcing that “Trump Advisor Bolton Coordinated US led attack on Syria with Israel.” According to Haaretz, the White House was in touch with Israel days before the attack with Bolton “coordinating details” with his Israeli counterpart, Meir ben Shabbat. It was not immediately clear exactly what details Haaretz was referring to since Israel has not been acknowledged as an active participant in the attack.
Over the weekend it was reported (although unconfirmed) by a White Helmet ‘volunteer’ that as part of the US led air strikes, Israel conducted air strikes at Jabal Azzam, near Aleppo in northern Syria with twenty Iranian military officers reported dead. Adding to the escalation of Israeli involvement, the Jerusalem Post reported on April 14th of explosions on the outskirts of Aleppo, near Iran’s largest base in the Syria. Initially reported as an air strike, it has also been reported as an accident at a facility. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group confirmed that “A powerful explosion went off in an area of southern Aleppo province.” Details of that explosion near Aleppo remain sketchy.
Adding to the current intensity of Iran – Israel military confrontations is the February 10th strike by Israel after it claimed that an armed Iranian drone had infiltrated Israeli defenses. Israel responded by attacking the T-4 air base near Homs which is known to house Iranian military personnel. Hit by Syrian air defenses, the Israeli attack resulted in its first loss of a jet during the Syrian conflict, with both pilots parachuting to safety. After the loss of the Israel F 16 jet, Israel launched a second round of missile strikes on the T-4 base.
On April 9th, just days prior to the American-led attack on Syria and as John Bolton moved into his White House office, two Israel F15 fighter jets from Lebanese air space again attacked the T-4 airfield near Homs. The Iranian Fars News agency confirmed seven Iranian deaths as Israel initially refused comment. In the aftermath of the American airstrikes on April 13th, Haaretz reported on April 16th that Israel has now admitted to attacking Homs a second time in repeated retaliation for the February 10th armed Iranian drone and Israeli loss of its F-16. In other words, Israel reserves the right to harbor a past grievance any time into the future.
According to the NY Times on April 10th, a senior Israel military official told NY Times columnist Thomas Friedman “it was the first time we attacked live Iranian targets – both people and facilities” as a senior Iranian foreign policy official warned Israel that the latest attack “would not remain without a response.”
With Bolton now in the driver’s seat, he is better able to triangulate Russia via a more emboldened Israel, now more confident than ever that the US will continue to look the other way and remain constraint in its military response as Israel assumes control and initiates many on-the-ground and in-the-air details.
Given Bolton’s historic devotion to Israel, even before he formally began as Trump’s National Security Advisor, it is worth inquiring where Bolton’s loyalty lies since his name appears on the list of US politicians holding joint citizenship with Israel. In addition, The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy (Mearsheimer/Walt) cited Israel UN Ambassador Dan Gillerman’s description of Bolton in May, 2006 as a “secret member of Israel’s own team at the United Nations” and informing a B’nai B’rth meeting said that
“Today the secret is out. We really are not just five diplomats (at Israel’s UN mission). We are at least six including John Bolton.”
As 4.000 US troops train in Jordan 300 miles from the Syrian border, it is clear that Bolton and his neo con thugs will never be satisfied with a spineless “token” military strike without massive casualties leading to extensive escalation and without Israel benefitting from US foreign policy.
It is a matter of time before the odious Bolton et al will create another false-flag crisis, one that will be more horrendous, more obscene and more merciless than a mere chemical weapons attack. A false flag event that will trigger international outrage and whatever scant remains of the American peace movement that may still have a pulse.
Renee Parsons is a frequent contributor to Global Research
The Globalization of War: America’s “Long War” against Humanity
Michel Chossudovsky
The “globalization of war” is a hegemonic project. Major military and covert intelligence operations are being undertaken simultaneously in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia and the Far East. The U.S. military agenda combines both major theater operations as well as covert actions geared towards destabilizing sovereign states.
- ISBN Number: 978-0-9737147-6-0
- Year: 2015
- Pages: 240 Pages
List Price: $22.95
