Global Research

Western media has accused the Syrian government of launching a chemical attack in an area east of Damascus that killed hundreds of civilians.  It is the same accusations they had on Saddam Hussein who allegedly ordered a chemical attack in the town of Halabja in Southern Kurdistan, a Kurdish territory killing more than 3000 people and more than 7000 injured.  U.S President George H.W. Bush used the incident to justify an invasion when he said “The dictator who is assembling the world’s most dangerous weapons has already used them on whole villages, leaving thousands of his own citizens dead, blind or disfigured.”  Many doubts surfaced including a former Central Intelligence Agency senior political analyst and professor at the Army War College, Stephen C. Pelletiere who wrote an opinion piece in the New York Times in 2003 called ‘A War Crime or an Act of War?, he said:

This much about the gassing at Halabja we undoubtedly know: it came about in the course of a battle between Iraqis and Iranians. Iraq used chemical weapons to try to kill Iranians who had seized the town, which is in northern Iraq not far from the Iranian border. The Kurdish civilians who died had the misfortune to be caught up in that exchange. But they were not Iraq’s main target.

US media is receiving reports from the Western backed rebels that accuse Assad for the atrocities committed by his government.  They are using the information to justify an invasion of Syria.  However, RT news reported that there was evidence the attack was pre-planned according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Aleksandr Lukashevich who said “We’re getting more new evidence that this criminal act was of a provocative nature,” he stressed. “In particular, there are reports circulating on the Internet, in particular that the materials of the incident and accusations against government troops had been posted for several hours before the so-called attack. Thus, it was a pre-planned action.” Ironically, the Kurds (who Saddam Hussein was accused of murdering) are targeted by the same rebels in the north of Syria by Al-Nusra Front, an Al Qaeda front group and the Free Syrian Army.  RT news and other international news outlets reported that more than 450 Kurdish people including women and children were killed in the village of Tal Abyad near the Turkish border.

Western governments and their media outlets accuse the Assad government of a chemical attack that allegedly killed hundreds of people, but the claim was made by the Western-backed rebels. Russia says the evidence suggests that the weapons were fired from Rebel-held territory.  Last March, The US and Israel claimed that Syrian forces launched a chemical attack in the Khan al-Assal village, located north from the city of Aleppo. A Russian-led investigation declared militants were behind the attack.  The U.S., Israel and now France want to invade Syria and remove President Assad and divide Syria into several small territories.  They are interested in the Balkanization of Syria, the same method that was used to break up Yugoslavia in the 1990’s. The rebels are supported and have been trained by the West to start a war against Syria.  It started in 2011 where demonstrations (inspired by the Arab Spring) were either for or against President Assad.  Those that were against Assad demanded his resignation.  That is what started the civil war.  Now the West is capitalizing on the situation that is tearing Syria apart.  France is now on board with the United States and Israel to invade Syria.  In a New York Times report called ‘France Urges ‘Force’ in Syria if Chemical Attacks are Confirmed’ states that France wants a full scale invasion if chemical weapons were used:

As Western powers pressed the Syrian authorities to permit United Nations inspectors to examine the site of a claimed poison gas attack outside the capital, Damascus, France said on Thursday that outside powers should respond “with force” if the use of chemical weapons was confirmed.

The recent terrorist attacks in Lebanon are to create divisions among the Sunni and Shiites as well.  Is it a coincidence that Lebanon is now experiencing more terror attacks in recent weeks as Egypt and Syria are facing civil wars and sectarian violence?  On Friday more than 42 people were killed and hundreds more injured as car bombs explode targeting 2 mosques in Tripoli, the largest city in Northern Lebanon.  There was also a car bomb explosion that targeted Southern Lebanon where Hezbollah members and supporters live.  It killed more than 20 people and injured well over 200.  The Lebanon based Daily Star reported that Lebanese President Michel Sleiman blamed Israel for the attack:

President Michel Sleiman said the car bomb attack in the Beirut southern suburbs was a “terrorist act” that bore the fingerprints of Israel. 

The car bomb attack in the Beirut southern suburb of Ruwaiss –  a stronghold of Hezbollah- claimed the lives of at least 16 people and wounded over 200. Security sources earlier put the death toll at 22.  

“This is a criminal act that bears the fingerprints of terrorism and Israel and is aimed to destabilize Lebanon and deal a blow to the resilience of the Lebanese,” Sleiman said.

President Sleiman is blaming Israel for the attack which would make sense because it would benefit Israel if Lebanon was in a civil war.  The Israeli online newspaper Haaretz reported that a group calling itself the ‘Brigades of Aisha’ was responsible for the attack:

A Sunni Islamist group calling itself the Brigades of Aisha claimed responsibility for a deadly explosion in southern Beirut, saying it targeted the militant group Hezbollah and promising more attacks.

The powerful car bomb ripped through a neighborhood that is a stronghold of the militant group Hezbollah on Thursday, killing at least 14 people, wounding 120 and trapping many others in burning buildings, witnesses and emergency officials said.

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman said Israel was behind the blast. “The fingerprints of the Israeli terrorism are all over it. Their goal is to destabilize the region and undermine the steadfastness of the Lebanese people.” Druze leader Walid Jumblatt also attributed the blast to Israel, as did former Hezbollah MP.

It’s the second such blast in just over a month in south Beirut. Groups opposed to Syria’s President Bashar Assad have threatened to retaliate against Hezbollah for intervening on behalf of his regime in the Syrian civil war.

It is perfect timing that a newly formed rebel group out of the Syrian conflict emerged to strike Southern Lebanon, a Hezbollah dominated territory while Egypt and Syria are fighting internal conflicts.

Egypt is a country that has largest population in the Middle East with over 80 million people.  It also benefits Israel if Egypt was ruled by a military dictatorship to control the people.  Why does Israel prefer a military dictatorship in Egypt?  According to the Pew Research Center poll in 2012 say that 61% of Egyptians want to end the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.  The Los Angeles Times reported that Israel would prefer a Military government.  Why?  The answer is obvious:

Worried about its 1979 peace treaty with Egypt, Israel is skirting a fine line between maintaining its usual silence on the unrest in its neighbor and openly supporting Egypt’s military-led government, which many in Israel view as the best bet for keeping a quiet border.

On July 3rd, General Abdul Fatah al-Sisi and the Egyptian military removed President Mohamed Morsi in a coup that suspended the Egyptian constitution after ongoing public protests against the government of Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood.  The British based newspaper The Independent reported that General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called for mass demonstrations to crack down on terrorists.  It was to justify military rule in wake of the overthrow of President Morsi.  The report said that “A decisive confrontation may be looming between Egypt’s military and the Muslim Brotherhood after General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the country’s top commander, issued an unprecedented call for mass demonstrations on Friday to grant his forces a “mandate” to crack down on “terrorism”.  Many opposition groups and human rights organizations opposed this move because it reinstated the military over civilian rule on the Egyptians.  Israel wants to make sure that the military would remain in power with unlimited Western support.   An Israeli official clarified its position to the Los Angeles Times on the ongoing violence in Egypt:

The official said that Israel would begin lobbying Western governments with the message that the military is the only actor in Egypt that can prevent a civil war. “Like it or not, no one else can run the country right now,” the official said.

This concerns the Israeli government, but if the Egyptian military remains in power, then Israel can continue to destabilize and then prepare military interventions against their enemies, namely Syria, Lebanon and then Iran.

The civil war in Egypt will continue to escalate as the Western sponsored Military Junta takes control of the country.  Egypt has been receiving close to 1.5 billion dollars in Military Aid from the US since 1981, only behind Israel who receives close to 3 billion dollars per year.  Israel is the top recipient of US military aid since 1976.

The United States, Great Britain, France and Israel are preparing the region for the next war.  Iran is the ultimate target in the Middle East.  Israel wants to topple Iranian influence and its power.  Israel is confident that if it were to attack Iran, its response would last a few days at most.  The Times of Israel released a report stating that “Iran is unlikely to unleash a war in response to a military strike on its nuclear facilities” according to Strategic Affairs and Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz.  The article titled ‘Iran would barely retaliate if its nuclear program were attacked’ states that Steinitz estimates that Iran would retaliate with “two or three days of missile fire” against the State of Israel and other Western targets in the region, including US military bases.  He says that it will only cause “very limited damage.” The Israeli government has no faith in Iran’s new President Hasan Rouhani because he will “offer minor goodwill steps” according to the Times.  Israel wants to strike Iran while the US is aiming towards a confrontation with Syria with new claims that the Assad government used chemical weapons.  It is also convenient that Egypt’s civil war will continue to create chaos in the country. In an interview with the Times of Israel, Steinitz mentioned what would happen after an attack on Iran:

And I don’t think the result would be a world war or even a regional war,” the Likud minister added. “I think Iran’s possibilities to retaliate are very limited. It’s also not in their interest to start a drawn-out war with the US. After all, their relations in the region are rather sensitive. I suppose there would be a response of two or three days of missile fire, perhaps even on Israel, on American bases in the Gulf. But I don’t think it would be more than that — very limited damage

But the Times of Israel admits that statement is a contradiction:

Steinitz’s assessment contradicted previous estimations of some Israeli government ministers, who said they expected hundreds of casualties in an Iranian retaliatory response if Israel attacked Iran.

Former home front defense minister Matan Vilnai last year spoke about possibly hundreds of rockets and missiles falling on Israeli population centers each day, with anticipated 500 deaths. “It could be that there will be fewer fatalities, but it could be there will be more,” he said. Former defense minister Ehud Barak made similar assessments.

Iran would retaliate.  If Iran were to be attacked by Israel, the Iranian people would no doubt rally behind the flag in defense of their country. “There is no third way, there is nothing in the middle, there is no more room to maneuver. Enough is enough.”  Steinitz is pushing for war with Iran because it is confident several Western powers including Saudi Arabia would back its attack on the Islamic Republic.

He believes that an Israeli attack on Iran could cripple Iran “within a few hours.”  The report also said that Israel does not need permission to attack Iran from the U.S.:

Steinitz refused to talk about potential Israeli plans for a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, but he did reject reports about Washington vetoing an attack. “Israel doesn’t need a green light or a red light,” he said, noting that US President Barack Obama has said the Jewish state needs to be able to defend itself by itself. “Between Israel and the US there is a relationship of mutual respect.”

The Times of Israel also stated:

Promises by American leaders that Tehran will not be allowed to get an atomic bomb, and their statements “that all options are on the table,” are insufficient, he said. Rather, the US or NATO need to issue an explicit ultimatum, with a deadline, that makes plain that if Tehran does not comply with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, Iran “shouldn’t be surprised” if its nuclear facilities are attacked.

It is misleading to think that Iran and other Middle Eastern nations would not be able to retaliate militarily.  Iran and Hezbollah are prepared for such a confrontation with Israel, a nation that has one of the most advanced military capabilities in the Middle East with US support.  However, the 2006 confrontation did not prove the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) were capable of defeating the Guerilla tactics of Hezbollah.  Steinitz and the Likud party are dishonest to the Israeli people.  A war with Iran would be a catastrophe to the entire region especially Israel.  All of the people in the Middle East would be outraged that would result in a “blowback” of unlimited proportions against Israel and the United States.  Iran also has the capability of closing the Strait of Hormuz.  The Strait of Hormuz is where close to 40% of the world’s petroleum ships through.  In a report conducted by the U.S. Energy Information Administration called ‘World Oil Transit Chokepoints’ clearly defines the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz:

Located between Oman and Iran, the Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. The Strait of Hormuz is the world’s most important oil chokepoint due to its daily oil flow of about 17 million bbl/d in 2011, up from between 15.7-15.9 million bbl/d in 2009-2010. Flows through the Strait in 2011 were roughly 35 percent of all seaborne traded oil, or almost 20 percent of oil traded worldwide. More than 85 percent of these crude oil exports went to Asian markets, with Japan, India, South Korea, and China representing the largest destinations. In addition, Qatar exports about 2 trillion cubic feet per year of liquefied natural gas (LNG) through the Strait of Hormuz, accounting for almost 20 percent of global LNG trade. Furthermore, Kuwait imports LNG volumes that travel northward through the Strait of Hormuz. These flows totaled about 100 billion cubic feet per year in 2010.

An attack on Iran would be an economic disaster for the world.  Remember, oil exports from Kuwait, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia must go through the Strait of Hormuz on a daily basis.  Iran’s oil output would stop immediately effecting oil prices overnight.  China and India’s economic growth would be disrupted because they depend on Iranian oil.  But the US and Israel will continue its march to war.  They want to control the Middle East.  They already control the Gulf States including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar.  All ruled by corrupt Monarchies with an ‘Iron Fist’ under the direction of the US, Israel and British governments.  Turkey and Jordan is also under Western control.  Iraq has been invaded and destroyed with frequent atrocities committed by both Sunnis and Shiites every month through sectarian violence.  Under Israeli occupation Palestine has broken up into two main areas the West Bank and the Gaza Strip where Palestinians live under constant tyranny and discrimination.

What stands in the way of the Western powers and Israel from taking control of the entire Middle East that has valuable resources that includes petroleum and water? Lebanon, Syria and Iran are the main obstacles for total domination of the region.  Russia and China can prevent the West from expanding a war in the Middle East.  They understand what serious consequences this would have politically and economically. Both countries have economic interests in the Middle East for trade, oil and other investments that they need to grow economically.  Divide and Conquer has been used since the Roman Empire under Julius Caesar when the Roman army invaded Macedonia and ousted King Perseus.  Macedonia was then divided into four regions that were not allowed any political or economic relationships with one another.  That is how Rome ruled the people.  Syria, Lebanon and Iran are the last obstacles for Western domination of the region.  ‘Divide and Conquer’ is the strategy, and then perpetual war will follow.  War in the Middle East will affect all nations on the planet.  The world must stop this war.  If Israel and the United States attack Iran, then Russia and China would be the next targets.  It is obvious with U.S. military bases surrounding both countries.  The United States is an empire who wants to dominate the world and its resources.  The question is when will the world say “enough is enough” to Imperial powers trying to start another world war?  The US is now in preparation to strike Syrian military targets if UN inspectors declare chemical weapons were used.  If Syria is defeated, then it could become another Iraq or Libya.  Then a future attack on Iran is inevitable.