It’s War Then!

 

The picture he drew is of a quick and limited attack against targets that the US will say are chemical weapons stockpiles, long-range missiles, and air force bases. But Washington does not expect the strike to turn into a broader regional or international confrontation, betting that Assad – and his backers, Iran and Russia – will absorb the blow without any major response.

 

But who can guarantee such an outcome? Who can say for sure that it will not turn into something much broader? Who can be certain that it will not open the gates of hell on everyone involved?

The Western press is not allowed to talk about the reasons behind this sudden urge by Washington and its allies to intervene militarily in Syria, but they are very simple: Assad is winning despite the best efforts of his opponents and their powerful international and regional backers.

The opposition’s most recent bid to sweep through the coastal Latakia region, for example, has ended in failure, unless the “rebels” get points for the horrific sectarian massacres they committed against civilians in the area’s towns and villages, before being driven out by the army.

 

Now it’s time to play the chemical weapons card, which the US and Israel have been working on for quite some time, and have prepared a bank of Syrian military targets to take out under the guise of preventing the use of this deadly weapon by the regime, perhaps clearing the way for opposition ground forces to take the whole of Aleppo, re-enter the coastal region, and possibly force their way into the heart of Damascus.

 

The US may not be thinking about retreating, but it is certainly weighing the cost of any steps forward. Meanwhile, Russia has patiently held up a ladder throughout the crisis, giving Washington the option to climb down, fearing that such an escalation – even if it is well-planned – could easily lead to a broader cataclysm that is to no one’s advantage.