A recent US Senate hearing with testimony from retired US Army General John M. Keane shows the “pit bull on a chain” mentality of US Military leaders, and displays the US policy of deception and manipulation of public opinion.
The US Strategy Until Now
The recent multinational anti-terror operation led by Russia at the request of the Syrian government has dealt the United States and its narrative regarding its own military intervention in Syria a severe blow.
It has become abundantly clear that not only has the United States been arming and funding terrorists inside Syria, including groups operating in tandem with organizations like Al Qaeda’s Al Nusra Front, it also appears that the US has feigned opposition against the so-called “Islamic State” (ISIS/ISIL) while actually supporting it.
While the US issues false claims about fighting ISIS in Syria, just last year talking points circulated about instead “containing” the terrorist organization within Syria – essentially letting it ravage the country, degrade the fighting capacity of the Syrian government and hopefully, lead to the collapse of Damascus. The US is not against working with terrorist organizations in order to degrade existing lawful governments and establish western control of the defeated countries.
The Brookings Institution (a corporate-financier funded think-tank whose policymakers have helped engineer much of America’s plans to be the one-world global power) issued a report titled, “The Big Questions on ISIS.” It stated:
Should we defeat ISIS? Rather than defeat, containing their activities within failed or near-failing states is the best option for the foreseeable future. Without a stable Middle East, terror groups will continue to find safe haven; if not in western Iraq or Afghanistan, then in Yemen or Somalia. The Middle East and Africa have no shortage of ungoverned or poorly governed territories. The current strategy of prolonged engagement, development and training of local militias, logistic support and air strikes against real targets (i.e., Syria’s national military) may be the best solution after all.
This is war mongering double talk used to disguise the plans of the US to covertly use terrorists to do its dirty work to undermine regimes to fail, then blame the terrorists while the US takes control of the countries. “Prolonged engagement” means supporting the US-backed terrorists to slowly undermine and wear down Assad’s regime, thus establishing another US Military outpost to further surround and intimidate Russia.
The US claims ISIS is somehow mysteriously self-sustaining. But the truth is, ISIS itself was created and is supported by the US to violently overthrow the Syrian government. Overthrowing Assad’s government in Syria is part of US strategy to continue surrounding Russia with military bases. Russia is the real target. And once Russia is tamed, the next target is China.
But as abhorrent as it is to create, unleash, and “contain” a terrorist threat within a targeted nation to ravage it, the US seems ready to stoop lower still.
Using Refugees as Human Shields
With Russia and its allies getting rid of terrorist groups operating within Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, and making moves to cut them off from their foreign sponsors, the strategy of waging a proxy war as the US has been doing through Al Qaeda, Al Nusra, and ISIS is no longer viable.
At a recent US Senate hearing on Russian strategy and military operations, sitting US Senators, retired generals and representatives from various think-tanks and lobbying groups attempted to produce a response to Russia’s most recent move.
Rather than interpreting Russia’s actions as a welcomed addition to the supposed “War on Terror,” the hearing appeared to interpret the entire Syrian conflict as a mere pawn in a wider proxy war Washington clearly believes it is waging against Moscow. Those attending the hearing admitted to the deterioration of American foreign policy, its global legitimacy and credibility, and the diminishing returns US State Department media operations are having worldwide.
In this context, many of the solutions regarding Syria centered not on how to stop ISIS or restore peace and stability to the country, but rather how to foil Russia’s military operations aimed at terrorist organizations and how to turn global public opinion against Moscow.
It was among these discussions that retired US Army General John Keane stated:
If we establish free zones – you know, for moderate opposition forces – but also sanctuaries for refugees, that gets world opinion support rather dramatically. If Putin is going to attack that, then world opinion is definitely against him. You take this issue right off the table in terms of why he’s in Syria and if you’re doing that [attacking free zones] and contributing to the migration that’s taking place by aggressive military actions, then world opinion will have some rather – I think – significant impact on him.
Never mind that the so-called “moderate opposition forces” are actually a branch of the terrorists like ISIS. One must wonder – if players among US policy circles believe Syrian refugees should be used as pawns (human shields) to generate hatred toward Russia in Syria itself, are they not also using refugees as pawns to flood Europe and blame the epic migration on Assad’s government instead of the real cause – US-backed terrorists (Al-Queda, ISIS, etc.) driving them from their homelands. In this the US is waging direct war on the Syrian government itself.
While ISIS begins repositioning its weapons and fighters in mosques and other heavily populated areas to use human shields to evade Russian airstrikes, a prominent retired US general is suggesting CIA trained terrorists likewise be repositioned within protected “free zones” using refugees as human shields to also evade Russian airstrikes.
It should also be noted that America’s proposed “free zone” is located in precisely ISIS’ last remaining supply corridor leading from Turkey. Should Syrian and Russian forces finally seal off the border, ISIS’ fighting capacity within northern and eastern Syria would quickly collapse. But the US claims ownership of that air space, and considers any other nation trespassers if they wander into the area. The US is literally at war 24-7 with any of the world’s nations that haven’t capitulated to US domination.
A Dangerous Policy Born of Desperation
Keane’s testimony, provided by the official US Senate’s website (pdf), also includes the following points:
Putin has begun a proxy war with the U.S. when Russian combat aircraft struck, continuously, moderate rebel forces trained by the CIA. This was no accident, targets were provided by the Syrian regime and they were accurate. How can the U.S. stand by and do nothing? U.S. military should have been given the mission to retaliate. Options likely to be considered among others: crater the Al Assad runway, establish free zones that are sanctuaries for refugees, strike Assad’s helicopter fleet that is barrel bombing, just to name a few.
Advise Russia that the U.S. and the coalition will conduct air operations anytime, anywhere in Syria and that they (Russia) should stay out of our way if they want to avoid confrontation.
The hubris and exceptionalist mentality of the US generals (mindless, slobbering pit bulls on chains) think warfare is fun. It is what they live for, and they have no ethics against destroying complete countries.
Similar testimony and agreement was also provided by retired US Marine Corps General and former USMC Commandant James Jones, as well as Heather Conley and Stephen Sestanovich representing a milieu of corporate-financier funded policy think-tanks. Their talking points can be heard echoing across the summation of American and European policy circles and in turn, repeated faithfully by the Western media.
Besides American hegemony, what purpose would “cratering” Syria’s airbase serve? It would have absolutely no effect in the battle against ISIS. Would it be worth triggering a potential war with Russia to protect militants the entire world has come to understand are in fact terrorists?
That US policymakers and politicians don’t bother with these questions before they propose such “solutions.” The world is getting some insight into the intellectual and moral void within America’s ruling elite – which is showing the deterioration of American influence, power, and legitimacy globally.
US perfidy and glaring lies will most likely not turn world opinion against Russia. The practiced liars across the western media is already causing a terminal crisis of credibility. General Keane’s suggestions, if taken seriously, will only further compound America’s unraveling global primacy.
For American policymakers, they may want to explore the qualities that actually make a nation great, rather than qualities useful in only creating a false illusion of greatness.
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