Over 50 employees of the US state Department has signed an internal Memorandum urging the administration of President Barack Obama to authorize the application of military strikes on the positions of Bashar Assad’s regime to stop the violations of the truce achieved after a five-year internal conflict, the newspaper the New York Times, which received the draft Memorandum from the representative of the foreign Ministry.
In the document officials of the state Department noted that the incessant attacks of the government forces, breaking a cease-fire, did not result in any punishment to Assad – so he doesn’t feel any motivation to finally start negotiating with the moderate opposition. The continued bombing of the civilian population by the Damascus are “the root cause of instability in Syria and the region as a whole,” the text says.
The signatories recognize that diplomatic efforts to resolve the situation in Syria under the leadership of John Kerry failed, and emphasize its deep disappointment at the attitude of Obama towards a dictatorship that killed 400 thousand people.
The publication notes that the step that urged Obama officials, would be a radical shift in the approach of Washington to the war in Syria, however, there is no indication that the President plans to change the selected course. (Recall that it is the desire to use every opportunity to negotiate with Russia, Iran and Damascus ceasefire — Newsader).
The newspaper reminds that a special channel over which diplomats could formally Express their disagreement with the policy of the White house and the leadership of the state Department, was formed during the Vietnam war. The presence of the “opposition mindset” among employees of the Department of state is commonplace, however, the newspaper said, the current statement is unprecedented, in terms of number of signatories: 51 people agreed with the text that carries the smithereens White house policy on Syria.
Nearly all signatories — mid-level officials, many of whom were involved in the implementation of the policy on Syria, provodilas administration for the past five years.
Kerry himself insisted on the strengthening of the American pressure on Damascus, including in order to achieve in the end a diplomatic solution to Assad. The President, however, continues to provide resistance to the supporters of such approach.
State Department spokesman John Kirby refused to comment on the situation with the statement of state Department officials, however, said that Kerry respects to this mechanism as an opportunity for diplomats “openly and privately to Express to the senior management their opinions regarding policy.
For its part, the former U.S. Ambassador to Syria, Robert S. Ford said that “many people working in the state Department the Syrian direction, have long been calling for tougher policy against the Assad government” to advance negotiations on the establishment of a new government in the country. Ford himself, now occupying a post of senior research fellow at the Middle East Institute, in 2014, resigned because of disagreement with the policy of the White house to intervene in the Syrian conflict.
The authors of the Memorandum recognized that military actions will involve risks including increased tensions with Russia, which intervened in the war on the side of Assad. This tension intensified, as the day before, on Thursday, Moscow has conducted air strikes in southern Syria against the Americans supported the rebels fighting against ISIS, as stated by a senior military of the United States. In this regard, the signatories stress that I do not advocate the operation, “which will lead to military confrontation with Russia,” and urged the White house to ensure that he has threatened Assad’s real military actions – in order to force Damascus to respect the ceasefire and to work on the transition process.
The authors of the Memorandum stress that military action against Assad could help in the fight against “Islamic state” because it would strengthen the position of moderate Sunnis who oppose ISIS.
The newspaper writes that the Memorandum was published a week after Assad has clearly shown a disregard for the position of the United States and its allies, having promised once again to regain control of “every inch” of the territory of Syria. The author comes to the conclusion that the cease-fire over the negotiations on which they fought the Secretary of state (and which was concluded at the end of February — Newsader), never really worked, and Assad continues to block humanitarian convoys.
“There is a huge disillusionment with politics on the Syrian issue, ” said Andrew J. Tabler, expert on Syria at the Washington Institute for near East policy. The situation became critical after the deep recession in the negotiation process not only between the US and Russia, but between Assad and the opposition.”
The newspaper reminds that last month Kerry rejected speculation that the United States and its allies pledged not to use force to stop the bombing and ensure the civilian population’s access to humanitarian assistance. According to Secretary of state, the confidence of Assad in the absence of a plan “B” would take him to the false belief in impunity of his actions.
NYT recalls a situation of 2013, when Obama threatened Assad with military force in case of use of chemical weapons against the opposition, and then retreated from his words. Kerry then showed the state Department report, which stated (as it now appears, quite correctly — Newsader) that the failure of the US military action will be considered by Damascus as a carte Blanche for further violence against their fellow citizens.
Now, three years later, the position of a number of officials at the State Department has not changed.
“It is time for the United States, guided by strategic interests and moral beliefs, to make a massive effort to put an end to this conflict once and for all,” reads the Memorandum.
Yesterday it was reported that U.S. Secretary of state John Kerry lashed out at Russia in connection with the situation around the ceasefire in Syria, accusing Moscow-backed regime of Bashar al-Assad in violation of agreements on cease-fire and threatening Assad’s personal responsibility for their actions. “Russia must understand that our patience is not limitless, and that applies to whether Assad is brought to justice, it’s almost over”, – quotes the words of the official “Voice of America”.
According to the diplomat, “the cessation of hostilities is not working and is under threat” because of the Kremlin and Damascus, which are still trying to repulse the rebels the strategic town of Aleppo. In this regard, Kerry hinted that the United States will resort to the previously voiced plan “B” which is in qualitative expansion of the supply of arms to the rebels, including anti-aircraft.
“If we’re not given a more precise explanation of how will be this truce, we will not stand idly by while Assad continues the assault on Aleppo, and Russia continues to maintain it,” Kerry said yesterday at a press conference in Oslo.
In April Newsader citing the WSJ reported that the rebels would receive from the United States and their middle Eastern partners for more serious weapons, including anti-aircraft, if achieved at the end of February, the truce will be broken by the regime of Bashar al-Assad and its allies in Russia and Iran. It was noted that new weapons will enable the moderate Syrian opposition to military attack both the enemy aircraft and artillery. The Kremlin pointed to the threat which will undergo Russian pilots in case of further escalation of violence in the region. About this during a personal meeting with representatives of the Kremlin said Secretary of state John Kerry and CIA Director John Brennan, who visited Moscow in March.
