by Stephen Lendman

Washington-backed so-called "Friends" won't tolerate resolving Syrian violence peacefully. How can they when America, rogue NATO partners, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and other regional despots incited it, fund it, arm it, and continue it.

The name of the game is regime change, not peace. Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and current UN head Ban Ki-moon are active players.

Annan's sham peace plan is cover to mask it. Both support imperial dominance. For a decade as Secretary-General, Annan violated his own charter mandate.

Global wars raged throughout his tenure. He did nothing to stop them. He served imperial aggressors, not victims.

His successor Ban's no different. Like Annan, his record reflects failure and betrayal. He's complicit in Western war crimes. So was Annan. Ban picked up on Syria where he left off after leaving office on December 31, 2006.

He didn't miss a beat. He and Annan are part of the problem, not the solution. Since January 1, 2007, he's been a reliable imperial tool. He supported NATO and killer gangs in Libya. He ignored grievous crimes of war and against humanity. He blames Assad for Western generated violence in Syria.

On April 6, he did again. A UN statement in his name said:

"The Secretary-General strongly condemns the latest escalation of violence. He deplores the assault by the Syrian authorities against innocent civilians, including women and children, despite the commitments by the Government of Syria to cease all use of heavy weapons in population centres."

"The 10 April timeline to fulfill the Government’s implementation of its commitments, as endorsed by the Security Council, is not an excuse for continued killing."

"Such actions violate the consensus position of the Security Council, as expressed in its Presidential Statement of 5 April, for a peaceful political settlement to the Syrian crisis to be ushered by full implementation of all aspects of the Joint Special Envoy’s six-point proposal."

"The Syrian authorities remain fully accountable for grave violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. These must stop at once."

"The Secretary-General demands that the Government of Syria immediately and unconditionally cease all military actions against the Syrian people."

"He reiterates that it is the responsibility of the Syrian authorities to now deliver on what they have promised, and to implement, fully and unconditionally, all the commitments under the six-point plan of Joint Special Envoy Annan."

The imperial blame game holds victims responsible for aggressor crimes. Not a word in Ban's statement points fingers the right way. It's appalling and duplicitous. It shows support for insurgent violence and Washington's regime change plans.

Denouncing Assad's responsibility to confront it is irresponsible, deplorable and hypocritical. It's also standard UN Secretary-General practice.

Sham April 10 Deadline

Establishing April 10 as a deadline for both sides to stop violence won't work because Washington won't let it. Killer gangs won't quit. Assad must respond. Syrians depend on him.

Damascus UN envoy Bashar al-Jafari said his government's committed to halt violence. However, Syria "demand(s) a guarantee that the militants will not fill the vacuum after the withdrawal of (government) troops." He won't get it, and he knows it. So does Assad.

April 10 will and come and go. Violence will continue. He's obligated to confront it. He'll do it responsibly and be blamed. Western intervention may follow. Washington's itching for another fight. Ousting Assad reflects longstanding plans.

On April 7, Syrians rallied supportively throughout the country. Celebrating the Baath Arab Socialist Party's 65th anniversary, they back Assad's reforms and resolve against Western generated violence.

Without naming names, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denounced those "egging on" Assad opponents, saying:

"In Syria they want to solve the conflict with the government by egging on the opposition. That's no way to reach a settlement."

"Even if the Syrian opposition is armed to teeth, it will not be able to beat the government forces. That is why they are relying on the involvement of external forces."

Assad didn't initiate violence. Nonetheless, he's committed to observe a ceasefire to stop it. How can he though when Washington, rogue NATO partners, and regional despots egg on killer gangs to continue it.

Nonviolence and stability defeat their regime change plans. As a result, expect protracted conflict and Assad alone blamed. He's right holding "armed terrorist gangs" responsible. They vow to keep fighting. On Saturday, they killed dozens more.

Falsified Satellite Images and Media Reports

On Friday, dubious US satellite photos purported to show Syrian artillery poised to strike residential areas. Whatever weapons may be shown don't reveal users. Scenes shown can be unrelated to reports.

Moreover, images are easily manipulated, especially Western and Israeli ones. They're either fake or distorted to provide false or misleading information.

So-called images and dubious reports about alleged Iraq WMDs were later revealed as lies. Yet Colin Powell told Security Council members:

"My colleagues, every statement I make today is backed up by sources, solid sources. These are not assertions. What we're giving you are facts and conclusions based on solid intelligence."

As for an alleged Iraq nuclear program, he added, there's "no doubt in my mind."

His accusations turned out to be bald-faced lies. Imperial accusations have no basis in fact, whether about Iraq, Libya, or now Syria and Iran. Everything claimed is falsified for other reasons. Regime change and unchallenged dominance are key. That's the name of the game, nothing else.

Throughout the conflict, Al Jazeera and Western media falsified reports on Syria. CNN was caught red-handed interviewing someone named Danny. As he waited to comment live, footage showed him directing fake off-stage gunfire and explosions. Wherever he was far from violence, he pretended to be in the middle of a war zone.

Al Jazeera's Ahmad Ibrahim directed its Syria coverage. Viewers weren't told his brother Anas al-Abdeh is a leading Syrian National Council (SNC) member.

The Qatar-run channel also supplied opposition gangs with satellite communication phones and other equipment. In other words, it's part of the insurgency, not a legitimate news source.

It operated the same way in Libya, and downplays Bahraini violence. Like Annan and Ban, it's part of the problem, not the solution. So are CNN and other major media scoundrels.

At times, they pay sources to lie. They air footage unrelated to stories covered. They lie for power. Viewers are betrayed. Most don't know it. Wars result. Mass death and destruction follow. People are brutalized and exploited.

Media scoundrels bear major responsibility. They have blood on their hands. Instead of objectively reporting news, they distort or invent it. Propaganda substitutes for truth and full disclosure. Falsified US TV reports don't rise to the level of B film scripts, but viewers believe it. That's all that matters and what follows.

Body counts mount. Post-9/11, ones America's responsible for number millions. Media scoundrels don't explain. Instead they cheerlead what legitimate news sources denounce.

A Final Comment

On Friday, Syria's government wrote identical letters to US Security Council president Susan Rice and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

They'll fall on deaf ears and blind eyes, but nonetheless state:

"The terrorist acts committed by the armed terrorist groups in Syria have increased during the last few days, particularly after reaching an understanding on Kofi Annan's plan."

"In addition to the bombings whose preliminary evidence revealed the involvement of al-Qaeda members and the crimes committed by the other armed terrorist groups, instigation was escalated by some sides who claim care for Syria and making the UN Special Envoy's mission a success, while at the same time acting contrary to Annan's plan and the return of security and stability to Syria."

"The outcome of some meetings recently held indicated that the main goal of their participants was to shed more Syrian blood to the extent that some of them announced establishing funds to finance and arm these groups which we have already provided you with proofs in previous letters of their acts of killing, violence and terrorism."

Syria provided Arab League monitors proof of terror gang crimes. It called on member states to stop them. It's doing it again now. Nonviolence can't happen without both sides cooperating and international support.

Russia said Syrians alone must resolve their conflict free from outside interference. Washington, rogue NATO partners, and complicit regional despots have other ideas.

Expect intensified violence, Assad blamed, and Western intervention. All signs point that way. It won't be the first time or last.

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/.