by Stephen Lendman

Israel and America are longstanding imperial partners. They spurn international laws. They do so repeatedly. They ignore their own.

They jointly plan and wage wars. Israel's attack on Syria was a joint US/Israeli provocation. Haaretz's military correspondent Amos Harel suggested it, saying:

"The (US) administration officials' familiarity with the nature of the Syrian targets seems to indicate that there had been advance coordination with Israel, and make the attacks look more and more like part of a larger campaign that isn't over yet."

Israel's weekend attacks were lawless acts of aggression. Post-WW I, the League of Nations failed to prevent them. So did Kellogg-Briand.

In August 1928, America, Germany France, Britain, Italy, Japan, and nine other nations signed on.

It promised wars would no longer resolve "disputes or conflicts of whatever nature or of whatever origin they may be, which may arise among them."

Violators "should be denied the benefits furnished by this treaty."

Article 8 of the 1933 Montevideo Convention of Rights and Duties says "No state has the right to intervene in the internal or external affairs of another."

Under Article 10, differences between states "should be settled by recognized pacific methods."

Article 11 calls sovereign state territory "inviolable...."

The 1950 Nuremberg Principles defined crimes against peace to include:

"(i) Planning, preparation, initiation or waging of a war of aggression or a war in violation of international treaties, agreements or assurances; (and)

(ii) Participation in a common plan or conspiracy for the accomplishment of any of the acts mentioned under (i)."

On June 26, 1945, the UN Charter was signed. On October 24, it became effective. It failed "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war…."

Fundamental principles have been ignored. They require all Members to "settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered."

"All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations."

Article 51 permits armed force only in self-defense against externally generated aggression until the Security Council acts. It has final say.

Under no circumstances may one nation, or combination thereof, intervene against another without lawful Security Council authorization. Doing so is lawless aggression.

Belligerents like America and Israel put their own priorities above international laws. They ignore their own as it suits them. Wars rage without end. New ones are planned.

Washington wages permanent ones. Peace is a four-letter word. Israel's a longstanding imperial partner. Attacking Syria is their latest provocation.

They acted without justification. Doing so reflects naked aggression. Expect Washington, rogue NATO allies, and regional partners to take full advantage.

Ravaging and destroying Syria is their latest project. They're well along toward accomplishing it.

On May 5, Syria's cabinet held an extraordinary session. Premier Wael al-Halqi chaired it. Participants condemned Israeli aggression.

A formal statement said:

"The Israeli enemy committed early Sunday morning May 5th, 2013 a flagrant aggression against the Syrian Arab Republic using missiles to shell military facilities in a blatant violation of all the rules of the international law paying no heed to all the relevant commitments."

"The Syrian government stresses that this aggression opens the door wide for all the possibilities, especially that it undoubtedly shows the scale of the organic link between the constituents of the war on Syria, along with their Takfiri terrorist tools, and the Zionism."

"The countries supporting Israel should know quite well that our people and state do not accept disgrace, and that Israel and its agents in the region can't stand alone and tamper with the regional security and the peoples' future."

"The government stresses the necessity that the army continue its achievements in combating Israel's tools inside, and that it will always be its right to protect the homeland, the state and the people against any internal or external aggression by all means."

A formal UN complaint said:

"The blatant Israeli aggression has the aim to provide direct military support to the terrorist groups after they failed to control territory."

"This leaves no room for doubt Israel is the beneficiary, the mover and sometime the executor of the terrorist acts which Syria is witnessing and which target it as a state and people directly or through its tools inside."

"Israel's continuation to carry out its aggressive acts would increase tension in the region and drag it into a large-scale regional war that would threaten peace and security in the region and the world."

While stressing its right to defend itself , its land and sovereignty, the Syrian Arab Republic demands that the international Security Council shoulder its responsibilities to stop the Israeli aggression on Syria and prevent its recurrence and prevent the deterioration of the situation in the region so as not to go out of control."

Ban Ki-moon showed which side he's on. He's a reliable imperial tool. He failed to condemn naked aggression. It didn't surprise. A UN spokesman said:

"The Secretary-General calls on all sides to exercise maximum calm and restraint, and to act with a sense of responsibility to prevent an escalation of what is already a devastating and highly dangerous conflict."

The spokesman added:

"The United Nations (is not) in a position to independently verify what has occurred."

Ban's entire tenure reflects betrayal and failure. He shamelessly supports what demands condemnation. He repeatedly violates his own Charter.

He's a reliable imperial partner. He scorns human rights and rule of law principles. He ignores Western and Israeli crimes of war and against humanity.

He supports wrong over right. He does so repeatedly. He shares culpability with America, NATO and Israel.

He has buckets of blood on his hands. History won't forgive or forget.

Multiple Israeli bombings were clear provocations. They appear to be dress rehearsal prelude for what's planned.

Washington, Israel, and rogue NATO partners hope Syria will make it easy to do so. They dare Assad to respond. Full-scale US-led NATO intervention would likely follow.

Expect it regardless of his response. Pretexts are easy to invent. They're used to justify the unjustifiable. False flags are commonplace. They're a US/Israeli tradition.

Perhaps something big is planned. It won't surprise if Washington and/or Israel launch an attack blamed on Syria.

It's business as usual rogue state policy. It provide pretexts for aggressive wars to follow. Be suspicious of incidents going forward.

On May 5, the Washington Post headlined "Reported Israeli airstrikes in Syria could accelerate US decision process," saying:

The Obama administration "already (has been) moving toward a sharp escalation of US involvement…." A decision could come in weeks or sooner.

Options include "US aircraft and missiles to ground (Assad's) air power by destroying planes, runways and missile sites inside Syria."

Obama's national security team "favor(s) increased involvement, and their views are gaining momentum despite the caution expressed by (his) political advisors, according to a senior Western official whose government has closely coordinated its Syria policy with Washington and who spoke before the reported Israeli strikes."

"The official discussed sensitive diplomatic assessments on the condition of anonymity."

"Even US lawmakers who have expressed reservations about stepped-up US involvement appeared to now see it as inevitable."

The New York Times suggested US intervention is coming.

"In Washington," it said, "the reported Israeli attacks stoked debate about whether American-led airstrikes were the logical next step to cripple the ability of the Syrian president to counter the rebel forces or use chemical weapons."

"That was already being discussed in secret by the United States, Britain and France in the days leading to the Israeli strikes, according to American and foreign officials involved in the discussions, with a model being the opening days of the attacks on Libya that ultimately drove (Gaddafi) from power."

The Foreign Policy Initiative (formerly the Project for the New American Century - PNAC) urges US intervention against Syria. It did so prior to Israeli attacks. It falsely accused Assad of using chemical weapons.

On May 5,Reuters headlined "UN has testimony that Syrian rebels used sarin gas: investigator."

Geneva-based "UN human rights investigators have gathered testimony from casualties of Syria's civil war and medical staff indicating that rebel forces have used the nerve agent sarin, one of the lead investigators said on Sunday."

"The United Nations independent commission of inquiry on Syria has not yet seen evidence of government forces having used chemical weapons…."

Obama lied saying Washington has "varying degrees of confidence" that Syria used sarin gas and perhaps other chemical weapons on its own people.

America and Israel often use banned weapons and munitions. On May 5, Russia Today said "Israel used 'a new type weapon,' " according to a "senior" official.

"When the explosion happened it felt like an earthquake," he said. "Then a giant golden mushroom of fire appeared. This tells us that Israel used depleted uranium shells."

"Several civilian factories and buildings were destroyed. The target was just an ordinary weapons warehouse. The bombing is an ultimatum to us - it has no strategic motivation."

"There was no valuable equipment at the site. It was removed after a previous attack on the facility. The military losses from this are negligible."

Most important is what follows. Washington's longstanding regime change plans remain unchanged. Replacing Assad with pro-Western puppet leadership is prioritized.

Full-scale US-led NATO intervention looms. Libya 2.0 appears most likely. It can come any time.

Syria's being systematically ravaged and destroyed. Expect conflict to continue until it's accomplished. Expect more war to follow. It's longstanding US policy.

-###-

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

His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity"

http://www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs Fridays 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

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

>http://www.dailycensored.com/profile-of-lawless-aggression/