by Stephen Lendman

The Western-sponsored Syrian National Coalition (SNC) lacks legitimacy. It’s an artificial construct. It operates extrajudicially.

It's a rogue outlaw gang. It supports war. It abhors peaceful conflict resolution. It wants Assad toppled. It wants governance subservient to Western interests replacing him.

It's anti-democratic. It wants diktat rule. It wants Syrian sovereignty destroyed. It wants Syrians having no say over who'll lead them. It represents what the great majority of Syrians oppose.

It doesn't matter. Obama wants another imperial trophy. He intends war to get it.

On September 22,Russia Today (RT) headlined "Syrian National Coalition to attend Geneva 2 if transitional government on table."

On July 6, Ahmad Jarba became SNC's new president. He replaced acting head George Sabra. He succeeded Mouaz al-Khatib.

He resigned over lack of enough international support, internal divisions, and disarray among "rebel" factions.

According to the Economist, "there is little reason to believe (Jarba) will wield more influence than his successor(s)."

On September 22, Reuters headlined "Syrian opposition group says willing to attend Geneva talks," saying:

"In a letter to the UN Security Council dated September 19, seen by Reuters, SNC President Ahmad Jarba said the coalition 'reaffirms its willingness to engage in a future Geneva Conference.' "

"But 'all parties must agree that the purpose of the conference will be the establishment of a transitional government with full executive powers.' "

"The SNC has insisted that Assad play no role in a transitional authority."

Jarba's letter "called on the UN Security Council to make any resolution on a Assad's chemical weapons subject to (UN Charter) 'Chapter 7¦which could authorize the use of force in case of non-compliance."

Separately he said:

"(E)nding the killing of Syrian people is only possible by stopping the regime's war machine and barring it from using its aviation, missiles and artillery, and depriving it of its chemical weapons."

Syria agreed to Geneva II dialogue with no preconditions. SNC officials rejected peace talks earlier.

Now they accept them conditionally. Assad won't step down. Syrians elected him. They have sole right to decide who'll lead them.

Russia wants Syria's conflict resolved diplomatically. It rejects Chapter VII military force authorization. According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov:

"The resolution of the Security Council, which will approve the decision of the OPCW (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) executive council, will not be over Chapter 7."

"We said it distinctly in Geneva and the document that we agreed on says no single word about it."

"We may grab on to Chapter 7 every time somebody claims that the regime or the opposition used chemical weapons and encourage playing on emotions, which is unacceptable when taking serious decisions," he added.

"Or we may rely on professionals, who must evaluate thoroughly, impartially and objectively every piece of such information and report to the Security Council."

Russia prioritizes getting all parties to attend Geneva II with no preconditions. Assad agreed. Opposition elements haven't.

Moscow's prepared to set a date. "The (SNC) vocally opposed the Russian-American plan to destroy Syrian chemical weapons." said Lavrov.

They reject it "because they were expecting that the problem would be solved through a military intervention," he added.

"And they were disappointed after the intervention failed to materialize and the issue went to the strictly diplomatically-legal framework."

"The more often and louder statements from some capitals, including Washington, European and Middle-Eastern countries come saying that Assad is a criminal and that he has no place on Earth other than at The Hague Tribunal, the more defiant becomes this coalition, which claims the right to represent the entire Syrian people," he explained.

John Kerry insists Assad must go. So does Obama. On September 21, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes said:

Obama will address the General Assembly on Tuesday.

"He will reinforce the need for the international community to stand strongly against the use of chemical weapons, and continue to argue for a clear diplomatic process to put Assad's chemical weapons under international control and ultimately destroy them, including our support for a UN Security Council resolution that enforces consequences on the Assad regime should they fail to cooperate with the international community in that effort."

In other words, he wants Security Council Chapter VII authorization for war.

According to Rhodes, Syria's conflict must be resolved by "remov(ing) Assad from power."

"Our belief is that there should be a UN Security Council resolution and that that is necessary to ensure that there's a verifiable process and that there are consequences that are enforced upon the Assad regime should they fail to comply."

"(O)ur objectives (include) a UN Security Council resolution and to do so through Chapter 7."

"And so it's going to continue to be the position of the United States that in order to have a credible process where the actions of the Assad regime can be monitored, can be verified, and that there can be consequences for their non-compliance, we want to have a UN Security Council resolution."

"...I think this demonstrates how diplomacy backed by a credible threat of force can achieve an important objective of not just deterring chemical weapons use, but destroying chemical weapon stockpiles, and reinforcing the international prohibition against chemical weapons."

"...I think what was clear coming out of Geneva is that the Assad regime had to undertake a process that was verifiable and transparent to the international community and, frankly, that there had to be consequences."

In mid-September, Kerry and Lavrov announced an agreed on six-point plan:

(1) Syria will place its chemical weapons under international control.

(2) In one week, it will provide a "comprehensive" CW list.

(3) Extraordinary Chemical Weapons Convention procedures will be implemented to destroy them.

(4) Syria will give international inspectors full, "unfettered access" to all chemical weapons sites.

(5) All CWs must be destroyed by mid-2014. No precise date was stipulated.

(6) The UN will provide logistical support and compliance assurance with what's agreed on.

Terms exclude Chapter VII military force authorization. Rhodes lied saying "we made clear in the document in Geneva that we'd be pursuing a UN Security Council resolution and that it would be under Chapter 7."

"Our position is that Chapter 7 is necessary so that there are consequences, and so that there's enforcement for noncompliance by the Assad regime."

"Chapter 7 allows for a broad range of consequences for the Security Council to debate and determine."

"We would argue for the strongest possible enforcement, and that's our position."

"The President made very clear that in terms of the potential for US action, that remains on the table, particularly as we seek to deter the use of chemical weapons."

On September 23, 2009, Obama addressed the General Assembly. He did so for the first time. He prioritized "a new era of engagement with the world." He listed four fundamental pillars:

(1) "First, we must stop the spread of nuclear weapons, and seek the goal of a world without them."

(2) "the pursuit of peace."

(3) "(T)here will be no peace unless we take responsibility for the preservation of our planet."

(4) "a global economy that advances opportunity for all people."

In over four and a half years in office, Obama pursued polar opposite initiatives. Going forward, he intends more of the same.

He prioritizes war. He abhors peace. He tolerates no independent governments. He wants pro-Western vassal states replacing them.

He's ravaging one country after another to achieve it. Syria is in the eye of the storm. Iran's turn awaits.

New wars follow earlier ones. They repeat in disturbing succession. Throughout his tenure, not a single day of peace was achieved. NOT ONE!

Administration policy prioritizes belligerence. Diplomacy is spurned. Nobel laureate Obama perhaps thinks war is peace.

He wages it relentlessly. He does so preemptively. He authorizes it lawlessly. He's a war criminal multiple times over.

He's got lots more death and destruction in mind. War on Syria is longstanding US policy.

Obama intends waging it with or without Security Council authorization. Rogue leaders operate this way. Stopping him remains top priority.

Russia's going all out to do it. Its peace agenda deserves universal support.

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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

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