Stephen Lendman

On Thursday, sham talks resumed going nowhere. On the one hand, pro-Western mediator Steffan de Mistura maintains the fiction of cessation of hostilities holding along with hope for diplomatic conflict resolution.

On the other, Washington, its rogue Western and regional allies, along with terrorist groups they support, insist on “political transition” (aka regime change), ignoring the will of the vast majority of Syrians.

They won’t tolerate anyone else leading them or let foreign parties dictate how and by whom Syria will be ruled. International law supports them.

Syrian chief negotiator Bashar al-Jaafari said talk of removing Assad aims to undermine talks. Deputy Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad insists government without Assad “will not happen, not now, nor tomorrow nor ever.”

“(S)uch an idea has failed. It is outdated. It will never be acceptable. (It) amounts…to a coup d’etat. People organize a certain rebellion and then they get power. This will never happen in Syria.”

He urged peace talks focus on “factual, actual solutions…including (a) possib(le) national unity government or a broad (one) that includes members of the opposition.”

Russia reports multiple daily ceasefire violations, terrorist groups virtually always responsible. Media scoundrels wrongfully blame Assad - shamelessly claiming he threatens to derail diplomatic conflict resolution.

Washington expressed “alarm” about Syria preparing a joint offensive with Russia to liberate Aleppo areas held by terrorists.

Voice of America is part of the nation’s global propaganda operation, proliferating misinformation and Big Lies, suppressing hard truths.

It lied, calling efforts to liberate areas of Aleppo still controlled by terrorists a “blatant violation” of the “cessation of hostilities” agreement.

It excludes ISIS and other Security Council designated terrorist groups - elements Syrian ground forces and Russia’s aerial campaign continue attacking.

Fars News cited Turkey’s Yeni Shafaq broadsheet, claiming unnamed informed sources, saying “(s)even US military advisors…met (secretly with) senior ISIL leaders with the help of local tribes at least twice.”

Meetings took place in Mosul and Kirkuk province, Iraq. Retired Iraqi General Talal Rahman al-Hamdani was quoted, saying “(t)he CIA is the mastermind (behind) secret(ly) dispatch(ing) US special forces” - elite Delta forces “to assassinate…political figures and carry out dangerous” missions.

Washington continues supporting ISIS and other terrorist groups in Syria, Iraq, Libya, and elsewhere, supplying weapons, other military supplies, as well as attacking or otherwise obstructing government forces.

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

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks World War III".

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

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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