Stephen Lendman

People living distant from war zones can’t imagine the horrors millions in them face - unsure each day if they’ll live or die, remain whole or be harmed by disabling injuries.

Will surviving children be permanently traumatized? Will countless numbers perish for lack of essentials to life?

Will conditions in Syria ever be normal again? America’s sordid history in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, Ukraine, complicit with Israel against Palestine and elsewhere leaves little hope.

Syria is one of many US war theaters, one of history’s great crimes - half a million or more killed in over five years of conflict, half the population internally or externally displaced, the extent of chaos and human suffering incalculable.

There’s nothing civil about Obama’s war, using ISIS and other imported death squads to do his dirty work.

Cessation of hostilities is farcical. Endless war rages. Peace talks were dead on arrival. Syria has no legitimate partner. Resuming negotiations will be no more successful than failed efforts up to now.

Obama didn’t wage war to quit. America wants Assad ousted, pro-Western puppet governance replacing him, Syrian sovereignty destroyed, the nation partitioned for easier control, its resources stolen, its people exploited.

Chief Saudi controlled High Negotiations Committee (HNC) negotiator Mohammed Alloush resigned - a known terrorist representing the ISIS-equivalent Jaysh al-Islam group, wanting Syria raped and destroyed.

According to Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov, his resignation shows “the opposition has no common platform and no common approach (on) how to conduct negotiations…”

It wants unconditional surrender to its demands, intending endless war until they’re met, assuring no prospects for peace. Intractable positions separate both sides.

Russia believing it has a peace partner in America is pure fantasy. On Sunday, its Foreign Ministry said Sergey Lavrov and John Kerry agreed by phone to work actively for conflict resolution - despite Washington aggressively pursuing war, disdaining peace.

Hundreds of US special forces deployed to northern Syria are covertly engaged in combat, part of America’s strategy to oust its popularly elected government.

Washington’s refusal to cooperate with Russia against terrorists shows Obama wants endless war, not peace, US imperial policy continuing unchecked under his successor - heading for what appears an inevitable showdown with Russia and China.

Turkey is a key US imperial partner, actively supporting ISIS and other anti-Assad terrorist groups.

Its Foreign Minister Melvut Cavusoglu proposed joint operations with America in northern Syria, excluding Kurdish YPG fighters - what he described as “a large operation involving significant forces,” including from Britain, France and Germany.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov denounced the scheme - calling it “a violation of the sovereignty of Syria and no justification gives right to this act.” If implemented, escalated war is certain.

Peace and stability defeat America’s agenda. No matter who succeeds Obama, endless wars will continue. Imperial madness threatens everyone.

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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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