Stephen Lendman

Russia’s intervention nearly two years ago significantly changed the dynamic on the ground - much of the country liberated from US-supported terrorists’ control, from ISIS, al-Nusra and other groups.

At the same time, US terror-bombing continues, notably in Raqqa, targeting residential areas, massacring civilians daily, likely thousands since the aerial campaign began in early June.

In the last 24 hours alone, local media sources and survivors reported US-led so-called coalition warplanes massacred 78 civilians in three Raqqa neighborhoods.

Homes and infrastructure were targeted, no ISIS or other terrorists at or around areas struck. The attack was cold-blooded murder like so many others in all US war theaters - Nuremberg-level high crimes.

On Tuesday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry blasted White House hypocrisy, continuing phony accusations of CW use by Syrian forces, despite the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons confirming the country’s entire stockpile was destroyed.

“We don’t rule out the very regrettable official comments (from Washington) are composed to offer grounds for (its) possible future intensification of interference in Syria’s domestic affairs,” a ministry statement said.

Separately, a May commentary by YaleGlobal Online contributors Carol and Jamsheed Chosky irresponsibly and illegally called for partitioning Syria as a way to resolve years of war.

They argue “Syria was never a country whose 14 provinces and 8 main communities were voluntarily bonded together by secularism and tolerance. Not surprisingly the six-year civil war became violently sectarian and ethnic.”

For millennia, America was never a country. Land was stolen from its indigenous people. The same goes for Israel, historic Palestine stolen to create an apartheid Jewish state, numerous other countries artificially created - notably by imperial carving up of continents belligerently.

Syria is Obama’s war, now Trump’s - naked aggression, the country invaded by US-supported terrorists, recruited from scores of countries. There’s nothing civil about years of conflict.

The Choskys accused Russia, Iran and Turkey of “greatly abet(ting) the strife…” True enough for Turkey. Erdogan can never be trusted.

Russia and Iran are the only foreign powers genuinely supporting conflict resolution - through Astana/Geneva peace talks and establishment of deescalation zones, hoping to extend them nationwide.

The authors claim Russia and Iran aim to enhance their regional influence and control. Their goal is diplomatic conflict resolution, liberating Syria from the scourge of US-supported terrorism, preventing its spread to their own countries.

The authors: “(T)he United States and its EU partners have been more distant players, supplying funds and armaments to anti-Assad rebels while occasionally bombing Syrian government and Islamist terrorist bases.”

False! War was planned and orchestrated in Washington. US-led terror-bombing has been ongoing for nearly three years, massacring thousands of civilians, destroying vital infrastructure, several times attacking Syrian and allied forces - supporting ISIS and other terrorists, not combating them.

The authors: “Syria already has been de facto partitioned by the opposing forces of the civil war. No political leadership represents the many domestic factions, and none could control the territory militarily and politically, or run a national administration.”

“(T)here is no currently-envisaged governing coalition that would be acceptable to the major international players.”

Syria is partly occupied, not partitioned, democratically elected governance in Damascus the only legitimate authority over the entire nation.

So-called “major international players” have no legal right to dictate policy to any other sovereign nations, including Syria and other countries victimized by US aggression.

International law prohibits interfering in the internal affairs of any other nations - accept in self-defense if attacked. Syria is the victim of aggression, not its perpetrator.

The authors irresponsibly propose partitioning the country into Sunni-controlled Homs, Hama, Idlib, Aleppo, Raqqa and Deir Ezzor provinces and governorates, a Kurdish northeast, along with southwestern and southern areas run by Damascus.

If adopted, their proposal would flagrantly violate international law. It would fail to achieve peace. Syria’s legitimate government rejects foreign powers carving up their country at their discretion, repeating the horrors following WW I.

The authors falsely called Assad a “dictator.” In June 2014, he was overwhelmingly reelected democratically, a process independent observers called open, free and fair. Syrians want no one else leading them.

The authors: “Partition may not the ideal outcome for Syria’s crisis, but is necessary and can be done correctly.”

Partition would be illegal destruction of a nation-state, a flagrant violation of international law - likely exacerbating things, not responsibly resolving them.

Conflict never would have begun if not launched by Washington, using ISIS and other terrorists as imperial foot soldiers, aided by US-led terror-bombing, serving as their air force.

The way to restore peace and stability is by defeating the dual scourge of terrorism and US imperial aims.

Partition is a scheme only hegemons and their supporters endorse.

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

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My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."