Watching his Feb. 27 truce unravel, 70-year-old Secretary of State John Kerry warned that fighting had resumed in the Saudi-backed rebel-held territory of Aleppo. President Barack Obama can’t get U.S. Syrian policy straight, sending Kerry to make deals with the Syrian government and Saudi-backed rebels seeking to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have practically stood on their heads trying to get the White House stop backing Saudi rebel groups, like Jaysh al-Islam, trying to topple the Damascus regime. Putin’s made clear to Obama and Kerry on numerous occasions that he backs al-Assad’s right to sovereignty, resisting various terrorist groups attempts to topple al-Assad’s government. Neither Obama nor Kerry can say no to the Saudis whose proxy war has caused over 250,000 deaths.
Obama and Kerry’s faulty logic denies al-Assad’s right to defend Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity against a five-year-long proxy war designed to topple the Alawite Shiite government. When Putin provided al-Assad air support Sept. 30, 2015, the proxy war tilted back Damascus. On Dec. 25, 2015 Russian air strikes killed 44-year-old Jaysh al-Islam’s Zahran Alloush, prompting Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir to fully disclose Syria’s dirty little secret: Saudi Arabia funds the five years insurgency against al-Assad. Kerry’s been shuttling back to Geneva where U.N. Special envoy Staffan de Mistura has failed for a second time to get the Saudis and Syrians on the same page. Calling recent air strikes on rebel-held Aleppo “in many ways out of control and deeply disturbing,” Kerry won’t admit that Obama’s policy of backing the Saudi proxy war has failed.
Obama and Kerry have called the Syrian conflict a “civil war,” when, in fact, it’s a carefully orchestrated Saudi proxy war. Backing Saudi Arabia and Turkey, two key U.S. allies, has made peace impossible, causing the worst humanitarian crisis since WWII. Millions of Syria refugees, fleeing war-ravaged lands, have streamed into Europe, causing a social upheaval threatening world leaders like Germany’s Angel Merkel, and even the European Union. U.S. officials know exactly what to do to end the Saudi proxy war against al-Assad: They need to stop backing the Turks and Saudis. Calling the nine-week-long truce “a profoundly positive effect,” saving thousands of lives, Kerry refuses to deal with the Saudis, more determined than ever to hold al-Assad accountable to targeting Saudi-backed rebel groups. Saudi-backed rebel groups agreed to a truce Feb. 27 only when facing annihilation.
Going back to the drawing board in Geneva, de Mistura and Kerry must reconsider the Saudis High Negotiation Committee’s fixation on toppling al-Assad. With Russian and Iran backing al-Assad, it’s unrealistic to allow the Saudi’s to destabilize the region. Putin told the U.N. General Assembly Sept. 28, 2015 that toppling al-Assad would repeat the same mistakes in Iraq and Syria, opening up the floodgates of more Islamic terrorism. “We’re trying to press this as fast as possible but I don’t want make any promises that can’t be kept,” said Kerry, referring to “24 hours a day, seven days a week” monitoring of the ceasefire agreement. Saudi officials seek only a breather during the truce to rearm Syrian rebel groups, especially Jaysh al-Islam. Obama and Kerry blindly follow the Saudis, promoting more death-and-destruction to Syria and the Midddle East.
Meeting with the Saudis in Geneva, Kerry wants Saudi-backed rebel group separated from al-Qaeda’s al-Nusra front. “This is what we’re discussing, among other things. There are a number of different ways to approach it,” Kerry told reporters in Beirut, Lebanon. “We are getting closer to a place of understanding. But we have some work to do,” said Kerry, knowing he’s put de Mistura in an impossible position. As long as the White House backs the Saudi proxy war, nothing can be done to end the Syrian War. Speaking to Saudi officials, Kerry knows they’re more determined than ever to get al-Assad out of Damascus. “What is happening in Aleppo is an outrage. It’s a violation of all humanitarian laws. It’s a crime,” said al-Jubeir, showing Saudi resolve to remove al-Assad from power. Al-Jubeir promised to hold al-Assad accountable for attacking Saudi-backed rebel groups.
Obama and Kerry can’t get off the fence, backing the Saudi proxy war but insisting to the Russians they want a lasting ceasefire. White House officials can’t have it both ways: Developing better relations with Moscow and promising the Saudis they back removing al-Assad from Damascus. With 50 rebel fighters and civilians killed by Syrian government air strikes last Wednesday, the International Red Cross warned Aleppo was “pushed further to the brink of humanitarian disaster,” refusing to take sides in the conflict. Instead of pussyfooting around with the Russians, Kerry should work closely with Lavrov to end the Saudi proxy war. Saudi Arabia continues to pretend they can call the shots in Syria. Working with Putin and Lavrov, it’s possible for the U.S. to end the Syria conflict, stop the refugee crisis threatening the European Union and restore order to the region.
