Imperial War on Syria Continues

Since Trump’s inauguration, US-led so-called “coalition” warplanes continued attacking Syrian infrastructure.

Bridges and Raqqa’s water lines were destroyed, cutting off supplies to the city. Last Thursday, an Israeli helicopter shelled a Quneitra residential building.

Separately, in response to an errant shell, harmlessly landing in Israeli occupied Golan, the IDF struck a nearby Syrian military position – without explaining if it was by airstrike or artillery fire.

The Israeli regime actively aids ISIS and other anti-Syria terrorist groups. It invents reasons to launch periodic aggressive attacks against Syrian targets, acts of war by any standard.

Damascus maintains restraint to keep ongoing conflict from expanding into a greater one it can’t win against Israel’s military superiority, greatly aided by Washington. Its complaints to UN authorities are ignored.

Interviewed by Belgian reporters, Assad called US-led coalition actions against ISIS “illusive,” saying the terrorist group is “expanding,” adding:

“What we heard in statements by Trump during the campaign and after the campaign is promising regarding the priority of fighting terrorists, and mainly ISIS. That’s what we’ve been asking for during the last six years.”

“We have to wait. It’s still early to expect anything practical.” So far, no US operation against ISIS or other terrorist groups exists, Assad explained – saying, at most, America’s operation is “cosmetic…illusive (and) illegal…a breach of our sovereignty.”

Washington and its allies have been aiding ISIS and like-minded groups throughout the conflict, not combating them. Assad hopes Trump will change things. It’s too soon to tell.

Syria’s leader, its officials and millions of devastated civilians urge all the help they can get to defeat the scourge of terrorism – so far provided by Russia, Iran and Hezbollah – America, NATO, Israel and other regional rogue states Syria’s main enemies.

On Tuesday, US-led airstrikes on Idlib killed at least 15 civilians, wounding scores more, destroying residential buildings in the city on the pretext of combating ISIS.

Separately, Assad thanked Vladimir Putin for Russia’s indispensable role in turning things around in Syria, greatly aiding eventual conflict resolution.

It’ll be a while coming. Assad said Russia’s intervention turned the tide of battle in Damascus’ favor – events “moving quickly in the direction” of a desired outcome.

On February 20, peace talks resume in Geneva. Previous rounds failed because Washington undermined them. It remains to be seen if Trump intends working with Russia cooperatively to end the conflict Obama launched.