Russia Won't Let International Terrorism Triumph in Syria, China to Help

By Stephen Lendman

A lot rides on defeating US imperialism in Syria. The fate of the region and beyond hangs in the balance.

If Syria goes, Iran is next, a war if initiated by Washington far more potentially consequential and devastating.

Iran’s population alone makes it an important regional country – four times the size of Syria at around 80 million. Imagine the possible war-related death, injury and displacement toll.

Transforming the Islamic Republic into a US vassal state would give America and Israel unchallenged Middle East dominance.

Russian and Chinese regional influence would wane or be eliminated. The loss of Syrian and Iranian sovereignty would greatly aid the scourge of US imperialism worldwide – Moscow and Beijing the key independent powers standing in the way of its global dominance.

Nuclear war would be more likely with the aim of letting America colonize planet earth unopposed if triumphant, provided nuclear devastation and radiation poisoning didn’t kill us all – why nuclear confrontation is so crucial to prevent. The potential consequences should terrify everyone.

Vladimir Putin is committed to defeating the scourge of US-supported terrorism in Syria, mainly concerned about preventing its spread to Russia’s heartland – at the same time wanting the Syrian Arab Republic’s sovereignty and territorial integrity preserved.

During an August 15 meeting with his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said “(w)e believe that it is still necessary not to allow international terrorist entities to prevail here, and to ensure the beginning of genuine and true negotiations between all Syrian sides.”

It’s alarming that many so-called (US-supported) moderate (sic) (anti-government combatants) more often coordinate their actions with” Security Council-designated terrorist groups.

China intends offering Syria humanitarian aid and enhanced military help. On Tuesday, People’s Liberation Army Admiral/high-ranking Defense Ministry official Guan Youfei met with Syrian Defense Minister Fahad Jasssim al-Freij and an unnamed Russian general in Damascus.

Following their meeting, he issued a statement, saying “(t)he Chinese and Syrian militaries traditionally have a friendly relationship, and the Chinese military is willing to keep strengthening exchanges and cooperation with the Syrian military.

How far Beijing intends going militarily remains to be seen. It has its own terrorist problem. It’s threatened by US regional provocations, notably in the South China Sea.

Its government reportedly sent dozens of military advisors to Syria last year to aid in the fight against terrorism, stopping short of committing warplanes and/or ground forces.

Does Guan’s Tuesday visit signify Beijing intending more direct military involvement than already? Will greater East/West confrontation follow?

Flashpoint conditions in Syria could become more serious than currently. Neocon Hillary Clinton likely succeeding Obama next year could threaten world peace and stability by escalating conflict into something more dangerous than now.

A lot depends on the Syrian, Russian, Iranian, Chinese alliance against the scourge of US imperialism – maybe humanity’s fate.

Why States Still Use Barrel Bombs

Smoke ascends after a Syrian military helicopter allegedly dropped a barrel bomb over the city of Daraya on Jan. 31.(FADI DIRANI/AFP/Getty Images) Summary Barrel bombs are not especially effective weapons. They are often poorly constructed; they fail to detonate more often than other devices constructed for a similar purpose; and their lack of precision means they can have a disproportionate effect on civilian populations. However, combatants continue to use barrel bombs in conflicts, including in recent and ongoing conflicts in Africa and the Middle East, and they are ideally suited to the requirements of resource-poor states. Analysis Barrel bombs are improvised devices that contain explosive filling and shrapnel packed into a container, often in a cylindrical shape such as a barrel. The devices continue to be dropped on towns all over Syria . Indeed, there have been several documented cases of their use in Iraq over the past months, and residents of the city of Mosul, which was re

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Click to Enlarge In the final years of the Soviet Union, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev began orienting his foreign policy toward Asia in response to a rising Japan. Putin has also piloted a much-touted pivot to Asia, coinciding with renewed U.S. interest in the area. A good expression of intent was Russia's hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in 2012 in Vladivostok, near Russia's borders with China and North Korea. Although its efforts in Asia have been limited by more direct interests in Russia's periphery and in Europe, Moscow recently has been able to look more to the east. Part of this renewed interest involves finding new export markets for Russian hydrocarbons. Russia's economy relies on energy exports, particularly crude oil and natural gas exported via pipeline to the West. However, Western Europe is diversifying its energy sources as new supplies come online out of a desire to reduce its dependence on Russian energy supplies . This has

LONDON POLICE INDIRECTLY ENCOURAGE CRIMINALS TO ATTACK RUSSIAN DIPLOMATIC PROPERTY

ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE A few days ago an unknown perpetrator trespassed on the territory of the Russian Trade Delegation in London, causing damage to the property and the vehicles belonging to the trade delegation , Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during the September 12 press briefing. The diplomat revealed the response by the London police was discouraging. Police told that the case does not have any prospects and is likely to be closed. This was made despite the fact that the British law enforcement was provided with video surveillance tapes and detailed information shedding light on the incident. By this byehavior, British law inforcements indirectly encourage criminals to continue attacks on Russian diplomatic property in the UK. Zakharova’s statement on “Trespassing on the Russian Trade Mission premises in London” ( source ): During our briefings, we have repeatedly discussed compliance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, specif

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