Former President Jerry John Rawlings has condemned in no uncertain terms the US airstrike on Syria recently carried out by the Trump administration.
The attack was ostensibly in response to a chemical weapons attack perpetrated by the Assad regime on civilians in the country, which led to Trump ordering an airstrike of Tomahawk missiles to strike the airbase where the planes involved in the attack where based.
But according to Rawlings, the entire chemical weapons attack is a con to enable the US have justification to attack Syria, much like they made up the story of Sadam Hussein having weapons of mass destruction in order to invade Iraq.
According to Rawlings, it makes no sense that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad carried out the chemical weapons attack when he’s on the verge of defeating the rebels and knows such an action would provoke international outrage. Rawlings argues that US backed rebels are behind the attack, to give the country the pretext to go to war with Syria.
Read his piece below…
The Immorality of International Politics
By Jerry John Rawlings
The world has witnessed yet another display of the military might of the United States with the missile strikes on Syrian targets a few days ago.
The United States justified its strikes because it believed the Assad regime was behind a chemical weapons attack on opposition strongholds in Syria last week.
The action of the United States raises serious questions of justification and the real motives behind the positions taken by the world’s super powers on Syria.
The pattern of behaviour only goes to perpetuate the immorality of international politics.
When these dastardly scenes of chemical warfare were being given their usual high publicity in the Western media it was quite obvious that it was designed to poison the atmosphere against the Assad regime.
In spite of all the sophisticated armed support that the rebels have enjoyed, the Assad armed forces with Russian support were able to degrade and defeat so many ISIS targets and rebels. The world saw the huge blow that the Assad forces dealt the rebels.
The big question now is how an Armed Force that has virtually beaten the rebel resistance with Russian assistance and with victory on a threshold could conceive of such madness as to dump chemical weapons at innocent civilians and children. Where is the sense in this illogical accusation if it wasn’t done to create a false impression in order to justify what the USA and the West are doing?
Most world leaders have gone quiet instead of condemning this subterfuge. Who are most likely in that demented situation to do such an atrocious act of chemical weapon usage?
Not too long ago the West looked away, the media kept quiet while the Yemeni were being bombed and starved of food and water. Vessels bringing aid (food and water) were blocked and children were left looking emaciated in scenes straight out of the holocaust.
Some of these Western countries must regain or reset their own internal moral compasses before embarking on such adventures. Right from the outset, when the Assad regime and other Shia nations refused to subordinate themselves to the unipolar power of the West and some Sunni powers, Russia under Putin, was one of the powers that stood tall in defence of international freedom. Russia’s effort to assist the Syrian government set the West to attack her economy with so-called sanctions and the reduction of the price of oil in a bid to cripple her.
This act of underhand desperation should be seen and recognised for what it is. The world cannot be so naive as not to see through this kind of confidence propaganda.
The audaciousness to embark on this fraudulent behaviour (and to follow up to this extent) can only happen as a result of the extent of decline of international morality and it is a manifestation of the decay in the quality of leadership in some parts of the world.
All in all an independent body involving neutral states must be set up to investigate where these chemicals came from. This body must be free from the influence of the accusers and must carefully investigate and expose the real perpetrators. Then and only then can the world know who the real hidden perpetrators are.
Trump’s warmth or respect for Putin contained the seeds of peaceful co-existence and there were those who were so dead against it and for whatever random reason wanted to restore an antagonistic position of the old days with Russia. Looks like the negative forces who wanted to see a climate of conflict between Putin and Trump may finally have their way.
The minute Secretary of State Tillerson said enough of talking at Korea and the US ambassador at the UN staged her drama at the Security Council followed by Trump’s act, it was clear a scapegoat would have to be found. What better target than Assad’s Syria on taking the verge of a military high ground and the political process kicking in with Russia’s support?
The West and their Sunni allies’ attempt to unseat the Syrian Government is what has precipitated this military and refugee crises in the region. Russia’s attempt to prevent a handful of countries in the West from constituting themselves into global governors to decide and dispense freedom and justice is partly why this war is being fought. This is nothing more than the fraud that was perpetrated at the UN prior to the ‘shock and awe’ in 2003. The world cannot be so naïve, so uninformed, so blind, so emasculated as not to see through this daylight robbery that’s going to degrade international ethics even further? The life of freedom, justice and democracy is what’s at stake. The deafening silence of most leaders around the world will lead to further degrading the already sad state of democracy.
Are these Western countries prepared to back the Iranian and Russian calls for a very competent neutral investigation? This call should have been made the first time this madness occurred. I have to repeat that a regime on the threshold of defeating its perceived enemies will not do this. A rebel group on the verge of defeat is likely to resort to this madness on the urging of its mindless backers.
The world must wake up. Leaders must wake up. Assad’s Government and Assange are not those in danger. Freedom Justice and genuine democracy is what is in danger from a unipolar ambition to rule the world!!!
This has been the most vicious and persistent cowardly act over the seven-year period. America and her allies know those behind it. Russia, Assad and Iran must know those behind it. We’ve all kept mute about the real culprit nation and the situation has now been exploited by the US in a senseless manner that insults the intelligence of human beings. And because of the seeming ineffective denial and rejection of the act by those being accused, the propaganda against them has been exploited.
No matter how much we may hate or resent Assad, it’s absolutely outrageous and immoral to resort to this uncivilized behaviour so as to provide the pretext to engage in military action.
Abdul Hamid who escaped the chemical weapon attack has every right to fight Assad for over drum bombs etc. for anything and everything but not for the chemical weapon attack. That comes from behind him…his own back. Point being killing the children with the gas can serve an exploitable purpose than leaving them to be killed by Assad’s bombs. Let’s wake up. Let’s wake up. This kind of evil should not be allowed to pass!!
We have been living in an age where the ability and the capacity to make an accusation more impressive than the denial by the accused and victim seemingly puts the truth on your side. The US pulled this con at the UN before invading Iraq. This time it’s Syria. Syria is politically in a very very tight spot and has conducted her war with Russian support in a fairly conventional way and dislocated and dislodged ISIS and rebels in a very impressive manner when the Russian Air Force got involved. They were left with cleaning up a few areas. So why they would do anything so stupid is a question I’d like to direct to the world and especially Mr. Trump and his allies and most of all to the Western media. This daring and dangerous fraud undermines man’s attempt to restore trust and integrity into words and actions of nations. The world watched Mr. Trump hack and brutalize the truth and noble people on his way into office. This behaviour will make the world unsafe. Let’s show a little more respect and reverence for basic truths and natural justice.
It’s unfortunate that those around Trump have taken advantage of his shortcomings. This is shameful, disgraceful and a serious indictment on the forces of good in this world. The war and its toll on human life is a painful sight for all of us. Defeat Assad if you may, but don’t resort to this deceit to justify the unjustifiable. This fraud is going to be a test on the leaders of today and the citizenry.