Conspiracy against Syria
03.03.2012 05:48
Syria and "Conspiracy Theories"
Official: It is a Conspiracy
by Felicity Arbuthnot
"We have met the enemy and he is us." (Walt Kelly, 1913-1973.)
It was political analyst Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya, in November 2006, who wrote in detail(i) of US plans for the Middle East:
"The term 'New Middle East', was
introduced to the world in June 2006, in Tel Aviv, by U.S. Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice (who was credited by the Western media for
coining the term) in replacement of the older and more imposing term,
the "Greater Middle East" he wrote.
Sanity dictated that this would be a
U.S. fantasy rampage too far and vast - until realization hit that the
author of the map of this New World, planned in the new world's "New
World Order," was Lt. Colonel Ralph Peters, who, in one of the most
terrifying articles ever published, wrote in 1997:
"There will be no peace. At any given
moment for the rest of our lifetimes, there will be multiple conflicts
in mutating forms around the globe. Violent conflict will dominate the
headlines ...The de facto role of the US armed forces will be to keep
the world safe for our economy and open to our cultural assault. To
those ends, we will do a fair amount of killing."(ii) (My emphasis.)
At the time, Peters was assigned to the
Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, where he was
responsible "for future warfare." His plans for Iraq worked out just
fine - unless you are an Iraqi.
A month after Nazemroaya's article was
published, William Roebuck, Director for the Office of the State
Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, was composing an end of
year strategy for Syria(iii) from his study in the U.S. Embassy in
Damascus, where he had been based between 2004-2007, rising to Deputy
Chief of Mission.
The subject title was "Influencing the SARG (Syrian Arab Regime Government) in the end of 2006."
"The SARG ends 2006 in a much stronger
position domestically and internationally (than in) 2005." Talking of
President Assad's "growing self-confidence," he felt that this might
lead to "mistakes and ill-judged ... decisions ... providing us with new
opportunities." Whilst "additional bilateral or multilateral pressure
can impact on Syria," clearly he had even more ambitious plans:
"This cable summarizes our assessment of
... vulnerabilities, and suggests that there may be actions, statements
and signals, that the USG (US Government) can send that will improve
the liklihood of such opportunities arising."
The proposals would need to be, "fleshed
out and converted in to real actions and we need to be ready to move
quickly to take advantage of such opportunities." (no, not le Carre,
Forsyth, or Fleming, "diplomat" in Damascus.)
"As the end of 2006 approaches," wrote
Roebuck, "Bashar appears ... stronger than he has done in two years. The
country is economically stable ...regional issues seem to be going
Syria's way."
However, "vulnerabilities and looming
issues may provide opportunities to up the pressure on Bashar ... some
of these vulnerabilities (including the complexities with Lebanon) can
be exploited to put pressure on the regime. Actions that cause Bashar to
lose balance, and increase his insecurity, are in our interest."
The President's " mistakes are hard to
predict and benefits may vary, if we are prepared to move quickly and
take advantage of opportunities ..."
A "vulnerability," wrote Roebuck, was
Bashir al Assad's protection of, "Syria's dignity and international
reputation." Pride and "protection," clearly a shocking concept.
In the light of the proposed tribunal
into the assassination of Lebanon's former'Prime Minister, Rafic Hariri
(14th February 2005) who was killed with his friend, former Minister of
the Economy, Bassel Fleihan, and twenty colleagues and bodyguards, with a
huge bomb, detonated under his motorcade, this "vulnerability" could be
exploited.
Unproven allegations have pointed the
finger at Israel, Syria, Hezbollah and a myriad others, as behind
another Middle East tragedy, but Roebuck regarded it as an: "opportunity
to exploit this raw nerve, without waiting for the formation of the
Tribunal."
Another idea outlined under a further
"vulnerability" heading, was the growing alliance between Syria and
Iran. "Possible action" was to "play on Sunni fears of Iranian
influence." Although these were "often exaggerated," they were there to
be exploited:
"Both the local Egyptian and Saudi
missions here ... are giving increasing attention to the matter and we
should co-ordinate more closely with their governments on ways to better
publicize and focus regional attention to the issue." Concerned Sunni religious leaders should also be worked on. Iraq-style divide and rule model, writ large.
The "divide" strategy, of course, should
also focus on the first family and legislating circle, with " targeted
sanctions (which) must exploit fissures and render the inner circle
weaker, rather the drive its members closer together."
The public should also be subject to
"continual reminders of corruption ... we should look for ways to remind
..." Another aspect to be exploited was "The Khaddam factor."
Abdul Halim Khaddam, was Vice
President,1984-2005, and acting President in 2000, during the months
beween Bashir al Assad's accession and his father's death. Thought to
have Presidential ambitions himself, there was a bitter split between
Khaddam and al Assad after Hariri's death. Allegations of treasonous
betrayal by Khaddam have validity.
The ruling party, writes Roebuck,
"...follow every news item involving Khaddam, with tremendous emotional
interest. We should continue to encourage the Saudis and others to allow
Khaddam access to their media ... providing him with venues for airing
the SARG's dirty laundry."
As a result, anticipated was "an over
reaction by the regime that will add to its isolation and alienation
from its Arab neighbours."
On January 14, 2006, Khaddam had formed a
government in exile, and had predicted the end of the al-Assad
government by the year's end. He is currently regarded as an opposition
leader, and has claimed, on Israel's Channel 2 TV.(iv) receiving moneys
to help overthrow the Syrian government, from the U.S. and E.U.
The ever creative Mr Roebuck's further
plans included: "Encouraging rumours and signals of external plotting."
To this end, "Regional allies like Egypt and Saudi Arabia should be
encouraged to meet with figures like Kaddam and Rifat (sic) al Assad,
with appropriate leaking of the meetings afterwards. This ... increases
the possibility of a self-defeating over-reaction."
Rifaat al Assad, Bashir's uncle, was in
charge of the Defence Brigade, and killed up to thirty thousand people
in, and flattened much of, the city of Hama, in February 1982. So much
for endlessly trumpeted concerns for "human rights violations." Rifaat
al Assad lives in exile and safety in London. Khaddam lives in Paris.(v)
Here is a serious cause for concern for
the overthrow-bent: "Bashar keeps unveiling a steady stream of
initiatives on reform and it is certainly possible he believes this is
his legacy to Syria .... These steps have brought back Syrian expats to
invest ... (and) increasing openness."
Solution? "Finding ways to publicly call
in to question Bashar's reform efforts." Indeed, moving heaven and
earth to undercut them, is made clear.
Further: "Syria has enjoyed a
considerable up-tick in foreign direct investment," thus: foreign
investment is to be "discouraged."
In May of 2006, complains Roebuck,
Syrian Military Intelligence protested "what they believed were U.S.
efforts to provide military training and equipment to Syria's Kurds."
The Iraq model, yet again.
The answer was to: "Highlight Kurdish
complaints." This, however: "would need to be handled carefully, since
giving the wrong kind of prominence to Kurdish issues in Syria, could be
a liability for our efforts ... given Syrian ... civil society's
skepticism of Kurdish objectives."
In "Conclusion", this shaming, shoddy
document states: "The bottom line is that Bashar is entering the New
Year in a stronger position than he has been, in several years", meaning
"vulnerabilities" must be sought out. "If we are ready to capitalize,
they will offer us opportunities to disrupt his decision-making, keep
him off balance - and make him pay a premium for his mistakes."
The cable is copied to: The White House,
U.S. Secretary of State, U.S. Treasury, U.S. Mission at the UN, U.S.
National Security Council, CENTCOM, all Arab League and EU countries.
The only other U.S. Embassy copied in,
is that in Tel Aviv. When William Roebuck worked at the Embassy in Tel
Aviv (2000-2003) embracing the invasion of Iraq year, he "narrowly
missed assassination." Perhaps someone there, too, thought he was hard
to warm to.
In 2009, he was Deputy Political Consul
In Baghdad, "leading efforts to support the critical 2009 Iraqi
elections." The "free and fair, democratic" ones, where people were
threatened with the deaths of their children even, if they did not vote
the "right" way.
The result was Nuri al Maliki's
premiership, complete with his murderous militias. The man under whose
Ministry of the Interior, U.S. soldiers discovered tortured, starving
prisoners.
The Damascus cable comes courtesy
Wikileaks. Lt. Colonel Peters called, on Fox News, for founder, Julian
Assange, to be assassinated. The forty second clip(vi) is worth the
listen.
The Colonel also writes fiction and thrillers under the name Owen Patterson. Perhaps he is living the dream.
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