A successful subversion of the Syrian government with militants becomes increasingly unlikely. Over the course of the last week the Syrian military forces have inflicted heavy losses on the NATO and GCC backed insurgents. Also a direct military intervention by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Israel, or any of the NATO member states becomes increasingly unlikely, as Russia and China continue preventing another Libya-style intervention.
Russia, Syria and Iran seem successful at conveying that a military aggression against Syria would have catastrophic regional and potentially global consequences. Meanwhile, the Syrian government has not only been very active, but very successful at molding opposition parties reform movements as well as religious and ethnic groups into a coherent and constructive alliance for peace, reconciliation and reform.
The Syrian strategy of inclusiveness and amnesty on one hand, while combating terrorism and armed subversion on the other, continues to pay peace dividends. The question now is, how long time will it take and how many people have to be murdered and maimed on both sides, before international diplomacy begins constructive negotiations about the core issues that caused the crisis.
The national reconciliation process is beginning to gain momentum as national Reconciliation Minister Ali Haidar is touring the Syrian provinces to boost the implementation of the political program that has recently been approved by the Syrian government and representatives of opposition parties, religious communities, reform movements, youth movements, tribal representatives, representatives of ethnic groups and other who are taking part in the reform process.
In Lattakia, Haidar stated that the Syrian citizen does not need an invitation for getting involved in the national reconciliation process, as it is the Syrian people who have defended the Syrian homeland in the face of a foreign backed aggression all along. Haidar admitted that there were still some issues with getting the Syrian youth involved and that there were issues that are based on misleading foreign campaigns. Haidar stated however, that “we are making headway with the mission to lead young people to acting rationally and to view the events that are taking place in Syria critically”.
A new initiative of the Syrian government focuses on repatriating those who went abroad to join the foreign backed subversion attempt. The Syrian Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Mohammad al-Shaar stated, that border crossing centers will offer all necessary facilities and assurances to all opposition forces who enter the country to take part in the national dialogue.
The latest initiative is a continuation of a successful strategy, which the Syrian government has consistently used since the onset of the crisis, soon two years ago. Several general amnesties have yielded results, giving those who initially have been misled or swept into the events by the power of the situation a possibility to return to a normal life, and to take actively part in the reform and reconciliation process.
The general amnesties have especially given those who initially took up arms, but who became increasingly concerned about the influx of Salafist terrorist organizations a possibility to realign themselves with the peaceful reform process and the Syrian armed forces.
Foreign media, based in countries that are sponsoring the attempted armed subversion continue spreading disinformation about the use of chemical weapons. The Syrian Minister of economic Affairs, Dr. Qadri Jamil stated that ” any provocations or reports on the possible use of chemical weapons by the Syrian military are attempts by some sides, to hinder a political solution”.
The website of the Russian TV station RT quoted Jamil for saying, that “It is well-known that the forces which are being funded by Qatar have small laboratories to produce chemical weapons”, adding, that he believes that their provocations with chemical weapons are a sign of desperation based on failure to prevent a political solution to the crisis.
Also the military campaign is gaining momentum as it seemingly becomes increasingly difficult for Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Libya to recruit new mercenaries. The recent disclosure of a classified Saudi document which proved that the government of Saudi Arabia was in breach of the Geneva Conventions by giving hundreds of prisoners from several countries, who have been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia the choice between execution and being deployed to fight in Syria could be interpreted as a sign that it becomes increasingly difficult to recruit.
Also Turkey is known for being in breach of the Geneva Conventions by deploying prisoners. An investigation by PRESS TV and AL-Alam journalist Maja Naser, in September 2012, produced evidence for that Turkey was releasing prisoners who have been sentenced for terrorism, under the condition that they would fight in Syria. Maja Naser was killed by a sniper, shortly after he had begun the investigation.
On Saturday, the armed forces of Syria continued their crackdown on terrorist groups in Daraya, Douma, al-Husseineih, al-Bahdalieh and al-Dhiyabieh in the greater Damascus region. The army also confronted insurgents in the al-Fashoukh farms west of the city of Daraya. The insurgents suffered substantial losses, including several of their commanders.
Clashes took also place on the Darab al-Hidad road to the National Hospital and at Shreida Square where the military confronted remnants of terrorist cells, and in several other locations throughout the country including the greater Aleppo region and in Idlib, where an insurgents attack on the Central prison has been repelled, in Hama and Daraa.
Ever since the successful abuse of the UNSC Resolution 1973 (2011) by NATO, to carry out regime change in Libya by the joint use of regular military forces and mercenaries in 2011, the international community and militaries in countries that are potential targets of NATO aggression, have to adjust to a new military reality.
The fact that NATO, at its 25th Summit in Chicago in 2012 called Libya “A teachable moment and model for future intervention” strongly indicates that such an adjustment to combating NATO´s illegal and irregular warfare is urgently required.
At a recent meeting at Russia´s Military Academy, the Rusian military´s Chief of Staff, General Valery Gerasimov encouraged Russian military scientists to come up with an integral theory for fighting this new type of armed conflict.
In Syria however, NATO´s “teachable moment and model for future interventions” seems to be failing. Both Russia and China have realized that failure to veto UNSC resolutions which could be abused by NATO can have disastrous consequences and security implications.
Dr. Christof Lehmann, Founder and Editor for the nsnbc, is also one of the frequent contributors for The 4th Media.
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Saudi Arabia commits War Crime by Forced Use of Prisoners in Syria Insurgency.
The Dynamics of the Crisis in Syria. Conflict Versus Conflict Resolution. (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5)