White House Syrian policy backing the Saudi Arabian and Turkish proxy war to topple Syria President Bashar al-Assad’s Shiite government has backfired. When Russian President Vladimir Putin started bombing Sept. 30, 2015 Saudi-backed insurgents, the war tipped toward al-Assad, getting close to taking back Aleppo, its second largest city. Secretary of State John Kerry reluctantly accepted Putin’s condition Dec. 15, 2015 to leave al-Assad in power. U.S. officials rubber-stamped Saudi propaganda that the “civil war” was started March 11, 2011 during the Saudi-backed Arab Spring. No “civil war” starts on a dime, exposing Saudi propaganda that the Syrian war was popular uprising. Exposed now as a Saudi-funded proxy war, Putin has urged the U.S. and European Union to let Russia and Iran to end the war. Turkey’s response to Putin’s plan was to start bombing the Kurds.
U.N. officials meeting in Geneva Feb. 14-16, led by Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura, insist that they want an urgent end to the Syrian War. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir insists that the war can’t end until al-Assad steps down. With reports of al-Assad’s army, with Russian and Iranian help, retaking Aleppo, al-Jubeir insists that there can be no peace until al-Assad steps down. Russian and Iranian forces have beat back the Saudi proxy war so far that Turkey started bombing the Kurds near the Turkish border. Admitting that the Kurds are the main ground forces battling the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria [ISIS], al-Qaeda’s al-Nusra Front and other terrorist groups, the White House watched passively as the Turks turn their guns on the Kurds for cutting off supply lines used by Saudi-backed opposition groups, ISIS, al-Qaeda and other Islamic terrorist groups.
Sacrificing money, arms and manpower, Putin signaled that in any peace deal al-Assad must accept new Syrian borders, including ceding safe-zones, if not territory, to the Kurds. “Russia has invested very seriously in this crisis, politically, diplomatically and new militarily,” said Russian U.N. Envoy Vitaly Churkin, putting al-Assad on notice that he can’t continue to retake every inch of Syrian land. Without Russian and Syrian military backing, al-Assad would face the inevitable end of his Shiite government. Opposed in the proxy war by Saudi Arabia and Turkey, al-Assad has no choice but to listen to his Russian ally. Speaking in Munich Feb. 14 at a Security Conference to resolve the Syria War, Churkin said if Syria “follows Russia’s leadership in resolving this crisis, then they have a chance to come out of it in a dignified way,” meaning he can stay in power.
Because of Obama’s poor relationship with Putin, the White House has been slow to accept the fastest way to end the Syrian War is to defeat Saudi-backed opposition groups. Since Putin intervened militarily on behalf of al-Assad Sept. 30, the White House complained about Russia’s focus on Saudi-backed rebel groups. Putin’s first objective in Syria was to save al-Assad’s government from the five-year-old proxy war killing 250,000 and driving 3 million more to Europe and neighboring countries. Putin’s plan would end the war as quickly as possible, setting new conditions for the al-Assad government. “If they [Syria] proceed on the basis that no ceasefire is necessary and they need to fight to a victory and, then this conflict will last a very long time and that is terrifying to imagine,” said Churkin, warning al-Assad that Russia won’t commit blood-and-treasure forever.
Watching Turkey bomb the Kurds shows just how chaotic the Syria War has become. White House officials have been on a Cold War footing, opposing everything Moscow does to end the five-year-old Saudi-Turkey-backed proxy war to topple al-Assad. If Obama had a good relationship with Putin, he wouldn’t back the destructive Saudi proxy war that’s left the Mideast and Europe in chaos. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir has openly admitted his undying commitment to topple al-Assad’s Shiite government. Since neither Russia nor Iran will let this happen, the U.S. and EU must face the music, letting Putin end the Syrian War as soon as possible. If that means opposing the Saudis, then it’s high time the White House switched gears. Allowing the Turks to bomb the Kurds shows how Ankara has no interest in taking on ISIS or any other terrorist group.
Agreements reached in the Munich Security Conference calls for an end to the Syrian War, especially backing Saudi-funded opposition groups. Putin rained on the Saudi’s parade, getting free license to extend the conflict into the foreseeable future. Driving out opposition groups is the surest way for al-Assad to regain power. With about 800,000 Syrian refugees flowing into Europe, the EU economy can’t take the burden now threatening global recession. Putin’s military actions have put al-Assad back in the driver’s seat, seeing an end to the conflict. Bombing the Kurds helps no one, especially in the eventual battle to drive ISIS out of Mosul. Whatever the Turk’s self-interest with ISIS, including buying stolen Iraqi oil, they’re dangerously close to igniting a war with Russia. Having already shot down a Russian fighter jet Nov. 24, 2015, Turkey should be put on notice to stay out of Syria.
