Syria's Liberating Struggle Against Western and Turkish Fascism

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

There's no ambiguity about what's been going on in Syria since March 2011.

Its forces are combatting jihadists supported by the West, Turkey, Israel and the Saudis — defending the nation's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

International law affirms the right of self-defense in response to a preemptive attack on a nation's territory, including under Article 51 of the UN Charter. 

It prohibits one nation from attacking another except in self-defense, stating:

"Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security."

The US and its so-called coalition partners are waging undeclared war on Syria, a flagrant UN Charter breach.

Nations under attack may legally request and receive military and other help from nations, groups and entities willing to intervene on their behalf against aggression.

Russia responded to a request by Damascus this way in September 2015. So did Lebanon's Hezbollah by sending fighters to Syria as well as Iran by providing military advisors.

The struggle for Syria's soul continues, most parts of the country liberated from the scourge of US-supported terrorists, Idlib province in the northwest bordering Turkey the sole remaining major battleground.

Since December, government forces liberated numerous towns and villages in the province and surrounding areas.

The battle to eliminate jihadists in the province continues. On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed that Syria's liberating struggle is supported by international law.

On Friday during a Security Council session on Syria, Russia's UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia stressed Russia's commitment to the September 2018 Sochi Memorandum agreed to by Turkey.

It established a demilitarized zone in Idlib free of jihadists to prevent shelling of government forces and civilians.

It provided for unhindered access to the M4 and M5 highways, vital for Syria's economy and to supply humanitarian aid to liberated and other Syrians in need.

Turkey flagrantly breached what it agreed to, arming and otherwise aiding jihadists in the province, its forces fighting along side them.

Nebenzia: Al-Nusra terrorists under the various names "stepped up their incursions against civilians in populated areas and against the Syrian forces." 

"In response to the ongoing violations of the ceasefire from within the Idlib zone, the Syrian army does have a right to retaliate and quell the terrorists" — greatly aided by Russian aerial support, adding:

"I would emphasize that this is in its own territory, the territory of sovereign Syria and not in nobody else's territory."

An al-Qaeda offshoot, al-Nusra "is recognized as a terrorist organization in the UN, as well as in Russia, Syria, Europe, the US and Turkey."

Yet the Trump and Erdogan regimes actively support their fighters as proxy troops in pursuit of their imperial aims in Syria.

"Representatives of the US (now claim that its fighters are) 'patriots and revolutionaries' rather than terrorists, simply because they are fighting against the legitimate Syrian authorities." 

"We consider this argument as unacceptable and extremely dangerous."

Russia's Defense Ministry provided "evidence that (anti-government jihadists) are armed with the latest versions of the Western military products: drones, armored vehicles, small arms, missile systems, anti-tank and anti-aircraft equipment." 

"These weapons are used against Syrian and Russian forces, and against civilians."

On Thursday at the Security Council, Syria's UN envoy Bashar al-Jaafari denounced Turkish aggression in Idlib, using jihadists as proxy troops, adding:

"Syria, committing to the security and safety of its citizens and after taking many initiatives to open humanitarian corridors, invited its citizens, who left their homes in the areas that were liberated from terrorism in the northwestern part of Syria to return to their residential houses, providing them with the requirements of good life."

A Syrian Foreign Ministry statement accused Western countries and Turkey of waging propaganda and hot war on the country, stressing that the liberating struggle of its forces will continue until jihadists are eliminated.

Separately on Friday, Lavrov warned the US and other Western countries "against repeating their mistakes, when stakes are put on a union with terrorists to reach the geopolitical goals of overthrowing regimes in other countries, be it in Afghanistan or Iraq, Libya or Syria," adding:

They "hope that after the terrorists have been used for achieving concrete geopolitical goals, they can be controlled." 

"This has never been the case in history…(N)o deals are possible with the terrorists, and (it's  impossible) to bank on them for solving the problems that are within the context of the Syrian settlement."

A Final Comment

On Friday, Putin and Erdogan spoke by phone. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, they may meet in Moscow on March 5 or 6, saying:

"The issue of a possible summit meeting was indeed discussed today. The meeting between (them) is being worked out (for) next week" to focus on the situation in Syria.

They discussed ongoing fighting in Idlib "which was triggered by terrorist groups who stepped up offensives against the Syrian army."

Turkish forces killed were and continue fighting along side anti-government jihadists.

According to Russia's Foreign Ministry, both "sides continued discussing specific steps for achieving durable stabilization of the situation in the Idlib de-escalation zone based on the full implementation of the memorandum dated May 4, 2017 and the memorandum dated September 17, 2018," adding:

They "confirmed their goal to reduce the tension 'on the ground' while continuing the war on terrorists recognized as such by the UN Security Council and also to protect civilians inside and outside the de-escalation zone and render emergency humanitarian assistance to all those who need it."

Russia fully observes international laws and agreements, what the Erdogan regime flagrantly continues to breach.

According to AFP, cited by Sputnik News, Erdogan asked Putin to step aside and let Turkey combat Syria "face to face," what clearly won't happen.

Russian upper house Federation Council foreign affairs committee deputy head Vladimir Dzharbarov warned Ankara against escalating conflict in Syria — what it can't win and "will end badly for everyone, including Turkey," adding:

The Erdogan regime "is not acting on its soil, but on the soil of another nation. So its hope that NATO would come to its defense seems groundless."

At his request, NATO representatives will to discuss the situation in Idlib under the alliance's Article 4.

It calls for members to "consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence, or security of any" is threatened.

Syria's territorial integrity clearly is threatened by endless war, not Turkey — an aggressor against the Syrian Arab Republic's sovereignty.

VISIT MY WEBSITE: stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman). Contact at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

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