Though the UN has not made any official conclusions on the use of chemical weapons in Syria, statements and action by the US and its allies over the past few days have showed signs of a possible military intervention in the country.
Preparations for a war are imminent in Syria and the Middle East. Arms on US warships and in NATO military bases are ready to attack the selected targets. Four US destroyers - USS Barry, USS Gravely, USS Mahan and USS Ramage - have been deployed in the eastern Mediterranean Sea to await President Barack Obama’s orders. Warplanes and military transports have reportedly been moved to Britain’s Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus, 160 km from Syria.
Israel, the US’s number one ally in the Middle East reportedly moved Patriot anti-missile batteries, Iron Dome anti-missile batteries, and Patriot and Arrow II missiles to the Haifa area in response to the Syrian threat. Israel’s Security Cabinet approved a limited call-up of reservist soldiers for stations in the north, neighboring Lebanon and the Golan Height. Israel first occupied these stations during the 1967 war.
The scenario of the strike was revealed, under which the strikes would be quick attacks at Syria’s military targets and be supported by missiles launched from the sea or long-range bombers.
The NBC news agency quoted US officials as saying that the scale of the strikes will be limited and only aimed to send a message to President Bashar Al Assad rather than weakening the military capability of the Damascus administration.
The US President on August 28 said that actions by the US only aim at warning Syria not to use chemical weapons again. The possibility of a military intervention is clear. In addition to deploying troops, the US cancelled scheduled meetings with Russia to seek a peaceful solution for Syria.
However, Syria is not an easy target. Foreign Minister Walid Al Moallem said Syria vows to defend itself in ways that will surprise the world. A Syrian senior military official said that a war against Syria would license the country to attack Israel. Israel would suffer similar consequences to Syria’s if the latter is attacked.
Moreover, according to analysts, strikes against Syria would cause serious consequences for the Middle East. The Syria crisis is complicated with several relations and conflicts between parties, ethnicities and religions. It is not a civil war but a regional conflict which involves the participation of forces from neighboring countries, extremist Muslim groups, holy war networks and global terrorists. If the Syria crisis expands, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Israel would suffer from its ripple effects.
At an August 27 meeting, five members of the UN Security Council failed to agree on the UK’s proposal of armed intervention in Syria because Russia and China opposed. According to Russia, it is too early for the UN Security Council to take measures against Syria until UN inspectors in Syria announce their findings. According to China, a political solution is the way to resolve the Syria problem.
In the US, Majority Leader of the US House of Representatives John Boehner asked President Obama to consider US security before launching a strike against Syria. A recent poll in the US indicated that 60% of Americans oppose armed intervention in Syria.
In Germany, the opposition leftist party called for the withdrawal of Patriot missiles from Turkey. The Vatican daily newspaper criticized the world powers’ preparations for strikes against Syria warning that this could lead to chaos similar to those in Iraq after the US overthrew Saddam Hussein in 2003.
If the US and its allies really want to end the civil war in Syria, they need to work out a cease fire agreement and come to a political agreement rather than military intervention. The escalation of war will only bring hardships to Syrian people and cause unpredictable consequences in Syria and other countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
VOV5/VOV onlilne
