Arming of revolutionaries: A shrewd tactics in international diplomacy

Active promotion of revolutions has been very prominent right from 1790s when the French revolutionaries jumped on the bandwagon for internationalist diplomacy. Over the years, this process of ‘exporting the revolutions‘ has been used by super-powers to thrash the flawed government of developing countries and impose imperialism. They mostly express their impeccability when questioned about the clandestine manner in which they train outside revolutionaries, militants and rebels. But there are few who pay the price. For example, ‘By challenging the legitimacy of all foreign interventions, Bolsheviks invited all foreign governments to challenge their own.’ Interestingly, the Syrian uprising has provided an opportunistic platform to western powers to use their alliances and hegemony to overthrow Assad regime.

In a meeting of  Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Saudi Arabia has backed the arming of Syrian guerrilla groups. Riyadh has been transporting arms to Syria through the Sunni tribal ally groups in Iraq and Lebanon. As Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, Qatar’s prime minister has also backed the arming of Syrian rebels. FSA is being funneled with Russian Anti-tank missiles and sophisticated weapons system from various sympathizers from Assad’s military. Even Libyan interim leader Mustafa Abdul Jalil has supported Syrian rebels as around 600 Libyans have transported on Syrian soil to fight as volunteers.

The Free Syrian Army which is disorganized, cluttered into groups of rebels, has definitely become a fiction mailbox, pretending to reach out to innocent civilians. Marc Lynch has intelligently questioned if the process of arming FSA would lead to any immediate results. He predicts three outcomes out of this phenomenon. First, the rebels use the arms for their defence or secondly, they overpower the Syrian military and force them to surrender.  Finally, the rebels and the military can even out each other’s power and eventually negotiate. What most powers do not think about is that since FSA contains several groups, often splitting due to their lack of agreement. The entire rat race to get arms would cause severe competition in these armed gangs, leading to further chaos and militancy.

Unfortunately, Syria is not like China or Iran where the foreign interventionists and their real agendas can be filtered or understood. For example, the British Embassy in Peking was burnt by Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution in 1967. The US Embassy seizure in Tehran in 1979 during the  Iranian revolution has permanently soured US-Iran relations. At the same time, history is replete with examples where the ‘Syria chapter’ has been repeated, on and on.

• Soviet provisions used to supply arms, training and advisers through Comintern to underground military units in communist countries.
• Chinese supported the Vietnam for opposition to France from 1950-1954.
• Cuba provided aid to Sandinista National Liberation Front in Nicaragua after 1977.
• People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen provided bases and trainings to arm guerrillas to Oman and North Yemen. After its establishment in 1967, it also deployed guerrillas for sporadic clashes with Saudi Arabia.
• Bolsheviks attempted to assist revolutionaries in Mongolia, Iran and Poland in the 1920s.
• Iran supported militants in Iraq, Lebanon and Afghanistan.

On the other hand, just like Russia is supporting arms supplies to Syria, USSR was also involved in arming China and Vietnam during 1950s, Cuba and Vietnam during 1960s and Angola and Mozambique during 1970s. Well, it was Cuba and Vietnam which caused US and USSR to drift apart, eventually dodging the nuclear war in 1962.

Therefore, this entire trend of arming the revolutionaries by powerful nations is not new. One can find the residue of  Marxist internationalist agenda of creating continuous and inevitable world wide revolutionary upheaval in such attempts. Very often, the thin defining line differentiating revolution from nationalism is erased.

In Syria, the uprisings are being used as an ‘instrument’ where the internationalism of western and Arab powers is being adopted for their own selfish interests rather than social justice and social order. There is an evident gap in the overlapping of revolutionary aspiration and capability because most of the Syrian rebels are fighting on abstract and anonymous grounds. It makes them vulnerable and eventuate into mortals fighting on lost cause.

‘Friends of Syria’: Dictatorship of Futile International Diplomacy

The much hyped ‘Friends of Syria’ Conference taking place today in Tunisia is nothing but an embarrassment that US, EU and Arab League would remember.

More than 80 countries are participating in this international conference. Its only Lebanon, China and Russia who chose to ‘disassociate’ themselves from the event. Interestingly, the event is being funded by Qatar (hotel arrangements, travel tickets, bookings) while Tunisia maintains the administrative formality of executing it.

Moncef Marzouki, the President of Tunisia stated in an interview with Al Jazeera that he does not want military intervention in Syria. Syria would not be another Libya because events in this country have gone far more complex and intertwined. He once again urged the need to convince Russia to be supportive.

‘Too many cooks spoil the broth’

FOS itself is divided. Though the draft declaration is still being circulated, the communique states that they would not be supplying arms to Free Syrian Army and Syrian National Council.

While, members of the SNC who are currently in Tunisia have stated that it does not matter what is officially stated, they would eventually be armed.

This is one of the first and very apparent rift that exists in FOS. Well, its obvious to happen this way because such a high number of diplomatic representation at an international issue would have their own polemics, agendas and black propagandas.

‘Just to Impress Russia’

Few countries like Tunisia want to lower down the tone of the communique so that Russia can also be involved in their process, at a later stage. This idea, seems ‘Utopian’ and boorish enough for other Arabian countries who demand a military intervention at any cost (like Qatar).

So one can ponder the impact any declaration that FOS would eventually have if everything done is being customised for Russia or China? Just like the Thursday conference on Somalia in London, this entire FOS facade would be nothing but a posh and unnecessary expenditure for the diplomats, serving no purpose, what so ever.

‘Do not lecture Syria’

Ammar Waqqaf of the Syrian Social Club has stated that ‘If FOS wants humanitarian aid, one must talk directly to the Syrian government rather than lecturing it. Syria is self sufficient in terms of food and medical supply. It can take care of itself.’

He also states that it is assumed that the rebellions are concerned with the lives of the normal civilians, but in reality, they are not. In fact, the rebellions try to show that they have a control over the situation in respective district, but in reality, they are not even musketeers.

‘Differences with SNC’

As if the rifts in FOS were not enough, SNC too is facing opposition from the opposition. The National Coordination for Committee for Democratic Change (NCCDC) boycotted its presence in the FOS. They believe that FOS would be biased in praising SNC and there is not point in having any other Syrian Opposition group in the conference if such partiality continues.

NCCDC believes that it has more contacts in Syria and capability to use its soft power than SNC. In fact, it is based in Damascus itself. Also, NCCDC, chaired by Hassen Abdel Azim, is largely based inside Syria unlike SNC that is based in Istanbul.

Conclusion

If Karl Marx, Engels, Lenin and Guevera were still alive, they would have found nothing abysmal with the Syrian uprising. In fact, it includes every normative demand for being called a ‘revolution’ that has crossed the discursive, generative and paradigmatic process to eventuate into one.

Also, everything from international support, foreign intervention, ambitious yet abstract demands are present. Thomas Paine, perhaps would have credited American revolution of 1763 to be their godfather while Edmund Burke would have written another ‘Reflections’ to rebuke it.

But there’s one subtle point which they all thought but never wrote about. The point is, ‘Sometimes, revolutionaries themselves become part of international conspiracies.’

Reality of Syrian opposition, Assad’s leaked interview and Return of Kofi Annan

Last year, Patrick Cockburn had revealed how both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch did not have concrete evidence to justify that Gadaffi was involved in causing war crimes and inhuman massacres in Libya.

This year, once again, Cockburn takes another polemic ideology and debates if ‘the preponderance of youtube videos, tweets, blogs and texts from Syrian opposition are actually true?’

In an interesting analysis in The Independent, he states :

‘YouTube pictures may have played a positive role in the uprisings of the Arab Spring, but the international media is largely mute about how easy it is to manipulate them. Pictured from the right angle, a small demonstration can be made to look like a gathering of tens of thousands. Shootings in one street in one town can be used to manufacture “evidence” of shooting in a dozen towns. Demonstrations need not be genuine events luckily captured on mobile phone cameras by concerned citizens; frequently the only reason for the protest is to provide material for YouTube. Television companies are not going to reject or underline the stage management of film that is free, dramatic, up to date – and which they could not match with regular correspondents and film crews even if they spent a lot of money.’

He further adds,

‘In the print press, bloggers get an equally easy ride, even though there is no proof that they know anything about what is going on. Hence the ease with which a male American student in Scotland was able to pretend to be a persecuted lesbian in Damascus. Since the Iraq war, even the most intensely partisan bloggers have been presented as sources of objective information. Tarnished though they may now be, they still have a certain cachet and credibility.’

Also, there’s another interesting incident that has currently taken place.

Bashar’s leaked interview

The hacker group Anonymous attacked the mail server of Syrian Ministry and 100s of emails have been leaked in this process. One of them reveals how Bashar actually planned before the much hyped interview with Barbara Walters. Eventually, the interview just showed him as an incompetent, hairy brained and boorish dictator, often dumb when asked questions regarding his own country.

Here goes the attached manuscript of the leaked PDF of Bashar’s Interview.

‘Its Annan, Koffi Annan’

Indeed, the situation is mushrooming with paroxysm of sarcasm and stupidity. Anyways, what is important right now is the much awaited ‘Friends of Syria’ meeting at Tunisia today morning and also what Kofi Annan does, after being requested to be the joint special envoy on Syria.

Well, it depends because he could not stop the invasion of Iraq by US inspite of being the UN Secretary General at that time. The Ghanaian native, winner of Nobel Peace prize in 2001 and acknowledged for his reforms in the Rwandan genocide, perhaps can turn tables in Syria.

US Drones in Syria, Turkey accepts Mossad’s cooperation

‘If a dog fell into your well, would you remove the dog or empty the well? Once a red dog fell into Afghan well, the International community helped to get it out. Now, a white dog has fallen, what are they doing? They are emptying the well, one bucket at a time.’

By the time the reader fully understands the meaning of every word mentioned above, a melancholy spirit of distaste and pain is generated from within.

The story of Afghanistan after 1989 invasion of Soviet Union followed by American occupation can be rightly explained through the above words.

Interestingly, the same narration travels to Syria now.’The white dog has fallen into Syria’s well. What they are doing now, interestingly, is to increase the size of this well’

‘US drones in Syria: Legal or Illegal?’

The conspiracies and murky bets are turning true. America accepted that there are US drones flying over Syria. After the Iraq war by Bush Administration that worked on the principle of ‘ Either you are with us, or against us’, US is revealing its new colours. How can, one country, inspite of it being a super power, ever have the rightful access to another country’s air space?

Its amazing how the propaganda can be used. US states that its urgent to send drone attacks to Syria so that the real picture can be narrated to the international audience and hence, a stronger international response can be attained.In the terms of international diplomacy, US tends to find ‘intercepts of Syrian government and military communications.’ Well, who will take the blame/ or credit, if President Assad is assassinated in this attempt?

‘The failure of UN, again’

If that has to be the eventual end, I believe there is not point in having meetings of the UN security councils and even the vetoes. It turns out that all these highly acclaimed meetings are nothing but presentations put by paper tigers with no meaning, essence or even motif of sustenance.

‘Syria is not Pakistan’

Syria is not Pakistan that has sold itself under President Musharaff to US. It does not deserve the unmanned drone attacks. In fact, its Russia which has military base in Syria, unlike American bases in Pakistan.Osama bin Laden did not go to hiding in Syria after leaving Sudan. Al-Qaeda and Pathan Taleban are not in Syria. Hence, US knows that it can not use the usual message of ‘War on Terror’.

‘Stalin Versus Obama’

But to carry out the same odious execution, the name will be changed, wile the operation remains the same.

I wonder, whats the difference between US ( as a complete entity) and Stalin? They both are carrying out massive executions and using conspiracies to defend themselves.

‘Turkey’s role in Syria‘

Also, it has been revealed that the Turkey had been training the Free Syrian Army. 40 Turkish intelligence officials have been captured working along with the Syrian opposition. They also confessed that Mossad (The Israeli Intelligence) has been working with them. In fact, Mossad has also been working with the Al-qaeda operative in Jordan to slash out Syria.

One can find one common trail, or a pattern. In the case of Libya, US had relied on Al-Qaeda fighters who belonged to the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) to out Gadaffi. Undoubtedly, in the case of Syria, it is the Free Syrian Army that is being used in the similar manner.

‘Have revolutions failed?’

Perhaps Edmund Burke was right when he smirked at the French Revolution and stated that such occurrences are nothing but a facade. One can see the dwindling path of the uprising in Syria.

Well, someone rightly said, Reason and ignorance, opposites of each other, influence bulk of mankind. If either of these can be rendered sufficiently extensive in a country, the machinery of the government goes on.

But no one said, what happens, if both Assad and US start using the ‘ignorance’ and no reasoning, ever follows.

Why Iran can not be attacked by Israel and US?

After its humiliating attempt to contain the ‘nuclear power’ progress of Iran, Israel embarked to embrace the potent weapon of ‘intervention and war.’ Everything from political pressure, sanctions, sabotage, counter-proliferation measures and attempt for regime changes, have failed in Iran.

Few are even calling Iranian President Ahmadinejad as Adolf Hitler, all set to wipe out the Jewish identity from the world.  Interestingly, this is not 1935 and even Israel is not a naive participant in utterly innocent international diplomacy.

America’s ambiguous strategy

Barack Obama has stated that there is no evidence that Iran has the ‘intentions or capabilities’ to wage a war on US soil. Well, it was only last October when Iranians have been accussed by Americans for planning the assasination of a Saudi Arabian ambassador on this very American soil.

Also, US after the 1979 hostage crisis that followed after the 1953 coup in which CIA has dismantled the Iranian government, America cannot predict whats on Iran’s mind. Though, US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta seems more worried about the Israel-Iran attack rather than withdrawing US army from Afghanistan or even calculating their defence budget.

Republican Candidate Mitt Romney, the topmost contender for the Presidential position, has already stated that he would be more pro-Israel than Obama and he would back up the American diplomacy with very credible military option.

‘If Iran makes the first move’

Iranian Rafah News Website which is identified with President Ahmadinejad has already threatened Israel, last month. Iran is already known for blowing up Israeli embassy and Jewish communities in Buenos Aires in 1992.

If Iran, once again, targets soft power of Israeli foundation, it might act as a vitriolic catalyst to give a reason for Israel and US to attack Iran. Under Article 51 of UN Security Council’s Charter, US does not need the permission to launch military intervention. This Charter preserves the right of the member nations to respond to any armed attack.

‘Few Ignorant analysis of Iran’

Ignorant US analysts believe that since Syria, the major supporter of Iran is being shattered in the Arab Uprising, Iran might become weak. They also have a weaker perception of Hamas and Hezbollah who have been heavily financed by Syria and Iran.

Few believe that President Ahmedinjead does not have the power to call a nuclear war and the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khameini, already 72, is too old for such an operation.

Few only believe that Israel can once again operate Operation Opera in which it destroyed a nuclear reactor under construction in Baghdad on 7th June, 1981.

Well, once again, Iran is not Iraq that can be mercilessly crushed by foreign intervention.

‘Why Israel can not attack Iran’

1. It is defended by substantial ground forces, fighter aircrafts and SAM sites. Unlike Iraq, Iran has not accumulated its power plants at one location. They are scattered and are well protected.

2. Israel is far from Iran. So, in case, Israel plans to bombard the Iranian soils, it would need modified aircrafts and extra tanks for refueling. Saudi Arabia might allow Israel to land for refueling, but then again, Israel will have to calculate every move with precision.

3. Iran’s Vice president Mohammad Reza Rahimi has declared on 27th December that ‘not a drop of oil will pass through Strait of Hormuz’. Iran, suffering the worst of sanctions on its central banks and oil exports, would take the revenge by closing this strait from where 20% of world’s oil passes out.

4. Iran has already started the activation of Fordow Facility for the underground Uranium enrichment plant near Qom. It is well protected under a bomb proof tunnel or  under a mountain near the military. Also, both US and Israel do not have bunker buster bombs that can penetrate these mountains and explode the power plants.

5. It has hundreds of flawless Shabab missiles that are capable of striking Israel.

‘Israel’s covert nuclear involvement’

Turning to Israel, one does not readily mention that it is also clandestinely developing large and well sophisticated nuclear weapons. Mordecai Vanunu, who defected Israel’s nuclear programme and the Wisconsin Project have revealed that Israel is building thermo-nuclear and neutron war heads. It is injustice to target Iran just became it has oil reserves.

‘Deaths of Iranian nuclear scientists’

Also, what about the Stuxnet computer virus which hit Iran last year and caused Uranium enriching centrifuges at Natanz to spin out of control and explode?

Also, the rampant and mysterious death of Iranian nuclear scientists is another clue of Mossad’s intelligence and how Israel is inculcating fear in Iranians to cause them to defect. Interestingly, all of these bomb explosions ( 5 since 2007) carry the same hallmark.

There is a motorcycle that targets the victim’s car, flashes the ‘sticky bomb’ or magnetic explosive and elopes. Eventually, only the target dies and nothing else is disrupted apart from the car. It is also believed that Israel has been buying off few Iranian citizens and paying them fat salaries to work as spies.

Conclusion

In the end, it is not important when the attack would happen, if it does but what would happen after it does. Would Iran become another Iraq or Afghanistan or is 2012 when America surrenders and Iran becomes the super power?

Why Turkey should not criticise Syria?

As the city of Homs is being bombard by Syrian forces, Turkey’s anger is making it forget that ‘People who live in glass houses should not throw stones at others.’ The frantic Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is marching to Washington, to lick his own wounds with Hillary Clinton and conspire for another international action against Assad.

Turkey which has often been called as The Sick Man of Europe and even Human Cancer by British PM David Lloyd George after the First World War, today stands in an oblivion. Its not social justice to blame Syria for 6000 death when Turkey’s own shadows are egregiously blood-soaked. The modern country which has cowardly declined to accept the killing of thousands of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire in 1915 still does not accept it as genocide.

‘If you criticize, you are dead’

If it is banned in Syria to criticise Assad, the same jail sentence would be delivered in Turkey if anyone criticizes Ataturk. Even if we try to overlook this fact by crediting that yes, Mustafa Kamal was the hero of Turkey’s war of Independence and lets not trouble his soul, what about the current PM? Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the man who is audaciously changing Turkey so that it becomes a member of EU by 2015 does not allow criticism to his own policies. The ego has bustled to the cost of Turkey’s foreign relations with US and Israel.

Turkey and Syria: Friends with no Benefits

PM Erdogan states that Turkey was an ally of Syria. Well, perhaps he thinks that no one remembers Ankara’s prickly relation with Damascus. Syria wanted the Turkish province of Hatay which was awarded  to Turkey after a referendum when the French pulled out in 1930s. Also, what about the grudge of the Syrians over the water flow of Euphrates River. One must not forget that the World Bank did not finance the famous Ataturk Dam on Turkey’s Euphrates River because it knew that domination would prevail and Turkey did not clearly mention how much water it would allow to flow into Iraq and Syria. Tehran, Damascus and Baghdad have always been Turkey’s enemy.

The Kurdish Question

Turning again to human rights, Turkey itself can not pretend to be a humanitarian neighbor by creating a buffer zone with Syria because Turkey is known for brutual abuse of human rights. Especially, what about the Kurdish question? The thousands of PKK rebels, often found similar to Hamas in Palestine are fighting for their rights and independence for years. Kurds have been facing an 80 year long ban. They are even called the ‘world’s largest nation without a state’. Currently, there are 25 million Kurds. To defend itself, Turkey calls them as ‘Mountain Turks’ rather than actually identifying them.

What if Turkey was Kurdey?

Ahmet Altan, the prominent leftist journalist in Turkey sarcastically questions that what would have happened if Turkey was Kurdey and if Turks became the minority in it? How would Turkey feel if they were called as ‘Oceanic Kurds‘ and never given their own existence? Thankfully,  Kemal Mustafa made Turkey what it is. One should remember that when he fought at the beaches of Gallipoli, he said to his men, ‘I do not ask you to attack, I am ordering you to die.’ He is the same man who told King Edward VIII that Turks were not taught to be servants. Just like Voltaire condemned the role of State and Church during French Revolution, this man abolished the existence of Caliphate in Turkey and made it what it is today.

Conclusion

Both Turkey and Syria are very different from each other, in terms of their democratic and dictatorship regimes, culture, belief, religious majorities and minorities, etc. I do not wish to ignore the massive deaths of innocent civilians in Syria by trying to criticise Turkey. My main aim is to reveal the double standards in international diplomacy and how countries like Turkey who have blood on their own face, who are having difficuly in gulping their own saliva, should be neutral. They should not fight for the defence of others, if they themselves can not deliver justice in their own country.

Syria: A Battlefield for Russia, China, US, EU and Arab League

So, finally, Russia and China did veto the UN Security Resolution against Syria. The 15-nation-international organisation is cracking, one by one.

But is this good news or bad news? Is Syria saved or just put into another turmoil?

Russia’s Tears at Tartus

Sergei Lavrov, the Foreign Minister of Russia clearly stated that his country would not accept the Moroccan drafted and Arab League Sponsored UN  Resolution. He demands a clear post resolution scheme to candidly hide the mere simple and selfish fact that Russia cant face another enormous loss like it did in Libya. Also, both these countries have been defying arms embargo and publicly accepted to be involved in arms trade. From the very Cold war era, Russia has been suppling arms to Syria, it has a naval base (its only) in Syria’s Tartus which it simply can not wipe out to dust.

China’s subtle revenge

While China, the mute and very cunning spectator has not given huge headlines defending itself. The reason put forward is the same as defended by Russia. But then, one must know,  when it comes to China, you are fighting an emerging economical power. Very quietly, behind the scenes, China is also engrossed in investing in several Latin American countries who are still wounded by imperialism to form its own nest. The usage of soft power is quite tricky as several Chinese countrymen are also being deported to small countries in Africa to start their own business. And above all, Chinese relations with US and the European Union has not been a bed of roses. So, when its time for subtle revenge, its basically is the time, only for it.

European Union’s silence

Nicholas Sarkozy was here, there, everywhere when it came to imposing a no-fly-zone in Libya. Interestingly, he is quite silent or perhaps, absent in the entire case of Syria. Well, the 2012 French elections can be one of the main reasons. He wants to run for the second successive term and thus, nothing means more to him that the months of ‘April’ and ‘May’.

Though, there have been rumors that France has been training members of the Free Syrian Army in Lebanon and Turkey.

As far as other countries are concerned, Germany which has for years, after the world wars, acted like a follower, is perhaps looking at the monetary aspect of the resolution. You do not need Adolf Hitler to reveal that this resolution, if passed, would cause further chaos, foreign intervention. The Euro Zone crisis  has left other nations crippled and at Germany’s mercy, as England does not really care a damn about it. Germany, if clever, does not have a choice.

In the same context, there is no point even trying to think about what Italy, Greece, Ireland can manage to do.

America’s stand

Obama is busy facing the skeletons in his closet and at the same time, fighting to secure his second consecutive term in US Presidential elections. Congressmen Ron Paul is more of a headache than Assad. Also, Obama can not be rude with Russia, especially after he started the arms control treaty called New Start with Russia.

Hillary Clinton, in an obvious angry mood called the Security council as a ‘neutered organisation’.

Russia has been criticised for being extravagant with the veto power. Well, under Vitaly Churkin’s reign, Russia has just vetoed 4 times. Few analysts have applauded this fact because a security council should give as much importance to a veto as it gives to acceptance.

And for heaven’s sake, America should not be even questioning the role of veto. Its futile to even count how many times USA has vetoed any resolution against Israel. So, perhaps, whatever is happening right now, is just justice.

Arab League’s Plan

Once upon a time, Crusaders took over the west and in their response, the Ottoman Empire revealed its power to nab them in their clutches. Then came the European invaders armed with colonization and imperialism, all set to ruin the Middle East. But that was not the end. The emergence of Muslim Brotherhood, Al-Qaeda, Iranian revolution, Hamas and Hizbollah again threatened the world which already was witnessing world wars and cold war.

From then on, the stalemate has continued between the east and the west. What the current uprising has done, is not only create another issue like Israel and Palestine but has also given a chance for Arabs to fight for their dominance. Arabs do not want Iran and for that matter, they do not want the Alawite Shiite to rule. Its sectarian and its bloody violence.

Conclusion

All of this, states one thing. None of them- Russia, China, US, EU or AU are there to actually protect the innocent citizens who are being slain off in Syria. International politics here is a murky gamble, where everyone is playing their own cards, just to prove their power. The same goes for Assad who has been called as a ‘Dictator by Accident.’ Well, he is not. History has been trying to forgive Napolean, Adolf Hitler, Stalin and Churchill. The quote that ‘One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter’ does not hold true anymore.

Especially, when the concept of ‘Freedom’ has been butchered.

Is Iran a scapegoat in Syria’s uprising?

The main target of Qatar and Arab League is Iran and not Assad. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is fearing an Israeli attack on Iran by early April.

If you read in between the lines, the mission here is to weaken the nuclear armed state, nab it with oil sanctions and arms embargo and perhaps, reiterate the chessboard scenario that its neighbour, Iraq faced for a long time during American intervention.

Behind the mask of Syrian democracy, the international players are secretly conspiring a termination for the Persian Shiite, who for times immemorial, have been the enemies of Sunni Arab monarchies.

Iran-Syria Relations: A historical perspective

Assad, who belongs to the Alawite sect, sn offshoot of Shiite, is perhaps the singular dynasty ruler who maintained Iran’s alliance with Syria.

Right from 1982 onwards, Syria shut down a major pipeline that used to operate in its territory. In return of it, Iran used to provide oil at subsidised rates.

Iran, known for financially and intellectually helping Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, is a major enemy of the western political powers.

Syria, too, for a certain extent, joint the list when it started acting as a route to supply arms and armaments to Hezbollah by acting as a passage route.

Iran’s concern during the current uprising

Iran carries the history of being rebuked by both American and Russian powers in the past decades. Hence, claiming to its anti-western ruthless ideology, Iran mushroomed its military and nuclear strength.

The 11-month-old Syrian uprising is definitely a challenge to Iran. Perhaps, a greater concern than its own Green Revolution of 2009.

Hence, Iran has started to send force advisors and training personnel to Syria for training the soldiers. It also aims to establish its own military base in Syria which would cost $23million.

Interestingly, an Israeli official has accused Syria of building its own nuclear power.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the President of Iran has stated to Kuwaiti media that he wishes to hold a meeting with the Islamic countries to devise a manner in which Bashar al-Assad’s coutry can be saved from foreign intervention.

Iraq’s paranoia

Who ever said that the resignation of Assad would cause an earthquake in Middle Eastern politics was absolutely right. The paranoia of Shia-Sunni antagonism has started fearing the political will of Iraqi Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

In January itself, one can witness Iraq drowning into its own crisis as Sunni politicians are being arrested and their houses being ransacked.

Unfortunately, the entire spectacle in Middle East is turning into a disease that can not be cured simply by injecting a dose of democracy. There is sectarian violence, power paranoia, methodological madness and deep rooted conflicts.

Its only time that can have the power to reveal the future amidst such chaos.

Russia and China against UN’s draft resolution for Syria

As Syria is replacing Iran’s title of ‘North Korea in the Mediterranean’, the country witnesses 11 month crackdown with the death of 5400 civilians. The highly awaited meeting of UN’s Security Council in New York went as expected. Both China and Russia stated that they would veto against the Moroccan authored draft resolution, if accepted by the Security Council. Nabil Elaraby, the Secretary General of Arab League along with Sheikh Thani, the PM of Qatar have been quite vocal against Syria.

The current resolution gives 15 days to Assad for handing over the power to his deputy Farouk al Shaara, who is currently the vice president of the country. He has served as a Syrian Foreign Minister from 1984-2006. He is known for playing an important role in maintaining Syria’s relationship with Lebanon and Israel. Last July, Farouk held government meetings, speaking about the transition to a truly pluralistic democratic state.

Meanwhile, an Israeli newspaper Maariv has stated that farouk arrived in Moscow in December to discuss the possibility of providing political asylum to Bashar al- Assad and his family.

Arab League’s smart act

In a quite smart and diplomatic act, Arab League sent a 165 member mission to Syria. These international monitors revealed that 400 people have died since their deployment. These numbers created further chaos and blemished the image of Assad. The League still has 100 members in Syria, as an act to show the western world how they do care for the civilians in Syria but sadly, can not play an integral role in stopping the deaths. Hence, nothing is going to work apart from the draft resolution of the Security Council.

But is this a cunning step to turn Syria into another LIbya. The ‘Right to Protect’ Act was twisted by NATO in the Resolution 1973 which was passed by UN last year. The resolution was meant to protect the civilians and not to cause regime change, which eventually, it did. Both Russia and China, who had not been very vocal during the time of Libya, regretted their cowardice. They not only faced heavy economical losses but even the wide perception that their foreign policies and opinions do not matter in the western hegemony.

Russia and China’s support

Its not only communism which is common in both the countries. One must remember Stalin and how he butchered his own men before the Second World War. Also, one must not forget the Tianmen Protests in China in 1989, killing hundreds of protestors.

The same lineage can be scrutinised in Hama Massacre that took place in Syria when the then President Hafez killed thousands of Sunni Muslim protestors against his regime.

Perhaps, the Syrian tyranny gives power to both Russia and China.

The paranoia and sense of madness continues. Especially, if its the deciding point of elections. Both Russia and China are going to have elections this year. Vladimir Puntin, running for the Presidential elections has been criticising Medvedev for being a neutral spectator during Libya.

Also, Russia has its naval base at the port city of Tartus. Its the only passage for Russia to the Mediterranean. The Russian- Syrian trade relations value $4 billion dollars while the Chinese Syrian trade amounts to more than $1.8 dollars.

Russia has been selling fighter jets, anti-ship cruise missiles and fighters to Syria right from the start of Cold War.

China started its diplomatic relations with Syria from 1956 and continues to maintain it.

All of this can be seen as a subtle polarizing of the world into two political power associations.

Anti-Imperialism or For Sovereignity

The entire Arab uprising, creating chaotic dominoes effect, has become a struggle between foreign intervention and protection of a country’s own sovereignty. America continues with a soft power approach but ultimately its strong on ‘You are with us or against us’ principle.

One must know that Syria is also different from Libya from  a very interesting angle. In Libya, it was Gadaffi and the rebels. While, in Syria, it is Bashar al Assad, the rebels and a catalysing population of religious extremists and terrorists who are also involved in killing innocent civilians. Its difficult to say who trains them. There are rumours that western countries are training them, especially France in Lebanon and Turkey so that they can revolt against the government.

Hence, its a million dollar question if Assad would actually resign or might become another Gadaffi for Syria.