Are More US Attacks on Syrian Forces Planned? Establishing Pentagon Bases in Syria?

Responding to US-led attacks on Syrian and allied forces, a Russian Foreign Ministry statement said Sergey Lavrov “strongly disagreed with the US strikes against pro-government forces, calling for specific measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.”

The most recent incident occurred in what CENTCOM called a “deconfliction” zone – unilaterally declared by Washington.

Lavrov said he knows nothing about this zone. Russia rejects it, he stressed. US-led forces operate illegally in Syria without Security Council or Damascus authorization.

Establishing Pentagon bases in the country shows regime change remains Washington’s objective. Phony claims about combating ISIS conceal its real aim.

On Thursday, Russia’s Defense Ministry warned about US-led coalition HIMARS multiple rockets launchers moved to its illegal al-Tanf military base in southern Syria being used.

Deploying them likely means they’ll be used to attack Syrian and allied forces, a Russian Defense Ministry statement saying:

“The range of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) is not enough to support…US-backed” anti-government forces – death squad terrorists masquerading as moderate rebels.

“At the same time, the US-led…coalition has several times attacked the Syrian government forces near the Jordanian border, so it can be assumed that such attacks will continue, but this time involving the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems.”

Russian forces in Syria are monitoring things closely, notably in northern areas near Raqqa and along the Jordanian and Iraqi borders in the southern part of the country.

Deploying weapons anywhere in Syria without Damascus permission is flagrantly illegal. So is America’s presence and support for the terrorist scourge it claims to oppose.

During the State Department’s press briefing days earlier, spokeswoman Heather Nauert claimed CENTCOM’s so-called deconfliction zone “was established through a mutual understanding” among coalition countries…to ensure (their) forces are not endangered by other forces” – a clear perversion of truth.

She failed to address the illegality of America’s presence in the country along with its rogue allies, claiming “the urgent challenge to defeat ISIS” – the scourge Washington created and supports wherever its death squads are deployed.

“We do not see (the buildup of US-led forces in southern Syria) “as an escalation,” she said.

Reality on the ground indicates otherwise.

She declined to discuss planned US operations in Syria, saying “I’m just not going to get into that.”

Separately, Vladimir Putin told Oliver Stone in part three of his interview that Russian aircraft conduct on average between 70 – 120 daily airstrikes on terrorist targets.

During his annual Q & A marathon on Thursday, he said Russian operations in Syria have been “a significant benefit for our defense industry.”

“The use of advanced weapons allowed us to better understand the principles of their use in combat conditions and to make certain changes to the quality of these advanced weapon systems.”

“We have already known that these arms are good and could be used, but when we tested their capabilities in combat conditions, it is a different story” – the best way to proved their effectiveness.

Many groups, including Sunni ones, expressed willingness to cooperate with government and Russian forces against ISIS and al-Nusra. Assad welcomes it, Putin explained, adding:

“We we are eager to establish a dialogue in order to preserve the territorial integrity of the country. It’s very difficult. It’s difficult to reach a consensus, but direct contact with both sides gives us such a chance. And in general we achieve success.”

Achieving conflict resolution depends on cooperation from Washington and its regional allies – not at all forthcoming, unlikely given their rage for regime change and destroying Syrian sovereignty.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected].

His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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Articles by: Stephen Lendman

About the author:

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected]. His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III." http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.

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