******************** POSTING RULES & NOTES ********************
#1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message.
#2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived.
#3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern.
*****************************************************************
In my article I sent to the list "How Russian and American bombing
consolidates support for ISIS," I wrote, in reference to the tactical
differences between the US and Russia that "The other tactical
difference is the question of how long Assad himself should be allowed
to remain in a “transitional” regime, with the aim of saving the regime
as a whole, finding a “political solution” and **launching a joint
US-Russian-regime-former opposition war against ISIS and everyone else
the US and Russia consider to be “terrorists.”**
Of course I didn't just make it up; it is actually my reading of
countless agreements, meetings, statements, 'peace conferences' and so
on. But often you have to read a little between the lines. I was
surprised to see British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond verify this
interpretation so quickly (my comments in square brackets):
Vienna talks to draw up Syria terrorist list: UK
http://www.worldbulletin.net/haberler/166217/vienna-talks-to-draw-up-syria-terrorist-list-uk?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed
'It will require deep breaths on several sides, including the U.S.
side,' British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond says
World Bulletin / News Desk
The world powers trying to end the civil war in Syria are drawing up a
list of "terrorist" groups, Britain said Tuesday, warning that some
countries may have to drop support for allies on the ground.
"It will require deep breaths on several sides, including the U.S.
side," British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond warned, speaking to
reporters in Washington.
Around 20 countries and international bodies will meet on Saturday in
Vienna to try to push forward a peace plan for Syria that would include
a ceasefire between Bashar al-Assad's regime and some opposition groups.
As part of this, Hammond said, the countries backing various factions
within the country would have to decide which are moderate enough to be
included in the political process and which would be excluded.
"I'm not so sure I would write off the possibility of agreeing on who is
a terrorist," he said, in remarks at the British embassy the morning
after talks with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.
But he warned that there would be horse trading ahead.
"The Saudis are never going to sign up to Ansar al-Sham being
categorized as terrorists [MK: I’m sure he means Ahrar al-Sham, but I
wouldn’t expect British leaders to know the difference between all those
Goddamned Islamic terrorists]," he said, citing the example of one Sunni
armed group reported to receive outside Arab backing [MK: also not very
smart, since it is Qatar, not Saudi, that supports AaS].
"So we have to see whether we can reach a pragmatic solution on these
areas," Hammond added.
Asked whether Britain is specifically asking Saudi Arabia to give up
some of the groups it is backing, he said: "Well, we might be, let's
explore that." [MK: yeh, after all, even if they’re not really
“terrorists” that the Saudis back, and we know they’re not, they’re
still Muslim riff-raff with arms that threaten the natural order of
despots and things, so we need a good compromise so we can all happily
bomb together. The Saudis will understand].
Russia and Iran, both party to the Vienna negotiations, are supporting
Assad against U.S. and Saudi backed rebels, but Hammond denied that the
"terrorist list" would give them more leeway to strike the opposition.
[MK: ha ha ha].
"The Russians are already bombing anybody who poses any kind of threat
to the regime," he said. "When we talk about terrorist groups what we're
trying to do is narrow the Russians' target set." [MK: yeh, narrow it,
with “compromises”, meet you half way, so we can all bomb at least half
the Syrian insurgency together, to save the regime, thus fatally
weakening the other half, forcing them to join the regime to give it a
face-saver].
The U.S., Britain and their Arab allies want Assad to step down to allow
a transitional Syrian government to unite the country behind a
reconciliation process and the fight against the ISIL extremist group.
[MK: and all the others you decide are “terrorists”]
_________________________________________________________
Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm
Set your options at:
http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
