US military action in Syria to destabilize ME for decades
In an exclusive interview with IRNA here on the recent developments in the Middle East, particularly Syria, Arti Bali said: “There is a likelihood of an imminent military confrontation between Russia and Western allies in the eastern Mediterranean after Moscow vetoed a US-drafted UN Security Council resolution to establish a new body to determine blame for the chemical weapons attacks in Syria. At the same time, the US blocked a Russian attempt to set up an international investigation into the attacks. For sure, there is a greater uncertainty and apprehension about the result if Trump moves ahead with a military attack in Syria. The entire region will become unstable for decades and it will have repercussions in Asia at large.”
Terming the US foreign policy on Syria as confusing, she said: “Trump's foreign policy on Syrian crisis has been inconsistent. One year ago in 2017, he ordered a missile strike against an airbase in Syria under nearly identical circumstances. The US President in early April announced that he wants the US troops to leave Syria as Washington's primary mission of fighting the Islamic State terrorist group is almost completed. But, the US army General Joseph Votel, the head of US Central Command, said he is in favor of continuing role for the military in Syria because Pentagon officials oppose the idea of allowing Russia and Iran assist the Syrian president Assad to stabilize Damascus.”
Blaming the US and its Western allies for the ongoing crisis in Syrian, she said: “The US has been training, arming and supporting terrorists with air strikes and other actions. The US and its European allies have accused the Assad regime of being behind the chemical attack in the rebel-held area of Douma. But, it seems that the US and its allies are trying to use the development as a pretext to attack Syria as no trace of chemical weapons could be found at the site and if there is any, it might have been staged by Syrian rebels to provide a ground for the Western military intervention in Syria”.
“Taking into account the actual developments, why president Assad will use chemical weapons at a time when Trump was contemplating to pull out of Syria? She asked.
Terming the recent US visit of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman as a conspiracy by Riyadh against Tehran, she said: “Feeling uneasy over its shrinking influence in the Middle-East stretching from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea, Saudi Arabia is making an attempt to curtail Iran’s regional influence by pursuing military campaign in Yemen backed by the US, providing financial assistance and weapons to the anti-Assad forces in Syria to change the regime there and also making contacts with the potential groups in Iraq.”
“Mohammed bin Salman's long tour of the United States, Britain, Egypt and France reflected that an alliance consisting of the US, France, Saudi Arabia and Israel are planning to attack Syria while another one consisting of Russia, China and Iran have decided to support the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to stabilize the situation in Syria.” Arti Bali said.
Elaborating on the importance of Saudi Arabia and the Zionist Regime in the foreign policy of the US, she said: “Trump has declared that Saudi Arabia and Israel as the close allies of the US and he is trying to shape his foreign policy as per the strategic interests of Riyadh and Tel Aviv. Israel and Riyadh are trying to counter the growing regional influence of Iran in the Middle East.”
Source: IRNA