Meanwhile in Syria, the pseudo-ceasefire
Op-ed: The Americans are not talking about any violations of the 'cessation of hostilities' in Syria, because to them, there aren't any. Europe pays the price of Washington's failed foreign policies, while Israel stands firm.
“Today we did not get any reports of ceasefire violations,” the US State Department spokesperson said dully on Tuesday, while even the Russians conceded that 18 “serious violations” of the ceasefire were committed, and social media had non-stop reports on dozens of battles with over 100 killed in Syria.
So how come the Americans don’t know about these violations? Because the American policy in Syria has moved into the realm of imagination: if we just pretend, maybe there will be a ceasefire.
Except, this isn't a ceasefire. Syria has once more returned to warfare in all of its fronts, with heavy Russian bombings and Assad's military or rebel forces alternately making advances. Reality is not pretending. Even though the Americans agreed with the Russians "not to discuss" the violations - meaning, pretend they're not happening. The politically correct version of an alternative reality shatters when it meets the reality on the ground.
The harsh truth is that none of the sides knows what to do in Syria. Everyone is trapped by disasters and fears, so they pretend. Bashar begs to stay in power, when he knows that he has no chance. So he continues bombing, but bluffs by saying he's committed to the ceasefire. The Russians have already realized that they entered a bottomless pit, and they too want to see the light at the end of the tunnel, which does not exist. The Iranians are busy with their troubles, and the different Sunni rebel groups dream of greatness, which will never happen. So why not pretend? In the realm of imagination, everybody wins.
The most confused of all are the Americans, whose conduct in Syria is an embarrassment: They were against Assad and with the rebels, then with Assad and against the rebels, with the rebels and against the Kurds, and with the Kurds and against the rebels, actually they are with the Kurds and the rebels, or are they against both the Kurds and the rebels? Are the Americans for Erdogan or against him, with or against the Russians? And what is their policy? Delusions.
The Americans' delusional foreign policy is not just in Syria but also in Iraq. Just recently, Obama was boasting that ISIS was retreating and had weakened. So how come ISIS managed to commit a serious attack 10 kilometers from the international airport in Baghdad, the lifeline of the Shiite Iraqi regime? Not to mention the way ISIS is fooling Iraqi soldiers in Ramadi and other cities, succeefully killing hundreds of people every month in attacks. The Iraqi army hesitates to directly fight ISIS, which continues to grow in strength and draw Sunnis into its fold.
Where were the Americans in the battles on Sunday? According to Iraqi reports (which were also sort of delusional) ISIS retreated, but it is also remains everywhere in the western and northern part of the country. Even the US understands that its bombings don’t really help. Will Obama put American boots on the ground? I doubt it. That is why the Americans are stuck with no way out in Iraq as well, despite their many attempts.
They overthrew Saddam Hussein, Hosni Mubarak, Muammar Qaddafi, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and Ali Abdullah Saleh because of their delusions. Took down the leaders and caused a storm.
And they didn't just do this in Syria and Iraq, but also in Libya, Yemen, Egypt and Tunis, and among the Sunnis in the land of Israel (who used to be called "Palestinians"). Was it not John Kerry who tried to reach a peace agreement here two years ago and failed? Then, like today, this was a policy of delusions.
Just like there can be no arrangement with the mass murderer Assad, there can be no arrangement with Abbas' gang, and now it's Europe’s turn to pay the price of this foreign policy. The only country that remains with its feet firmly on the ground and did not capitulate to the imaginary reality produced by the West - was Israel.
