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Statement by United
National Antiwar Coalition UNAC) Stop the U.S. Bombing of
Syria! U.S. Out of Syria and the
Middle East Now! (See list of action at the
bottom of this statement. Join an action
or organize your own and let us know about your action by emailing:
UNACpeace@gmail.com) On Thursday, April 6, the
Trump administration launched 59 Cruise Tomahawk missiles from its offshore
Mediterranean warships at Syria's al-Sshayrat military airfield near Homs,
Syria’s third largest city. The U.S. strikes obliterated substantial portions
of Syria's military capacity there. Trump's action came a day after Democrat
Hillary Clinton urged the U.S. bombing of Syria. Neither Trump nor any other
U.S. government agency presented a shred of proof that the government of Syrian President
Bashar al-Assad used sarin nerve gas in its bombing of ISIS, Al Qaida or any
other “rebel” groups in Syria's Idlib province. President Assad denied
using sarin gas while “Russia’s defense ministry,” according to the UK-based Guardian, also denied that the Syrian forces used chemical weapons. Bomb first! Ask questions
later! Trump and his now bi-partisan
"Bomb first! Ask questions later" cohorts have ignited what could
become a catastrophic escalation in the region that poses the threat of nuclear
war. Immediately before the U.S. missile attack, the Trump administration
convened a bi-partisan group of 25 Democrats and 25 Republicans for a
congressional briefing session. While there was no indication of opposition to
the Trump attack, a few, citing the U.S. Constitution, later expressed the need
for congressional debate and approval before waging war. Employing the Obama
administration's "red line" threat of war in 2013 Trump stated, “These heinous actions by the Bashar al-Assad regime are a
consequence of the past administration’s weakness and
irresolution. President Obama said in 2012 that he would establish a ‘red
line’ against the use of chemical weapons and then did nothing." No doubt
Trump was fully aware that Obama's "nothing" included the continued
arming, organizing, financing and training of terrorist and associated
U.S.-backed groups in Syria aimed at al-Assad removal. Corporate media beats the war drums The
corporate media near unanimously beat the war drums to
fever pitch and then hailed the bombing without the slightest inclination to
investigate, not to mention demand, any facts to substantiate their reflex
support for Trump's monstrous deed. Indeed, and as always, when pretexts
followed by war are employed to justify imperialist actions the corporate media
paved the way with tragic photos of stricken and suffering
children, all accompanied by unsubstantiated assertions that the Syrian
government was responsible. Few, if any, of the kept press
proved capable of reporting that the 2013 sarin gas attacks in Syria,
according to the research of Pulitzer Prize journalist Seymour Hersh and
others, were the work not of the Syrian government but the so-called
rebels in Syria, including ISIS. The latter took the Obama's
"red line" thesis seriously and likely proceeded to make it happen.
But Obama's effort to bring on yet another U.S. war of intervention and plunder
was fortunately thwarted by world opinion and massive antiwar
sentiment in the U.S. At that time, skepticism among U.S. allies regarding
another U.S. land war in the region proved sufficient to halt the Obama
administration’s drive to war. Yesterday, that proved
sufficient, but not today. With Syria's U.S.-backed
"coalition" including NATO and Gulf State monarchy-
abetted forces compelled to retreat from most of the
two-thirds of Syria that they previously occupied and terrorized, a bi-partisan
consensus has now emerged in Washington that Obama's "regime change"
orientation cannot be dismissed. U.S. war aims changed Yesterday's bombing, according to
this scenario, can be effectively used at a future bargaining table
to better ensure U.S. influence in a contemplated
reconstructed Syria. U.S. imperialism's
"fight" against ISIS terrorism can now take a back seat to
Assad's downfall down the line. The need for a united and massive
U.S. antiwar movement in the streets of cities across the country has never
been greater. Trump's dangerous and murderous escalation, despite his
"assurance" that it is measured and
"proportional," will prove to be the beginning of renewed
and intensified U.S. imperialist war in Syria and the region and not the end. We are witness to
a major shift in U.S. policy wherein Democrats and Republicans alike,
cannot brook a defeat in a war that they have fueled and promoted
for almost seven years. Today’s crisis-ridden world economy ruled by
the one percent is compelled to pursue and intensify its wars
against working people at home and abroad. The days ahead will prove to
be a critical measure of our capacity to unite and stay the hand of
the world's most dangerous super power. See
protests in cities across the country and around the world - Find one near
you or organize one. Here are just a few. Anchorage, AK April
7 - 6pm - 222 W. 7th Ave. Vancouver, BC - April 7
- 4pm to 7pm - U.S. Consulate Washington DC - April 7
- 12 noon - Pentagon Metro Station |
Please make a contribution to UNAC: https://www.unacpeace.org/donate.html
If your organization would like to join the UNAC coalition,
please click here: https://www.unacpeace.org/join.html
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