US, Daesh Working Hand in Glove: American Analyst

In a phone interview with the Tasnim News Agency, James Petras, a retired professor of sociology at New York’s Binghamton University, and an author and political analyst, lashed out at the US for obstructing  peace process in crisis-hit Syria.

He also decried Washington’s “conscientious” bombing of Syrian forces near the city of Deir ez-Zor, its coordinated action with Daesh terrorist group, its alliance with Israel and Saudi Arabia, as well as its military and financial support for the terrorists going to Syria to overthrow the Damascus government.

Following is the text of Tasnim’s interview with Petras:

Tasnim: Following a ceasefire plan in Syria, devised by the US and Russia, there have been doubts about Washington’s genuine desire to fight against terrorist groups there. But Saturday’s airstrike against Syrian troops in Deir ez-Zor by the US-led fighter jets made many other people unsure about US goodwill in Syria. How do you see the attack on Syrian forces and its consequences?

Petras: It is very clear that Washington has no intention of resolving the conflict in Syria through peaceful negotiations. The conscientious bombing of Syrian army units despite their obvious identification with the government is a clear manifestation of Washington’s warlike policies towards Syria and its total rejection of any agreements with Russia. If there were doubts in recent past –doubts about the viability of the peace agreement- the bombing proves without a single doubt that Washington is engaged in a war, not in a peaceful process. The killing of sixty plus Syrian troops on a bombing that was carried out on the US Command and the following attack by the Daesh group, following up the US attack, demonstrates that the US is working hand in glove with the ISIS terrorist group. There is no coincidence that the sequence of events; first the bombing, then the offensive by the ISIS group shows very clearly that Washington is not particularly concerned with ISIS, in fact, they work with them. But they coordinate their aggressive policies to defeat and overthrow the Bashar al-Assad’s government and to humiliate Russia. Russia cannot continue to maintain a farce that it can negotiate a peaceful agreement with the US. The US media has covered up this blatant violation, this killing of Syrian defensive troops, and the Obama administration has made a very pro forma criticism of the bombing and does not assume any responsibility and the investigation that it proposes is a total farce.

Tasnim: Russia’s foreign ministry said the airstrike was a result of Washington’s refusal to cooperate with Moscow in fighting Daesh. Do you think the US and Russia will be able to get ahead at joint action against the terrorist groups, given that details of their agreement have not been disclosed?

Petras: It’s absolutely clear that Washington has no intention of abiding by any agreement with Russia. I think Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov is playing a very foolish game of assuming that by committing Washington, he is going to get a commitment to carry out a negotiated settlement. I think we’ve seen in the past, several years, that Russian foreign minister claims that Washington is a partner that Secretary of State Kerry is negotiating in good faith. And every time, we’ve seen that after these agreements, the ISIS aggression accelerates. Washington uses any ceasefire to build up its arms and its commitments to the terrorist groups coming in. So, I think there is absolutely no possibility -past, present, or future- of a negotiated settlement with Obama and Kerry again.

Tasnim: Since the beginning of the war in Syria, and particularly after 2013, when US President Barack Obama secretly authorized the CIA to begin arming militant groups in Syria, Saudi Arabia has been a chief financial supporter of the groups. What do you think of the role that Syria’s allies, known as the resistance forces, can play in fighting off the heavily-armed terrorist groups?

Petras: Well I think the Syrians have received air support from Russia, but very fragile role as a negotiating partner with the United States. So on the one hand Russia has provided very important air support that has helped the Syrians fight off the invasion. On the other hand, its negotiating with the United States has not been very helpful, has not resulted in any positive results. On the other hand, I think Hezbollah and the Iranian volunteers and supporters have lent material support and have no illusions about who the enemy is. I think they recognized that the United States’ alliance with Israel and with Saudi Arabia has been one of the key factors which has furthered the aggression against Syria. I don’t think one can put much credibility in Washington as long as Saudi Arabia, one of the most abusive dictatorships in the Middle East, is a partner of Washington, and while Washington continues to support the massacre of the Yemeni people, and I think the role of Saudi Arabia is totally negative, just as much as the role of Israel has been very negative factor in finding a peace process, a road to a reconciliation.