The State Department on Tuesday said that the US opposes other countries normalizing with the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad following high-level talks between Syria and Turkey.
The defense ministers of Syria and Turkey met in Moscow at the end of December, marking the first time Ankara and Damascus held talks at that level since 2011. While sources told Middle East Eye no deals were made at the meeting, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said he expects to meet with his Syrian and Russian counterparts later this month.
The Turkish rapprochement with Syria represents a significant shift as Ankara severed relations with Damascus in 2012 and supported the failed regime change effort against Assad by backing anti-government fighters in Syria. Even though it’s clear Assad isn’t going anywhere, the US opposes Syria’s neighbors normalizing with his government.
“We do not support countries upgrading their relations or expressing support to rehabilitate the brutal dictator Bashar al-Assad,” State Department Ned Price told reporters. When asked if the US spoke to Turkey about the issue, Price said, “We’ve made very clear to all of our allies and partners that now is not the time to normalize relations, now is not the time to upgrade relations.”
The current US policy against Syria, as Secretary of State Antony Blinken has put it, is to “oppose” the country’s reconstruction after over a decade of war. Price accused Assad of continuing “to inflict atrocities on the Syrian people,” but a UN special rapporteur recently detailed how US sanctions are harming ordinary Syrians.
Alena Douhan, a special rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures, visited Syria and found sanctions were having “catastrophic effects” on Syrians of all walks of life, including by causing medicine shortages, and called for them to be lifted.
“In the current dramatic and still-deteriorating humanitarian situation, as 12 million Syrians grapple with food insecurity, I urge the immediate lifting of all unilateral sanctions that severely harm human rights and prevent any efforts for early recovery, rebuilding, and reconstruction,’ Douhan told the UN Security Council in November.
On top of the sanctions, the US maintains an occupation force in eastern Syria of about 1,000 troops and backs the Kurdish-led SDF in the region, allowing the US to control a significant portion of Syrian territory. There’s no ending sight to the US siege on Syria, as the White House said in October it has “no plans” to lift the sanctions or end its military presence in the country.
Countries gotta do what they have to do, if we don’t like it too damn bad…
“Have to do”? Iran and china have agendas that are bellicose.
As compared to who? Israel and the US? Good one.
Ask the people of Tibet,when Chinese goons ripped fetuses out of the bellies of Tibetan women;ask the parents of a young woman killed by Iranian secret police for showing a bit of hair under a scarf. Ask the people of Taiwan,as Chinese fleets float around their island,and Chinese nuclear bombers fly towards their homes.
Ask the young woman shot in the face by an IDF sniper or the “cockroaches” living in occupied territory. Ask the people of Iran who are suffering under the “maximum pressure campaign” for complying with the nuke deal. Or the assassinations and sabotages by Israel inside Iran. Or look at the US with approximately 1000 bases spread over the planet or the estimated 20 million deaths attributed to them since WW2.
Iran announced their intentions to destroy Israel,they have the resources and are acquiring the means.Killing some nuclear scientists-fine by me.
As always back to those plans of Iran destroying Israel. They seem to be always in the planning stages. Meanwhile, Israel does simulated attacks with their donor Uncle Sam and has been begging them to go to war against Iran for 40 years. Not to mention calling Iran a state sponsor of terrorism while they do state sponsored terrorism against Iran.
Wars, you rock, ya know that? 😁
Thanks Gypsy. Right back at ya.
So the US opposes other countries normalizing with the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad — of course. Of course we do. Because he is so much worse than…you name it. The US started out as a City on the Hill and have now devolved into the Slum on the Swamp. (Not that the whole City/moral better thing didn’t have intrinsic problems, but…)
I vote for the bottom of a cesspool, but yeah.
The problem with your cesspool idea is masses of people will drown in trhe shit. They have no where to go. The entire country sucks.
Notice where we like to cause chaos. Countries with OIL! Unsettle countries in order to keep the price per barrel of oil up and up. A little piracy thrown in ( Iranian ships with their oil pirated with the oil sold on the open market).
All of this to consume and profit from a product that shows its killing capacities
That is correct. U.S. only support dictators that allow money laundry schemes and accept undisclosed black ops sites to torture.
Back in the day when we had someone that needed more enthusiastic questioning than we were willing to do, I believe the Syrians helped us out.
“US Says It Opposes Countries Normalizing With Assad After Syria-Turkey Talks”
Of course, the US is taking large quantities of oil and wheat out of Syria every week.
How is a wrecked country producing all this oil and wheat?
Key information about Syria Crude Oil: Production
Syria Crude Oil: Production was reported at 22,838 Barrel/Day in Dec 2021
This records a decrease from the previous number of 23,000 Barrel/Day for Dec 2020
Syrian wheat: Production 2000 metric tons in 2021
2,000 metric tons of wheat times 2200 pounds per metric ton comes to apx 9 million pounds.How can you feed a country of 16 million people on half a pound of wheat a year ?
How about factoring in how our continued occupation of the most productive parts of Syria has prevented Syria from feeding itself.
I get it. It’s the quantity that makes it right or wrong. Since there isn’t enough to feed the country, then the US stealing it must be ok then.
Have you noticed that Zionism makes absolutely no sense, except to a Zionist?
Does Christianity make any sense-Christians sure don’t follow their own teachings.
Nutcase Christian eschatology binds with Zionism. Hence standing ovations for the Bibi’s of the world.
And, lest we think Bibi is the worst, the real Likudnik right makes Bibi appear moderate.
That is correct, Jake. Christianity makes absolutely no sense, except to a Christian.
Then why don’t Christians act the wayJesus taught people. to act- not the 2000 years of inhumanity,murder,environmental destruction, religious warfare,hatred and planetary ruin-how does that jibe with Jesus-A Jewish Rabbi murdered by Romans. Yeah, that makes real sense.
Point was: if there is nothing to steal how can you steal it-wars don’t produce food. People starve.Feel better now?
I am more than a little confused about what exactly Syria did to us. I have to imagine the US sponsored instability in Syria has resulted in a whole lot of human misery for no particular point.
Bingo
The point is the same as in Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan: destroy the independent states.
You never answered my question: what different facts, from my, did you found about West Ukraine history. As I said, those west Ukrainian regions where the pro-Nazi collaboration in time of WW2 were massive, were incorporated in Soviet Union only in 1939, and before that, 20 years they were under Polish occupation. You disagreed about that.
Holomordor wiki article for a start
As I said, holodomor was in 1930-1933 when those west Ukrainian regions were under Polish occupation. So the reason for their massive collaboration with Germans was different.
By the way, what wiki says about massive killing of Polish civilians by Banderists? What number they offer? Or they deny this fact?
syria have been trying to steal all of the oil that everybody knows rightfully belongs to uncle chevron
Syria has done nothing to us. If we were really serious about black-listing nations with brutal dictators, Saudi Arabia would have been ostracized decades ago. The only reason we are in Syria is Israel, a nation with no real borders. The Zionist plan all along was to ultimately annex all of the land between the Nile and the Euphrates, Greater Israel.
Israel many years is struggling to cleanse from Arabs the Palestinian land which they already captured. I don’t think they are planning a war against Egypt any soon.
I’m intrigued by how long it takes a poster on AW to blame Israel and the “Zionists” for whatever. This time, only 2 posts. Impressive
no comment.
One of your better ones
“U.S. President Donald Trump says he still wants to get all U.S. troops out of Syria, but Israel and Jordan have asked him to keep some in Syria. A small number of U.S. troops would stay “in a little different section to secure the oil,” as well as in “a totally different section of Syria near Jordan and close to Israel,” Trump said on Monday.”
It is healthy to openly debate issues…
I realized this morning that I’m almost out of coffee creamer.
I also saw someone walking down my street yesterday who looked a lot like Bezalel Smotrich.
Coincidence? I think not.
For sure not
Hi Odele, everyone who participates here has to be able to openly and honestly evaluate all sides of any situation going on. We may not always like the answers but that is what this site is all about, it is a necessity. Conversely, if you disagree, bring something to the table to help us see. peace-donna
Lets for a moment not focus on the past agression of Israel . Why is Isarel evryday attacking and killing Syrian civilians and soldiers ?
Are you supposed to love these cretins ?
If Israel and the Zios didn’t commit crimes we wouldn’t have to point them out now, would we?
What did Syria do to Israel? The Israelis annexed the Golan Heights with the blessings of its guardian the USA and Syria did nothing.
Seriously? How about several wars of aggression. A little history please
If anyone needs a little history it is you. And please at a college level if possible. Grade school glorifying the flag and nationalism won’t do.
I don’t think you own the truth.
Nobody owns the truth. But your version seems to lack substance
Please explain, what is my version and what is the missing substance.
How about invasion of Israel in 1947-48 war? How about abuse and murder of its Jewish citizens?
Israel mounted most vicious attacks onArab citizen protesting UN decisions .Those people were forced to flee by Israeli military gangs . To prevent the exodus, Egypt and other Arab countries sent troops .Activity of the Arab troop was limited to the area of the land earmarked for Palestinain country ( part of the area given by UN).
Arab did not attack Israel proper . It was Israel who attacked the Arab troops.
Arabs had been attacking Jewish settlements for 100 years before 1947-see Hebron massacre.Arab nations invaded to get the lands for themselves. Jews had been living in East Jerusalem for 3,500 years-Jordan thew them out. If it was not for the Ukraine pogroms and the Ukranian assistance to the Nazi occupiers, very few Jews would have gone to Palestine in the first place.Zionism started as a response to pogroms in the Ukraine.
Right. The bombing raids of today are because of what happened 75 years ago.
I wonder what you would have done in their shoes if someone came and took your land just because the colonizer says so. Palestinians and Jewish people lived together in Palestine even during the colonial time.
The Palestinian people were treated like the American Indians and still are.
” no particular point, or reason, except to accommodate the desires of our little No.1 Welfare queen to expand into tjheir country, thus creating the “greater Israel…”
Biden and Co. have done far worse to the American people, considering the misery that the USA has inflicted on Syria. That’s the way US foreign policy seems to work- weaken a nation through covert attacks and sanctions THEN show the world how bad those peoples’ conditions are under a specific ruler!
And right next door:
An MP in the [Israeli] governing coalition has called for “a final war against the Palestinians to “subdue them once and for all.”
Sounds a lot like the Final Solution, don’t it? But hey, these are our buddies, right?
Hitlers Final Solution involve the killing of 6,000,000 Jewish Gypsys etc. Israel is doing the same to the Palestinians all for a land grab to recreate Greater Israel If there is or was a GOD he would strike this evil country down for violating the ideas of Jesus.
Its a pity that Christians violated the teachings of Jesus for 2,000 years.
The is simply no mass murders of Palestinians.
There isn’t a pit deep enough in hell to hold Blinken.
Hell has standards. Blinken doesn’t qualify.
Haha. I think that’s why Mary described a special “pit deep enough in hell” to hold him. But on second thought, I agree with you. He’s likely to turn hell into a worse place, forcing the others to become refugees.
Correct. The Blinkin’ Idiot would annex hell So that only Zionazis could reside there.
Of course they would. A long time ago it was proclaimed that Assad must go. By the way, those, who proclaimed this, are gone already.
None of your business. Go home yank and SFFU.
Typical Mafia boss move: “I don’t want anyone else ‘to inflict atrocities on the Syrian people,’ while I’m inflicting ‘catastrophic effects’ on them.”
Isn’t it humorous, or utterly f*cking disgusting, that the same people telling Russia that they have no right to tell any sovereign country that they can’t join NATO can tell other countries who they can or can’t have normalized relations with.
Somebody really needs to give uncle Sam a great big punch in the nose. I am beyond embarrassed to be called an American. There are no words which can express how disgusting this country has become on the World stage – none.
I share your sentiments Bear.
The Biden neocon gang likes conflict, violence and chaos. Anything constructive has yet to come from the administration of criminal opportunists. Not a single member in that bunch can be called a statesman, a person with character, wisdom, charisma, and vision, not a single one. They don’t even have a decent speechwriter who could go beyond shallow campaign rhetoric.
And lord-have-mercy Renate, we had the “choice” of either ByeDone or Trump. In retrospect, I almost wish I’d voted for Trump: a narcissistic cad, for certain, but probably better than a warmongering cadaver…
Whatever we have, government it is not. A bunch of criminal lunatics are running the show, psychopaths. That is true for almost all western USA/NATO related nations, the world has been turned into a mad house.
Look at the quality of heads of state, starting with the demented Biden. But our MSM keeps telling us about Putin’s health not Joe’s dementia issues. and there 2 years left of his term.
It’s simple. From Biden’s/Blinken’s perspective, it’s honorable for the US to sponsor rebellion and to attack and invade other countries whenever it serves his purposes. Anyone who stands against these brutal and transparent attempts to monopolize critical resources and rule the world is evil.
There once was a time when this nation was content to cause problems for regimes that stood in our way. But the Biden administration has taken it to a new level. He expects other countries to assist in his efforts to impose regime change, and is determined to punish everyone, including close allies, who refuse to do so. But some foreign leaders are starting to think that they should do what’s best for THEIR people.
Just wondering why this crowd, which is opposed to war and violence, supports normalization with a man who has murdered 1/2 million of his own people in order to stay in power.
What is your source…? CNN…?!
Just about every source indicates 400k or more including Human Rights Watch, UN, Al Jazeera. What’s your source…Assad?
I don’t care either way about “normalization” of relations between ruling gangs.
However, I generally oppose the ruling US gang from intervening against, or on behalf of, other actual or potential ruling gangs. The rationales are always changing, the long-term effects are always unforeseeable and usually bad, and the players’ jerseys constantly change (for example, the US supported Assad’s father, and supported the younger Assad … until they didn’t).
Fair enough. My comment is just an observation about the hypocrisy of those who post here proclaiming to be “anti war” yet supporting a man who is so clearly the opposite of that.
There are plenty of commenters here who are pro-war when it comes to regimes they like, and anti-war when it comes to regimes they don’t like.
This is about the US telling other countries who they can or can’t normalize with. Why should countries normalize with the US? Or is killing millions ok as long as they aren’t your “own people”?
They didn’t say Turkey not to embarrass Erdogan…?!
The American war machine and its propoganda are in full throat with their usual bull shit. Its like 1984. Hate is love and peace isvwar. Big brother the NSA.FBI,CIA DHs are all watching. Any resistance to the imperial ambitions of the US will be sabotaged. Other countrys have no right to exist and prosper at the cost of war profits to the MIC.
“If you would know who controls you see who you may not criticise.”
— Tacitus
They plunder, they slaughter, and they steal: this they falsely name Empire, and where they make a wasteland, they call it peace.
The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws.
If you would know who controls you, see who you may not criticise.
Great empires are not maintained by timidity.
Men are more ready to repay an injury than a benefit, because gratitude is a burden while revenge is a pleasure.
The worst crimes were dared by a few, willed by more and tolerated by all.
Formerly we suffered from crimes; now we suffer from laws.
From a distance, everything is beautiful.
They plunder, they slaughter, and they steal: this they falsely name Empire, and where they make a wasteland, they call it peace.
The desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise.
Cruelty is fed, not weakened, by tears.
Everything unknown seems magnificent.
The gods are on the side of the stronger.
dennis hanna
What in creation are you talking about?
Israel is the United States.
The United States is Israel.
A settler, colonial undertaking.
The Promised Land
Manifest Destiny
A land of no people for
A people with no land.
Indian* Territory(ies)
Palestinian Territory(ies)
Not Occupied Palestinian Territory(ies)
Not Illegally Illegally Occupied Palestinian Territory(ies)
Reservations, Indian
Area C: Reservations
“Bantustans,”
Apartheid
Different names for the same thing,
Ethnic cleaning and
Genocide.
One and the same.
The Principle of Identity
No difference.
*”Kill the Indian, Save the Man
“I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only ask them to think”
Socrates, 470 – 399 B.C.E.
dennis hanna
Is this supposed to be a dance,or a poem?
Well done, Dennis!
To “Odele” and One and All
General Wesley K. Clark
(Wesley Kanne Clark;
birth name: Wesley J. Kanne)
Did it start with:
Wesley Clark 7 counties in 5 years
Yes, the archaic
so-called “Military, Industrial, Congressional ( original draft ) Complex;
Modern Construct:
MIC-MATTSS
Military
Industrial
Congressional
Media
Academia
Think-tank
Surveillance
State
did accrue some financial benefit.
But, that “benefit” was the magician’s distraction, deception and mis-direction away from the real party and people to whom accrued the benefit.
The Zionist settler, colonial entity; Zionists; Christian Zionists and Neo-conservatives who were and are the true beneficiaries of so-called Middle East Policy.
Do you want it in writing? Please read.
“A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm”
First neocon report calling for Iraq invasion. Delivered to Israel in 1996.
By whom you ask? Please read:
https://zfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/1996_07_IASPS_Clean_Break.pdf
[ further reading from different perspectives:
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-07-01/short-history-neocon-clean-break-grand-design-regime-change-disasters-it-has-fostere
https://mondoweiss.net/2014/06/about-though-israel/amp/ ]
Any questions?
dennis hanna
p.s. there are other, many, many, many other, written sources.
Please do your own research.
If ever there was an example of first world nations BULLYING and DESTROYING less rich or independant STATES Syria is the poster child of extreme intimidation and single minded destruction off a long existing and independant state, its is the Syria story. The U.S. has done every evil and provocative thing it can muster to overthrow an/ independent Syria. From supporting hostile forces within Syria to usurp & overthrow their historical leadership.
We destroyed their country, murdered millions, and oppose any attempt at the survivors to get back to normality.
US Says It Opposes Countries Normalizing With Brandon
The socialists in Washington keep up the sanctions because Israel wants it, and because they want to flood Europe with Arabs who will vote for the Left. The Left has been increasingly abandoned by Westerners and their parties can only survive by the flood of imported immigrants, who vote for them in exchange for privileges.
But while IsraAID sends its agents to Arabs in Greece to tell them what sob stories to tell and what tax-funded organizations to call for aid in Germany and Sweden, they will of course not take in any of the Arabs to Israel.
The socialists? There are no socialists in Washington DC.
Maybe in some bar somewhere there might be a few, but I would expect them to be fiercely opposed to the sanctions.
Your post perfectly describes why the US is doomed. Too much infighting. You describe a large portion of the US population as downright sinister and evil. The perfect recipe for permanent discord.
The left and the right have both identified Big Pharma as an enemy of non-millionaire Americans. Posts like this one help Big Pharma divide us, defeat us, and rob us blind.
Washington wants to socialize the rights and property of the man in the street,while they amass wealth and power.
We are mostly in agreement. Washington helps our business community take lots of money from non-millionaires and concentrate it in the hands of the billionaires. Socialism for the rich as you would say.
DeSantis fought back a little by his 1 time anti-inflation UBI type of payment to residents of Florida. I recall it was on the order of 600-1000 dollars. So now and again money flows the other way.
Trying to buy the votes of a few tens of thousands of families with a one-time campaign expenditure (paid for by those same people) is hardly “UBI-type” or “anti-inflation.” It’s just trying to buy the the votes of a few tens of thousands of families with a one-time campaign expenditure (paid for by those same people). Politicians do it all the time.
There already millions of Arab citizens in Israel.It is the Arab countries who refuse to give Palestinians citizenship,as well as having driven out all their Jewish citizens.
So start a War with Turkyie then.