nCa Analysis
Ashgabat, 3 April 2012 (nCa) — A conference of some 50 countries decided 1 Apr in Istanbul to fund and arm the Syrian opposition. This is deliberate disruption of peace process being painstakingly shepherded by Kofi Annan.
Whether the conference participants are ‘Friends of Syria’ is a question best answered by the people of Syria. What is apparent from their intentions and actions is that they are ‘Enemies of Peace.’
The Gulf countries will channel about US $ 100 million to the Syrian armed opposition. The USA will provide most sophisticated communication equipment, for point-to-point communication and Internet and satellite transmission.
It appears that the aid by Gulf countries will quite certainly include arms and ammunitions. The USA, Turkey and other allies are likely to close their eyes and feign ignorance of the whole thing. The narrative through media would be a blown-up replica of earlier models used in Libya, Yemen etc.: Humanitarian concern, moral obligation, curtailment of a repressive regime, blah, blah, blah.
A report on Istanbul conference can be found here:
Syria conference: Gulf countries to fund rebels
http://news.yahoo.com/syria-conference-gulf-countries-fund-rebels-123236191.html
The alarming thing is that the Syria plan is just a step in the unending quest to cripple Iran economically, start a civil war there and bring down its government.
This has serious implications for Central Asia. As a matter of fact, if Syria falls, Iran will be next in line.
The expected timeline suggests that the USA and its Gulf allies would like to topple Assad regime by June, possibly July 2012. By that time it would be somewhat clear if Iran can withstand the unilateral American oil sanctions.
Regardless of one’s personal feelings about the Syria situation, an important aspect is that western and Gulf allies are crossing a line from where it would not be possible to return.
A precedent once created is there to stay always. Funding and arming of opposition in Libya was the seed from which has sprouted the whole tree of this blatant intervention.
But the trouble with the world today is that no one has the absolute military power and moral authority to impose a readymade solution. Interference in Syria, to the extent of openly announcing the plans to arm and equip the rebels, is a boomerang and in due course of time it will return to its authors.
Our main concern in this analytical series is Iran because the fate of Central Asia is inextricably linked with that of Iran.
Syria, as we said, is a stepping stone toward Iran. The American government, acting on behalf of some interested parties, is eager to see quick fall of Assad so that it can focus its dwindling resources and capacity to strangulate Iran.
Meanwhile, Syria is also being used as a lab to refine the schematic path for Iran.
In parallel, there are signs that the process of softening Iran ahead of direct confrontation is already in motion.
To be continued . . .