Leaked remarks by Kerry prove US role in Syrian crisis

Leaked remarks by US Secretary of State John Kerry to a group of Syrians linked to US-backed terrorists fighting the Damascus government prove Washington’s role in the Syrian crisis since its outset, says a Lebanese academic.

“I've argued for use of force. I stood up. I’m the guy who stood up and announced we’re going to attack Assad because of the weapons, and then you know things evolved into a different process,” Kerry said in a recorded conversation with two dozen Syrians working in militant-held areas inside the country on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The audio was released by The New York Times on Friday.

Speaking on Saturday with RT about Kerry’s leaked remarks, Beirut-based Lebanese University professor of history and international relations Jamal Wakeem said, “I believe that this proves that the US was involved in the Syrian crisis since its onset and that it was collaborating with the so-called insurgents in order to topple the Syrian regime.”

Washington’s top diplomat further told the Syrians from education, rescue, and medical groups that “you have nobody more frustrated than we are” that the Syrian issue is now being solved diplomatically, reflecting his anger about the US inability to topple President Bashar Assad through military means.

Kerry also warned the Syrians -- who clearly sounded unhappy with the extent of US contribution to the persisting terror campaign to remove Assad from power -- that attempts by Washington to intervene militarily or provide more support to the militants may have a reverse effect.

“The problem is that, you know, you get, quote, ‘enforcers’ in there and then everybody ups the ante, right? Russia puts in more, Iran puts in more; Hezbollah is there more and Nusra is more; and Saudi Arabia and Turkey put all their surrogate money in, and you all are destroyed,” Kerry explained.

According to Wakeem, Kerry’s comments also prove “that the Syrian crisis had its regional and international dimension since the beginning and it wasn’t a revolution against an illegitimate regime, as the West claimed at one point.”

“It is part of a bigger plan by the US to block Eurasia from having access to the maritime trade roots,” he added. “In addition, I believe there was a mentioning of the presence of the representatives of the NGOs operating in insurgent territories.”

Wakeem further insisted that “this proves also that the US was using these NGOs as a tool of soft power in order to topple" the government.

“We need to admit that the essence of the war in Syria, in Ukraine, in Yemen, in the South China Sea is a part of a global American strategy to block Eurasia from having access to the maritime trade roots,” added the Lebanese academic as quoted in the RT report.

According to the New York Times, Kerry’s leaked remarks also reflected his concerns about “a Congress unwilling to authorize the use of force and a [US] public tired of war.”

“A lot of Americans don’t believe that we should be fighting and sending young Americans over to die in another country,” he was quoted as telling the Syrian opposition elements.

Kerry further reminded the group about Washington’s unwillingness to engage in military action against Lebanon’s resistance group Hezbollah in favor of the foreign-backed militants in Syria, explaining that “Hezbollah is not plotting against us.”  

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