India Russia and the Syrian crisis
Posted on 08. Aug, 2012 by Editor in Mid East
By M K Bhadrakumar,
There are grave security implications for both Russia and India. What happens in Syria holds the potential to impact a wide swathe of the so-called Greater Middle East, stretching from the Levant to the Central Asian steppes – a region that forms the ‘extended neighborhood’ of both Russia and India’s.
Drawing by Alexey Lorsh
If the Russian vote against the resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly over Syria last week was predictable, India’s abstention was fortuitous.
This Russian-Indian ‘divergence’ arose because the two countries so far pursued specific interests. For Russia, Syria has been a strategic ally, whereas India took a pragmatic stance imbued with the alchemy of its equations vis-à-vis the protagonists spearheading ‘regime change’ in Syria – the United States, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
However, that has become a priori history. The die has been cast and it emerges that Russia and India have a strong commonality of interests. That is how the voting pattern at the UN last Thursday needs to be interpreted. The heart of the matter is that certain bigger issues of immense consequence to the international system and the regional and global politics have surged to the centre-stage and India and Russia have shared concerns over their interplay.
Principally, there are five key issues involved here.
One, the concerted external intervention to force ‘regime change’ in Syria drives a dagger into the heart of the Westphalian system that historically put primacy on the sovereign nation-state, big or small, as the basic unit of international order. The violation of the established order requires careful explanation, and yet no such explanation is forthcoming. This violation runs contrary to international law and negates the very idea of a democratic world order that Russia and India are working for.
Second, where do we draw the line, assuming the Arab Spring is about the advent of democracy, reform and change in countries with authoritarian rule? More pertinently, who draws the line? The two diehard proponents of democracy and reform in Syria happen to be the regimes in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which are archaic oligarchies themselves. In sum, what is happening over the Syrian situation is selective intervention for geopolitical reasons, which is camouflaged as ‘humanitarian intervention’. The irony deepens when we factor in that the humanitarian situation itself has largely been precipitated through instigation of violence from outside to destabilize the Syrian state structures, economy and society systematically with impunity through the past several months, violating the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter.
Third, neither the interventionists nor the Syrian ‘rebels’ whom they armed and let loose have told us how they propose to tackle – leave alone whether they have the leverage to shape – what follows in the downstream of ‘regime change’ in Syria. Instead, what comes to mind is the catastrophic current history of Iraq following the much-trumpeted US intervention for ‘regime change’ in that country in 2003 – an epochal tragedy of death and devastation that burdens generations of Iraqis.
Four, any anarchy in Syria is bound to spill over. The Persian Gulf region (where over 6 million Indians live and work) won’t remain unaffected. The interventionist powers have let it be known that their next target is Iran. The flame is stealthily advancing right up to India’s immediate neighborhood. There is a highly combustible mix already available in many countries of the Persian Gulf and Central Asia. In fact, apart from the GCC states, the Caspian and Central Asian states too become vulnerable to the upheaval.
Indeed, both Russia and India become vulnerable in the process. The spectre that is haunting the two countries is the ascendancy of political Islam and the threat it poses to regional security and stability.Afghanistan is the disastrous outcome of the West’s attempt to harness the forces of religious extremism as instruments of policy against the former Soviet Union. The West is once again conniving with Islamist extremist fighters in Syria.
There are grave security implications for both Russia and India. What happens in Syria holds the potential to impact a wide swathe of the so-called Greater Middle East, stretching from the Levant to the Central Asian steppes – a region that forms the ‘extended neighborhood’ of both Russia and India’s.
Finally, there is an existential issue that no one wants to talk about because of its extreme sensitivity – viz., the fragmentation of plural societies. The US pursued a deliberate policy to create the political entity of Kurdistan in northern Iraq, which is today admirably serving its interests as a cockpit to strategize the regime change in Syria. We sense an impending fragmentation of Syria into an Alawite state and Sunni state and, possibly, yet another Kurdish enclave.
The point is, the territorial boundaries of countries that are of pivotal interest to Western regional strategies are unraveling due to external ‘humanitarian intervention’.
This smacks of colonial strategy.
The process began in the 1990s with the former Yugoslavia. Iraq’s fragmentation is today far advanced. Afghanistan hangs by a thread. As plural societies, Russia and India cannot but be concerned.
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India Russia and the Syrian crisis | CounterPsyOps
09. Aug, 2012
[...] By M K Bhadrakumar, Opinion Maker [...]
babur
09. Aug, 2012
One thing is sure India's neighbour on zionist target for long is finally and completely destroyed. It can't recupe and it may also become the main reason of Islam's disapperance. Pakistan falls between India and Russia but on whose side as Chtistan state? Time will tell.
Rayyy
09. Aug, 2012
Nonsense!!!!!!!!!!!! article makes no sense, bahdarkumar should also consider how this terrorist regime in damascus slaughtered over 50,000 innocent civilians in hama and other locations 30 years ago, and this was a similar situation, when people wanted to have freedom from persecution. Time for these demonic terrorists controlling damascus to be brought to justice. This terrorist bashar and his satanic father already in hell, is headed that way as well. Power to the people and noble is their cause…..Ray
Afriq
10. Aug, 2012
Typical zionist BS -
mix issue call black white and push the zionist mafiosi slaughter ideology
el LIEzeera crap lie 24/7
Posted: 09 Aug 2012 11:01 AM PDT
The FUKUS axis versus Syria and civilization
“No one is fooling or putting one over on Russia and China again.“ — Lisa Karpova …read more: MEMBERS | FREE version.
The terrorist proxies and their masters are doing everything to prevent the world community from seeing the Syrian side of the story via government-backed satellite channels. This site has already given the details. See, Syria: The cemetery of western credibility.
We have seen countless attacks against independent media reporting the truth about the situation in Syria. The SANA website had been blocked in some western countries until alternatives were set up. Al Manar, Al Alam and NBN TV will carry the broadcast of the Syrian Satellite Channel if the broadcast is cut in the coming hours.
Just a note to those clowns: Hollywood props depicting scenes in Syria will not work to destroy the morale or the resistance of the Syrian people. Neither will reporting fake defections, as in the case of Manaf Tlass.
Charles Hoyenski
09. Aug, 2012
It all looks bad to me, I just wish we americans were not stirring up so much trouble.
Russia is an Autocracy and and India is but an ancient culture with a caste system masquerading as a democracy.
Nontheless, I do NOT want the US to start a world war with them !
India Russia and the Syrian crisis
09. Aug, 2012
[...] Russia and the Syrian crisis Check out the awesome website, and article India, Russia and the Syrian crisis | Opinion Maker Reply With [...]
Afriq
09. Aug, 2012
I would have expected an Indian diplomat to know:
His country’s make of ethnic group
To be well versed in religion of his people and that of rest
Seems each writer starts with the same old BS “political Islam” but they can have their religious groups but not the Muslims.
Political Islam? Do you anything about Islam other than bolly/holly/kosherwood craptology? Educate thy self before you come to preach/lecture me on my religion alla brit carey who calls himself lord.
Unmask the goons in Syria and you will find most of the fucking bastards are brits/idf/cia/mi000.5 goons who have learnt two Islamic words. THEY SPEAK FUCKING BRIT/YANKEE. You support horrific insane barbarity
Mercenaries in Syria: Name, Country and More Information
http://www.mathaba.net/news/?x=631002
the writer mentions Irak – STRANGE the only one done for Iraq oil for horrific evil witch Albright aid – million Iraqi babies dead that’s okay -is an Indian. Add to that India’s Italian badante Sonia and Formigoni connection.
Natwar Singh, Sonia Gandhi, Mafioso FORMIGONI
Formigoni is again accussed of FRAUD and the usual Italian bunga bunga behavior – not I am not going- MONEY MONEY MONEY lots of money – the sick Zionist Mafiosi colonialist mentality
How dare you even mention Iraq, Islam, Muslim YOU BLOODY BARBARIC CHILD KILLERS
India was dying to slaughter the Iraqi for their yankee+colonial masters and it was the communist in the coalition who stopped the barbaric Indians
India’s horrific insane atrocious crass class racists discriminatory treatment of the Muslims hardly gives the writer any right to say anything about Islam
And as the esteemed Mr Lendman said – read the article relevant text below my emphasis.
Day of Infamy at General Assembly –
http://www.mathaba.net/news/?x=631022
Thirty-one nations abstained. Cowardice defines their failure to do the right thing.
Death Squad Atrocities in Syria
http://www.mathaba.net/members/?sh_itm=41b32fd0df2a4d772e0b73c6ea56396f
HRW's moment of truth didn't last. It's a reliable imperial ally. Amnesty International and similar groups replicate its anti-Assad propaganda. They're well funded to support US interests.
McClatchy Newspapers are the latest ones to publish disturbing truths. It operates 30 dailies in 15 states. It owns Knight Ridder. When purchased in 2006, it was America's second largest newspaper company.
McClatchy publications include the San Jose Mercury News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News, and Miami Herald, among others.
On August 3, it headlined "Accounts of Syria rebels executing prisoners raise new human rights concerns," saying:
"Syrian insurgents fighting to unseat President Bashar Assad face a growing list of accusations that they’ve carried out executions and torture, muddying the Western narrative of a heroic resistance force struggling against a vicious regime."
Videos captured their dirty work. They circulated widely online. They showed pro-Assad elements murdered in Aleppo.
Turkish Milliyet's reporter witnessed what happened firsthand. More than a dozen men were captured. Summary executions followed.
They "were forced into a building, then brought before a court of the Free Syrian Army on the back of a pickup truck, after which they were lined up and shot at lightning speed."
It wasn't an isolate incident, said McClatchy. Its reporter traveling with Free Syrian Army fighters said 45 Assad loyalists were seized in Al Tal. It's north of Damascus. At least eight were executed. Others were held captive either for ransom or prisoner exchanges.
A Damascus insurgent said his unit executed about 150 Syrians "on suspicion of being pro-Assad informants."
In mid-July, a top Iraqi security official said insurgents took over a border outpost and "executed 22 soldiers in front of the eyes of Iraqi soldiers."
A so-called Daoud Battalion operates in Jebel al Zawiyah in northern Syria. It puts "prisoners in cars rigged with explosives and then remotely detonate(s) the bombs when the vehicles (approach) government checkpoints."
Videos document it. They're not suicide attacks. They're cold-blodded murder. US-funded Syria Justice and Accountability Center head Mohammad Abdallah said:
"We're going to face retaliation and revenge at the end because of the numbers of those being killed is huge."
McClatchy also said fake videos of alleged regime crimes circulate. It's well known but little reported
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bbc/gerries nazi should know all about FAKE/FALSE NEWS + CHEERLEADING WAR CRIMES
so why doesn't india
put TERRORISTS like the ugly Bassma Kodmani, SOHR. Mousab Azzaw, Rami Abdel Rahman and Hivin Kako+ their italian group based in the journalist enclave on outskirts of Rome NO THEY ARE NOT JOURNALIST they are Syrian mercenaries funded by qatar
they can also take up the matter in BRICS as it concerns ALL of those who DO NOT WANT TO BE DOMINATED BY SCUMBAG THUGS
The Syrians are paying the blood price for ALL WHO OPPOSE the WAR CRIMINALS
L’India, la Russia e la crisi siriana « Aurora
09. Aug, 2012
[...] Bhadrakumar Opinion-Maker 8 agosto [...]
Khalif
09. Aug, 2012
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THIS IS US/UK/FRANCE CRUSADER INSANITY AND DON’T YOU DARE CALL IT ANYTHING ELSE. WHY SHOULD WE MUSLIMS take the blame for your Hindu/crusader USrahelli TERRORISM
Childhood! These fucking bastards are killing/shooting babies point blank and SMASHING their TINY SKULLS obomba will award them the highest award like he did his butcher bitch
http://english.pravda.ru/history/01-05-2012/120990-Albright_to_receive_award-0/
Murderous butcher Albright to receive award
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article32110.htm
Perfecting The Method of "Color Revolutions"
Western leaders slip back into childhood
A strange anomaly can be detected with regard to Syria. The CIA did not locate groups of young Syrians willing to chant this slogan in the streets of Damascus and Aleppo. So it is Barack Obama, François Hollande, David Cameron and Angela Merkel themselves who repeat the slogan in chorus from their respective foreign offices. Washington and its allies are trying out the methods of Gene Sharp on the "international community". It is a risky bet to imagine that foreign ministries can be as easy to manipulate as youth groups! At the moment, the result is simply ridiculous: the leaders of the colonial powers have been stomping their feet like angry, frustrated children over a desired object that the Russian and Chinese adults won’t let them have while ceaselessly wailing "Bashar must go!".
……………………………………………………
India is brewing insecurity/destruction/human disaster in Pakistan –daily bombings that your USrahelli have taught you
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http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article32031.htm
Flipping The Script: The Western Media's Syria Propaganda Is Falling Apart
What is written in the press is lies. What is hidden in plain view is the truth.
By Saman Mohammadi
When US President Obama referred to the "depths of depravity" regarding Syrian security operations in Aleppo, he and his script writers do so with the belief that Americans, and the world, are ignorant and disinterested in the truth, and will gladly allow Western foreign policy to once again prey on their emotions and good intentions to sell yet another destructive, self-serving military intervention."
It is strange to hear that Washington is at war with Al-Qaeda in Yemen, and, at the same time, it is an ally of Al-Qaeda in Syria. Only one of these two things can be true. Washington is either at war with Al-Qaeda or it is not.
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Go on india, Russia put the real terrorist on your list
US/UK/fece France/EU/cursed house of saud/qatar/gcc goons/ugly Bassma Kodmani, SOHR. Mousab Azzaw, Rami Abdel Rahman and Hivin Kako/their brit italian/fece frenchie/eu groups
and STOP ATTACKING BLAMING THE VICTIMS