John Kerry's Colin Powell Moment

by Stephen Lendman

All wars are based on lies. Truth prevents them from being waged. America hasn't waged a legal one since WW II.

What's now ongoing bears eerie resemblance to events preceding Bush's Iraq war. Waging them requires pretexts to do so.

When none exists, they're invented. Lies substitute for truth. Claims about Syria using chemical weapons don't wash. They repeat with disturbing regularity.

Assad's wrongfully blamed for last Wednesday's Ghouta incident. No evidence whatever links it to Syrian forces. Plenty lays blame where it belongs.

Insurgents bear full responsibility. It doesn't matter. America's longstanding plans call for regime change. War is the strategy of choice. It's planned. It's coming. It appears imminent.

On August 26, John Kerry replicated Colin Powell's infamous February 5, 2003 Security Council moment. It was shameless deception.

Plans were set. The die was cast. Weeks later, America bombed, invaded and occupied Iraq. The cradle of civilization was destroyed.

No WMDs existed. It was well-known. Powell knew. He lied claiming otherwise.

"(F)acts and Iraq's behavior show that Saddam Hussein and his regime are concealing their efforts to produce more weapons of mass destruction," he said.

"(E)very statement I make today is backed up by sources, solid sources. These are not assertions. What we're giving you are the facts and conclusions based on solid intelligence."

"The gravity of this moment is matched by the gravity of the threat that Iraq's weapons of mass destruction pose to the world."

None existed. Powell knew it. He lied. He suppressed vital truths. Doing so is longstanding US policy.

In August 1995, Saddam's son-in-law, Hussein Kamel, defected to the West. He headed Iraq's weapons programs. US intelligence officials debriefed him.

He said "All weapons - biological, chemical, missile and nuclear were destroyed. Nothing remained."

The New York Times reported his comments. So did other major US news sources.

CNN's Brent Sadler asked him: "Can you state here and now - does Iraq still to this day hold weapons of mass destruction?"

He responded: "No. Iraq does not possess any weapons of mass destruction. I am being completely honest about this."

Ahead of Bush's Iraq war, managed news misinformation replaced earlier reports. It's repeating again now. Obama's heading for war on Syria.

On August 26, John Kerry effectively declared it. He left no ambiguity. His comments replicated Colin Powell's infamous moment. It'll be long remembered.

"What we saw in Syria last week should shock the conscience of the world," he said. "It defies any code of morality."

"Let me be clear: The indiscriminate slaughter of civilians, the killing of women and children and innocent bystanders, by chemical weapons is a moral obscenity."

"By any standard it is inexcusable, and despite the excuses and equivocations that some have manufactured, it is undeniable."

"The meaning of this attack goes beyond the conflict in Syria itself, and that conflict has already brought so much terrible suffering."

"This is about the large-scale, indiscriminate use of weapons that the civilized world long ago decided must never be used at all."

"Obama has made clear to the Assad regime that this international norm cannot be violated without consequences."

"And there is a reason why no matter what you believe about Syria, all peoples and all nations who believe in the cause of our common humanity must stand up to assure that there is accountability for the use of chemical weapons so that it never happens again."

"What is before us today is real, and it is compelling. So I also want to underscore that while investigators are gathering additional evidence on the ground, our understanding of what has already happened in Syria is grounded in facts informed by conscience and guided by common sense."

"(W)e know that the Syrian regime maintains custody of these chemical weapons. We know that the Syrian regime has the capacity to do this with rockets."

"We know that the regime has been determined to clear the opposition from those very places where the attacks took place. And with our own eyes, we have all of us become witnesses."

"At President Obama’s direction, I’ve spent many hours over the last few days on the phone with foreign ministers and other leaders."

"The Administration is actively consulting with members of Congress and we will continue to have these conversations in the days ahead."

"President Obama has also been in close touch with the leaders of our key allies, and the President will be making an informed decision about how to respond to this indiscriminate use of chemical weapons."

"But make no mistake: President Obama believes there must be accountability for those who would use the world’s most heinous weapons against the world’s most vulnerable people."

"Nothing today is more serious and nothing is receiving more serious scrutiny."

It bears repeating. Kerry replicated Colin Powell's infamous February 2003 moment. He effectively declared war. It appears imminent. It could start any time.

Obama wants another country ravaged and destroyed. He wants regime change. He wants pro-Western puppet governance replacing sovereign Syrian independence.

He wants unchallenged regional dominance. He wants it globally. Permanent wars of aggression are waged to achieve it.

Ravaging one country after another is a small price to pay. It's longstanding US policy. It's happening again now. It's doing so unaccountably. Fundamental international, constitutional and US statute laws are violated.

No nation may interfere in the internal affairs of others. No exceptions exist. None may attack another country except in self-defense.

It may do so only until the Security Council acts. It has final say.

Attacking without SC authorization is blatantly illegal. It's lawless aggression.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was clear and unequivocal. "Any military action without Security Council approval would be a grave violation of international law," he said. He expressed grave concerns for what looms.

The Constitution's Article I, Section 8 affords Congress alone the power to:

• "declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water;"

• "raise and support armies;"

• "provide and maintain a navy;"

• "make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces;"

• "provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions;" and

• "make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof."

The above provisions provide for national defense. None authorize lawless aggression. Leaders ordering it are war criminals. Obama's by far the worst.

He's waging multiple direct and proxy wars. He authorized special forces killers sent to 120 or more countries. He has CIA assassins operating everywhere.

He's waging drone wars. He prioritizes targeted killings. He decides who lives or dies. He appointed himself judge, jury and executioner.

State terror is official US policy. So are permanent wars based on lies. They're waged irresponsibly. They're waged unaccountably. They're waged lawlessly. They're waged without end.

Obama chose John Brennan as new CIA director. He's a cold-blooded killer. He heads Obama's Murder, Inc. agenda.

Anyone can be targeted anywhere in the world. US citizens are vulnerable. They can be murdered for any reason or none at all.

They can be arrested, imprisoned, and tortured. Doing so can be based on false accusations or none at all. They can be held indefinitely without trial. They can be denied due process and judicial fairness.

Human lives and welfare don't matter. Inviolable rule of law principles are spurned. Wealth, power, privilege and dominance alone count.

Longstanding US policy threatens humanity. War on Syria appears imminent. Previous articles suggested Libya 2.0. Perhaps a variation is planned. Cruise missile diplomacy looms.

Obama plans war with Congress on summer recess. On September 9, it returns. Ghouta's incident was strategically timed. Congressional authorization for war was bypassed.

On August 27, Itar Tass headlined "Russian Foreign Ministry: US prompts Syrian opposition to show uncompromising attitude in political dialog," saying:

According to Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashivich, Washington "prompt(ed) the Syrian opposition to show an uncompromising attitude in the negotiations, waiting for a forcible foreign interference in the country."

"We are convinced that in the current dramatic situation around Syria, which is artificially exacerbated by a number of countries, coordinated actions of Russia and the United States, as well as the entire international community for a peaceful way out of the crisis, assumes an ever greater importance."

"The attempts to bypass the UN Security Council and to create once again artificial, groundless pretexts for an armed intervention in the region are fraught with new sufferings in Syria and catastrophic consequences for other countries in the Middle East and North Africa."

"We urge our US partners and all members of the world community to show common sense and observe strictly the international law, primarily the fundamental principles of the UN Charter."

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Gannady Gatilov twittered:

"It is desolating that our partners decided to cancel the bilateral Russia-US meeting for discussing the convocation of an international conference on Syria."

"Drawing up of parameters of peaceful settlement in Syria could be very useful right now, when this country is under threat of a coercive intervention."

On August 26, Fars News headlined "Kerry Assures Muallem of US Non-Intervention in Syria," saying:

According to Syrian sources, "Kerry has assured Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem that Washington will not launch a military strike on Syria."

They spoke by phone. Kerry lied. Muallem said "Syria won't sit silent if attacked by the US and its allies."

"Kerry's assurance to Syria came after US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel suggested Saturday the Pentagon is moving forces into place ahead of possible military action against Syria."

On August 26, London's Guardian headlined "Syria crisis: warplanes spotted in Cyprus as tensions rise in Damascus," saying:

"Warplanes and military transporters have begun arriving at Britain's Akrotiri airbase on Cyprus, less than 100 miles from the Syrian coast, in a sign of increasing preparations for a military strike against the Assad regime in Syria."

Nearby residents reported much higher activity than usual. They said it's been ongoing in the last 48 hours. Cyprus appears "likely to be a hub of the air campaign." Warplanes arriving suggests "advanced readiness."

Hurriyet Daily News said "Turkey may open its strategic Incirlik air base for possible military operations (against) Syria." It cited an unnamed "ranking" government source.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said "(t)here is very little doubt in our mind that the Syrian regime is culpable." It's "undeniable," he claimed.

Kerry called it "all but certain" that Syria used chemical weapons. Carney lied. So did Kerry. So called evidence doesn't exist. It's created out of whole cloth.

Western-backed insurgents bear full responsibility. They used chemical weapons multiple times before. They used them last Wednesday in Ghouta.

The incident was a classic false flag. It's a US tradition. They're strategically timed. They reflect Big Lies. They're pretexts for war.

August 21 was Obama's Gulf of Tonkin moment. Full-scale war followed. Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. Doing so authorized war without declaring it.

Lawless aggression lasted over a decade. Syria may fare no better. Bush's Iraq war continues. Daily car bombings kill dozens. In July, nearly 1,000 died.

Libya's a cauldron of violence. It persists without end. Charnel house conditions exist. Things rage out-of-control. Obama bears full responsibility.

He's a war criminal multiple times over. He's got lots more death and destruction in mind. Attacking Syria looms. Iran appears next.

Washington seeks unchallenged global dominance. Doing so threatens humanity. It may not survive Obama's second term.

He's mindless of the risks he's taking. It doesn't matter. He persists anyway. Rogue leaders operate that way.

A Final Comment

On August 23, Press TV headlined "CIA commandos, US special forces entered Syria: Report," saying:

French newspaper Le Figaro reported it. Insurgents are led by US, Israeli and Jordanian commandos. Since mid-August, they headed toward Damascus.

"US and Jordanian teams have set up a training camp in Jordan where special operations units are training members of the militant groups in Syria."

Le Figaro cites military forces. They say "specially trained militant fighters, commanded by American special forces, crossed the border into Syria on August 17 along with a number of CIA operatives."

"A second group joined them two days later." Deployment began days before Ghouta's chemical attack. Doing wasn't coincidental. Each event relates to the other. US intervention looms.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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