US intervention resulted in Syrian conflict: Analyst

Press TV has interviewed Richard Becker, with the ANSWER coalition, in San Francisco, to discuss Russia’s stance on the Syrian conflict.

Following is a rough transcription.

Press TV: Many in the West are concerned about what they call Russia’s military buildup in Syria. Given the fact that this presence has been at the request of a sovereign state, do you think that these concerns are legitimate?

Becker: No, they are propaganda that is being generated. Syria and Russia, and before Russia, Syria and the Soviet Union, have had long-standing military relationship and it is not something new. There is an invention in some of the corporate media that says this is some dramatic change that is taking place.

Well, in fact if we really look objectively at the situation, aside from the falseness of these claims, it is the government of Syria and those who are fighting the government of Syria that are fighting against the horrible, terrible groups like ISIL or Daesh and Al Qaeda in Syria and they are the ones who are really defending Syria against a complete breakup. And it is the result of the intervention of the United States, its European allies namely Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan and others that Syria is in the terrible state that it is today, where the country has been torn apart and where millions and millions of people, probably half the population now… it is unbelievable what has happened to Syria… have been forced into exile, have been displaced under the worst of all possible conditions.

Press TV: Some analysts believe that the West is worried about Russia presence in Syria because it actually sees it as an obstacle to some kind of a hidden plot against the country. How much do you agree with this assessment?

Becker: Well, I don’t think it is very hidden. I think it is pretty open that the United States and its allies, now since 2012, have had an avowed to bring about regime change. They have demanded that the Ba’ath party government in Syria, they just refer to one person Bashar al-Assad… but of course, no government is just one person, that is done also for propaganda purposes to demonize a leader. We saw this with Saddam Hussein before, we saw this with Muammar Gaddafi in Libya. That is a vehicle, that is an instrument of propaganda but the United States has made it very clear and so have the former colonizers of the region- Britain, France, Turkey and others, that they want to see a regime change and so that has been opened.

Russian, Iran and Hezbollah have been supporting the Syrian government against this attempt to what has really now resulted in, to a great degree, the destruction of Syria.

Press TV: Very briefly, both Russia and Syria have talked almost with the same voice about the need to defeat ISIL terrorists before any political solution in the country. How much do you think this is a defined strategy by Moscow and Damascus?

Becker: Well, I think just on the surface of it anyone would have to agree with that. The ISIL is not interested in negotiations, they are not looking for a negotiated settlement, they are interested in terrorizing their way to power in a very large part of the world, not just that which they control now.

That is open and known; there is no negotiating with them.

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