US has picked wrong side in Syria: Commentator

Press TV has interviewed Susan Lindauer, a political commentator and former CIA asset in Baltimore, to discuss the recent US airstrikes in northeastern Syria which have claimed the lives of nearly 40 civilians, including children.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: First of all, how much do these airstrikes, do you think, undermine the recent agreement reached in Munich?

Lindauer: I do not think the agreement in Munich is going to stand unfortunately. I think that the positive aspect of that agreement is that Washington has realized they have backed the wrong horse; they have made a terrible, terrible mistake.

Privately in Washington, very quietly but growing louder, I am glad to say, there is more recognition that Russia is on the right side of this and very quietly but becoming louder and louder CIA, intelligence, Pentagon people are saying that they are glad Russia is doing the work that we cannot do and you hear this in the presidential campaigns as well.

They are starting to say that they are not so anti-Russia after all because they realized that Obama has gotten involved, he has literally gotten in bed with ISIS (Daesh), al-Nusra, al-Qaeda fighters and there is great alarm that the United States is financing these fighters, we are training them in Jordan, we are bringing them in, we are providing the military support for them.

Damascus has only authorized Russia to carry out air missions in their country. This is there is no international protection for the United States to run any military operations in Syria at all. We have no right. Washington has asked, had the gull, the temerity to ask that the Russians would not attack US-backed commandos in Syria because they are saying, ‘please, give our rebels a chance to knock off the Assad regime’.

Well of course that is not what Russia is there to do. Russia is there to stop this whole mess and I want everybody to know in Washington there is growing support and it is becoming louder. People are not afraid to say this anymore. It is so obviously the right thing to do and unfortunately I will say it again, the United States must never put boots on the ground in the Middle East. I am going to say this every chance I get. The United States must never put boots on the ground anywhere in the Middle East again.

We chose our battles poorly, we should never have gone after Iraq, we should never have gone after Libya, we have destabilized, we have created the crisis and the tragedy and I realize that you are Iranian and you did not like Saddam Hussein, but I believe very strongly that war was a terrible, tragic, horrible mistake. So therefore Russia is fighting a battle we cannot fight.  

Press TV: So how do you think Russia and the United States can work hand in hand to settle the crisis in Syria?

Lindauer: I think that Turkey is …, I know that we are all watching Saudi Arabia …, there are stories between 150,000 and 350,000 soldiers from all over the Middle East and Malaysia and Northern Africa coming in for military training exercises, a lot of us are very, very concerned that is going to be an excuse for incursions and possible an invasion, they are looking for a provocation that they can go into Syria. The United States, ironically the Iran peace deal, and Russia, if Russia can begin to succeed, may be what we need to tip the balance away from Saudi Arabia. I think the United States has got to break its tie to Saudi Arabia entirely and this Iran peace deal may be the beginning of something that we can actually get on to the right side of these issues because I think the United States has picked the wrong side and the consequence will be dire.

As for the bombings in Turkey, I am only amazed that it has taken this long but Turkey as the previous gentleman just said has been providing money laundering for stolen oil from Iraq and Syria, has been providing R & R, recreational retreats for ISIS fighters who want to have a break from the fighting, they pay a couple hundred bucks and they come into Turkey and hang out at the beaches and the hotels and have some rest and relaxation before they go back to fight and kill more people.

Turkey is heavily embroiled in this thing and for them to pretend that they are surprised or that there is confusion over why anyone would attack Turkey, that is just dishonest. They know very well why this has happened and it is going to get much worse.

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