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US military behind failure of ceasefire in Syria: Analyst

Friday, 30 September 2016 9:16 AM [ Last Update: Friday, 30 September 2016 11:31 AM ]

This file photo taken on September 6, 2015 shows a US Air Force F-16 aircraft taking off on a combat sortie from Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan. (Photo by AFP)

A ceasefire brokered by the US and Russia in Syria fell apart because the Pentagon opposed it, Brian Becker with the Washington-based ANSWER Coalition told Press TV on Friday.

Becker said President Barack Obama had given the go-ahead to Secretary of State John Kerry to work out a ceasefire agreement, but then the Pentagon opposed it and the US air force immediately bombed Syrian troops.

At least 82 Syrian soldiers were killed in the bombing in Dayr al-Zawr, which the US described as unintentional.

Becker said the airstrike was “a deliberate effort to sabotage and cancel the ceasefire,” adding opponents of the truce have got what they wanted.

The activist further denounced US State Department spokesman John Kirby's hint at possible terrorist attacks against Russian cities, suggesting that the threat was also the Pentagon's.

"John Kirby is an admiral but the spokesperson of the US State Department," Becker said.

In statements which Moscow said amounted to a threat, Kirby said, “Unless the Russians stop doing what they’re doing which is the support to the Syrian Arab army, extremism would grow, terrorist attacks against Russian troops would grow, Russians would come back to Russia in body bags, Russian cities would be attacked.”

Becker said the Russian government perceived this as an escalation by the Pentagon and the State Department.

"If the Russians directed such threats against the US, American authorities would consider that to be a virtual act of war against their own national interests."

Becker also said he believed there was going to be a wider US military intervention in Syria. The United States, he said, is preparing to expand the conflict in Syria "because the Pentagon officials are determined to topple the legitimate government in Damascus."

"Therefore, the US does not want to strike a deal with both the Syrian and the Russian governments to carry out a concerted effort against the terrorists,” he added.

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