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US using human rights as pretext to invade Syria: Analyst

Friday, 08 March 2019 2:26 PM [ Last Update: Friday, 08 March 2019 2:33 PM ]

In this file picture, a pair of US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles flies over northern Iraq after conducting airstrikes in Syria. (Photo by Reuters)

The United States is using human rights as a pretext to invade Syria, says an analyst, adding that US smart bombs have killed far more civilians than any other munitions Washington claims have been used by the Syrian government.

“The US has been using white phosphorus in Syria for quite some time now and it has been very well documented... It is interesting that the United States pretends to have a sort of a higher ground when it comes to human rights and then uses human rights and responsibility to protect as a means by which to invade and bomb countries and supposedly to protect civilians but here we are; it is shown time and time again its supposed smart bombs have killed far more civilians than any of the dumb bombs that they accuse other people of using, such as their accusation that the Syrian government uses barrel bombs, and yet somehow their intelligent targeted bombs are still killing and maiming hundreds of civilians more so than any militants,” Mimi al-Laham told Press TV in an interview on Friday.

“I think that the US is really trying to make an excuse to remain in Syria longer. Unfortunately it can be very difficult to prosecute them with international law even though they are breaching United Nations international law, attacking a sovereign nation without a mandate, but who is going to impose that law,” she added.

This comes as US warplanes on Thursday bombed a town in Syria's eastern Dayr al-Zawr province with internationally-banned white phosphorus munitions, killing several people.

The US and its allies have been conducting airstrikes against what they call Daesh targets inside Syria since September 2014 without any authorization from the Damascus government or a UN mandate.

Damascus has repeatedly denounced the US military presence in the country and its aerial assaults which have repeatedly targeted civilians and its critical infrastructure.

The US has previously used internationally banned munitions in Syria, particularly in Dayr al-Zawr province.

In June 2017, the Human Rights Watch warned that the US-led coalition was deploying white phosphorous bombs in both Iraq and Syria.