Guard Commander Warns U.S. on Syria: 'You are Making Another
Mistake' (Kayhan, Iran)
Is the United States about to commit only the latest in a long
series of Middle East blunders? This news item from Iran's state-run Kayhan has a less
bellicose tone than what we became accustomed to during the Ahmadinejad regime.
By quoting leading officials, including newly-elected President Hassan Rouhani, the article, more advisory and less
confrontational, takes the form of a word of caution to someone who is
extremely accident prone.
TEHRAN:
President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday warned that any
American military action against Syria will be detrimental to nations in the Middle
East and its U.S. allies.
"Iran,
as it has stated before, considers any action against Syria not only harmful to
the region but to friends of the United States, and believes that such a
measure will benefit no one," Rouhani told at
the 14th summit of the Assembly of Experts.
"We
strongly condemn the exercise of any hostile measures against countries in the
region, particularly Syria," said President Rouhani,
who is also a member of the Assembly of Experts. "Today, our region
suffers from a severe crisis and is in a very delicate position - clear evidence
of which is seen in Syria," Rouhani pointed out.
The
president described foreign meddling and outsider support of terrorism as the
main reasons for problems in the Middle East, including Syria, and he said that
U.S. President Barack Obama's last-minute decision to seek Congressional
approval before a military strike on Syria shows that the war rhetoric in Washington
lacks legitimacy both at home and abroad.
President
Rouhani reaffirmed Tehran's resolve to continue providing
humanitarian support to the nation of Syria, saying, "As long as Syrians
face problems, the Islamic Republic of Iran will fulfill its religious and
humanitarian obligation to provide them food and medicine."
Defense
Minister HosseinDehqan
cautioned that a U.S. military strike on Syria would spread crisis, insecurity
and instability throughout the region.
"U.S.
military action against Syria will increase the level of instability and spread
the crisis beyond the country's borders," Dehqan
said after a cabinet meeting.
"In
the event of a U.S. military intervention in Syria, the war could spread like a
virus to every country in and around the region, worsening regional insecurity,"
he added.
Because
of the Afghanistan and Iraq experiences, the defense minister said, "the
Americans have a high degree of uncertainty about having the capacity to orchestrate
a successful and controllable operation in Syria. The Americans may start a Syria
war, but they will be unable to control its conclusion." In any event, he
said that Syria has effective anti-aircraft and offensive systems, and doesn't
need outside military hardware to defend itself.
During
a series of phone calls with his Irish, Dutch, and Indonesian counterparts, Foreign
Minister Muhammad JavadZarif
also warned that a military intervention in Syria could have negative
consequences for regional and global security.
Zarif expressed hope that the international
community would focus on finding a political solution to the situation Syria, since
resorting to force violates international law. At the same time, he condemned
the use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere in the world.
Meanwhile,
Brigadier General Hossein Salami [of the Revolutionary
Guard Corps Aerospace Force] warned that any attack on Syria could not be limited
to the country, and that aggressors would be trapped in a quagmire.
"We
are on the threshold of a strategic turning point for the region, and more
generally, the Muslim world," Salami said, who is the Islamic Revolution
Guards Corps' second-in-command.
"What
we are witnessing is a consequence of the repeated losses incurred by the U.S.
and its allies, both here and in the West, over the past three decades,"
the general added.
General
Salami noted that the United States, the Israeli regime, and their regional
allies, have failed to achieve their Middle East objectives and are
strategically exhausted.
"These
defeats have led the United States to try and penetrate the center of gravity of
the Islamic resistance, which is Syria," he said.
Salami
said a war on Syria would be "a very dangerous game," stressing that
there is no military solution to the Syrian conflict, and that Israel must
reconsider its security strategies.
Describing
the Middle East as a "world of political dominos," the Iranian
commander said, "Any world power talking about the concept of limited war
is making the gravest possible historic mistake. The time of trial and error is
over for the United States. An attack against Syria will drive American forces
into a quagmire in terms of place, and in terms of time.
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"Who
can guarantee that a military attack on Syria will remain confined to the
geographic borders of Syria?" he asked. "Can anyone [regional leader]
promise that interfering in Syria within Washington's strategic framework won't
endanger their own national security? ... Can plans made on paper account for a
fire in a powder keg?"
"as
a main pillar of resistance, Syria is a country that has been targeted with
security, political and military assaults, and the resistance of the Syrian
people, army and government over the past three years has been praiseworthy,"
Salami said.
Hailing
Syria as a country that has stood up to Israel for over five decades, Salami
warned the U.S. and its allies against military action against Damascus.
"If
the Americans hadn't committed so many mistakes before, perhaps we wouldn't be
making such forceful remarks. However, because their behavior and actions in
the region have been so replete with error, we are warning them not to make yet
another," the Iranian commander said.
Referring
to the fact that Syria has decided to defend itself, Salami said, "History
shows that any nation that defends itself honorably will eventually turn its
territory into a cemetery for the aggressors."
