EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR FRIDAY MARCH 3, 2023

U.S.A. Countdown: 14 Days Remain for House Vote on H.Con.Res.20 To Remove U.S. Forces from Syria

March 2, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)—The world war machine bloc of nations, otherwise known as Global NATO, presented itself in certain special ways this week, but all part of the same NATO dynamic of promoting war and perpetrating genocide. At the same time, the forces gathering momentum against this—as seen in the past two weeks of mass demonstrations in the Trans-Atlantic—have the mighty strength to defeat the evil, because of the commitment to truth, and love for humanity. The stakes include preventing a nuclear holocaust.

On the war-making front, in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 27, a depraved vote succeeded in the U.S. House of Representatives to extend the duration of the U.S. sanctions against Syria, passed in 2019, known as the “Caesar Sanctions” (the name given for an anonymous source of purported photos of atrocities committed by the government of Bashar al Assad, with no proof).

Continuing these sanctions, in the face of the earthquake disaster, continues the subversion, impoverishment, and occupation of Syria, which has gone on for 12 years. The House vote is a continuation of the Obama/Trump/Biden policy of sanctions, warfare, and occupation against that country for all this time, and the vote affirms the use of sanctions at large. The vote was 414 to 2 (for House Resolution 132), with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-TN) and Marjorie Taylor-Greene (R-GA) voting no.

On the war-making front, in New Delhi, at the Group of 20 Foreign Ministers meeting today and yesterday, the Group of Seven and aligned NATO nations, tried to bully other G20 nations to get in line with Global NATO, to condemn Russia over the “issue” of Ukraine. The foreign envoys of the U.K., U.S.A., and the Netherlands were outspoken. U.S. Secretary Antonio Blinken blustered before the meeting began that China dare not continue to remain “on both sides” of the Ukraine issue, but must condemn Russia.

However, the new “Global Majority” is overriding these particular instances and expanding by the minute. In New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, the G20 Chair Country at present, said today that he speaks, and will continue to speak, in the “voice of the Global South.” He focussed his remarks, and today’s agenda, on the need for all nations to tackle crises in basic needs—food, energy, debt relief, and other areas; and secondly, to collaborate against terrorism, narcotics and other common threats. No joint statement condemning Russia could materialize. Instead a “chairman’s statement,” was released.

Turning to the United States, the way to fully understand the disgusting pro-sanctions vote by the Congress earlier this week, is that orchestrating this vote was a direct response to the worldwide, escalating condemnation of the sanctions in Syria (and elsewhere,) and rejection of Global NATO itself. The role of the Schiller Institute and collaborators is critical in this mobilization.

Among the latest actions, mass demonstrations are planned for this Saturday, March 4, by the “End the Siege” campaign, in at least 13 nations, and for more nations soon, for the goal of ending the conditions in which “Syrians are suffocated by these sanctions, with the lack of fuel, electricity, water and even food.” An originating group in this drive is the Jordanian Peoples’ Committee for Relief.

An immediate target for our mobilization in the U.S. is to give orders to Congress to pass the bill introduced in February to get all U.S. Armed Forces out of Syria. This is House Concurrent Resolution No. 20, filed by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), which some time in the next 14 days must come up for a vote, under the protocol of being a “privileged” resolution, for rush-vote, under the War Powers Act.

Join the mobilization now. A personal message sent out by an American Pax Christi organizer today stated, “We know U.S. troops are in 800+ camps around the world and it has to change. There is now an opportunity to remove U.S. troops in war-devastated Syria. Please read this report [attached] and take the opportunity to force Republicans and Democrats to get our troops out of Syria. Please do not be turned off by any sense of pragmatism of either party or those individuals calling for this act to happen. The vital need is to help end foreign occupation, remove U.S. troops and lift sanctions so Syrian people can get food and materials now being blocked by the U.S..

“This atrocity cries to Heaven for resolution and intervention. Demand the U.S. elected officials withdraw troops and end sanctions to save the Syrian people and culture.”