by Lady Michelle-Jennifer Santos, Chief Visionary Founder & Owner
June 17, 2013 (TSR) – The United States is not asking NATO to back a no-fly zone in Syria and the issue is not currently on the alliance’s agenda, the outgoing U.S. ambassador to NATO said on Monday, hours after Russia made a vow to veto on such action at the UN Security Council to prevent another Libya scenario.
“We are not pushing for a no-fly zone at NATO,” Ambassador Ivo Daalder said in response to a question after his farewell speech in Brussels.
As of today, he said: “the issue of a no-fly zone is not on the table at NATO. Whether it will [be] tomorrow or some other day, I don’t know, but it isn’t there yet. It isn’t, as far as I know, on the table of any NATO member, including, so far the United States.”
U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration said last week it would arm Syrian rebels, having obtained proof the Syrian government used chemical weapons against fighters trying to overthrow Assad.
However, not everyone agrees. Moscow unconvinced of the so-called “evidence”as there is no reason for the Assad government to use it. There is also independent evidence that proves the Syrian rebels who were the ones guilty of using Sarin gas that is being purposely dismissed since it is not going with the narrative U.S., France and Britain wants.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon also vehemently opposes arming the rebels as it will exacerbate the situation.
Austria pulled its peacekeepers from their UNDOF posts at Golan Heights after France and Britain forced the European states to lift the arms embargo.
Western diplomats said last Friday Washington was considering a limited no-fly zone over parts of Syria. However, the White House later said that the United States had no national interest in pursuing that option, as it would be far harder and costlier to set one up there than it was during the conflict in Libya which led to the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
The United Nations would have the main responsibility for dealing with the humanitarian consequences if the Assad government collapsed, but he said NATO might agree to help by bringing in equipment by air if the United Nations asked it to do so the envoy said.
The West’s purpose for such a move would be to prevent Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from using air power against rebel forces, especially now that Assad is winning. Not only do these three heavily indebted nations cannot afford to do so, it could also mean entering the conflict by destroying Syria’s Russian-built air defences.
Moreover, the world does not want another Libya nor Iraq scenario to which Moscow has emphasized countless times. The no fly zone on Libya in 2011 was violated by the very same people who are pushing for the one in Syria. France violated it, not Gaddafi.
