Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photograph courtesy of the Kremlin
Russian President Vladimir Putin has written an opinion article in the New York Times to appeal to the American people about the ongoing crisis in Syria, and caution them that a military strike on Syria could result in a rise in terrorism.
Putin appeals to the common ground between the US and Russia, about how the two nations together helped defeat Nazi Germany, and how the UN was set up in the wake of WWII to prevent another such war from occurring by keeping the lines of communication and diplomacy open. He warns that a US-led military strike on Syria would leave the UN impotent, and in a similar position to that of the League of Nations which had essentially disintegrated by 1939.
Publish on the day following the anniversary of 09/11, a date scorched into the memories of Americans as the time when terrorism reached the US, Putin puts forward the case that whilst neither side in the Syrian conflict are defenders of democracy, some of the opposition are made up by al-Qaeda-backed groups such as the al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. He also raises the issue of foreign fighters becoming radicalised in the conflict, causing a possible rise of extremism and even terrorism.
Putin goes on to claim that Russia’s continued use of its veto against military action in Syria is to protect international law and not Assad’s regime. However, the continued supply of arms and equipment to the Syrian military does imply that Moscow does have some form of affiliation with embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
He also alleges that the chemical attack in the Ghouta suburb of Damascus where sarin gas killed a reported 1,400 people was not carried out by Assad’s forces, but the rebels “to provoke intervention by their powerful foreign patrons”, an accusation that has been vehemently denied by the rebels and conflicts with intelligence reports from the US, UK, and France.
Putin also raises the issue of nuclear proliferation as a response to continued American aggression in the region, where countries look towards developing the bomb in order to put themselves out of bounds for a US-led attack.
Instead of using military action, Putin is hoping to rally support for the plan for Syrian chemical disarmament which has led Barack Obama to pause US military plans. The Russian-led deal would put Syria’s entire chemical arsenal under international control for disarmament, preventing Assad’s military from using the weapons on the Syrian people, and also prevent them from falling into the hands of potential terrorists and becoming a threat to US national security.