Militants seek US intervention in Syria: Abayomi Azikiwe

Militants seek US intervention in Syria: Abayomi Azikiwe

Sat Apr 27, 2013 6:32PM GMT

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Interview with James Jatras

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I think those elements they are very keen to get the United States and NATO to intervene, are going to try to find any way they can to suggest that that redline has been crossed and then try to box Mr. Obama in, to try to force him to take military action."

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The comments came after Western countries accused the Syrian government of using chemical weapons in a bid to justify their plans for a military option on the prolonged crisis in Syria. The remarks came following earlier claims by the Israeli regime, Britain and France that chemical weapons have been likely used in Syria while giving no specifics on how and by whom. This is while two Syrian officials on Friday denied allegations that the government has used chemical weapons against militants, saying Damascus has no need for them. 

Press TV has conducted an interview with James Jatras, former US Senate Foreign Policy analyst, to further discuss the issue. What follows is an approximate transcription of the interview. 

Press TV: James Jatras, I’d like to zoom in on of course the developments regarding the use of chemical weapons. The descriptions that I have put down here cannot confirm the origin of these weapons, intelligence not solid enough basically [insurgents], maybe citing photos or sporadic shelling, this is not very convincing. 

Why is there so much hype then coming from the US, from the UK on the use of chemical weapons which they are alleging that Assad has used, Assad forces I should say? 

Jatras: Yes I think the reason for this is quite clear that I think President Obama is reluctant to get involved militarily in Syria but having drawn what he called a redline on the use of chemical weapons, I think those elements they are very keen to get the United States and NATO to intervene, are going to try to find any way they can to suggest that that redline has been crossed and then try to box Mr. Obama in, to try to force him to take military action. 

I think that is what this is about. 

Press TV: Do you think that on the other side of the coin here that perhaps they are not winning the war on the ground, that they are seeing that maybe intelligence coming through that this is just going to keep dragging on and therefore the one option is this supposed and alleged use of chemical weapons by Assad forces? 

Jatras: I think at this point where neither side seems to have a dominant or decisive upper hand, we can expect there will be a seesaw back and forth in the fighting and who has the local advantage in various areas of the country. 

However I think the opposition, these Jihadi groups believe that having an outside intervention by the Western powers would be a decisive game changer for them. That is why, would have one reason why I am so much skeptical of these reports about chemical weapons, who would benefit from the use of chemical weapons if not the opposition?

So I think they are going to try every trick in the book to try to indicate that that line has been crossed because they think that they need that decisive outside intervention. 

AHK/JR

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/04/27/300593/militants-seek-us-intervention-in-syria/