A Tale of Two Narratives #3 - The Road to War

On the eve of final victory for Bashar al-Assad, the US claims, without proof, that he decided to give them a reason to stand in the way of the final defeat of the Islamists in Syria.

Part #1: The Media Halo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmxRddgpo-I

Part #2: The First Casualty - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjgnOz0qujU

Video

Sources

ISIS Routed, US open-ended policy https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-moves-toward-open-ended-presence-in-syria-after-islamic-state-is-routed/2017/11/22/1cd36c92-ce13-11e7-a1a3-0d1e45a6de3d_story.html?utm_term=.214f04bd0290

Putin declares victory https://www.newyorker.com/sections/news/trump-to-let-assad-stay-until-2021-as-putin-declares-victory-in-syria

Brookings: Assad won https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2018/02/13/after-7-years-of-war-assad-has-won-in-syria-whats-next-for-washington/

Rebel fighters leave Ghouta http://www.euronews.com/2018/03/10/opposition-fighters-leave-syria-s-rebel-held-eastern-ghouta

Syrian army divides Ghouta in 3 https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/12/middleeast/syria-eastern-ghouta-divided-intl/index.html

Leaving after a deal https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/03/22/syrian-rebels-families-begin-leave-besieged-eastern-ghouta-deal/

Handing over hostages https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201804111063421442-syria-insurgetns-hostages-ghouta-free/

Recovered weapons https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_nl_Rp78Nw

Evacuating surrendered militants https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vfrh6ygLaCs

Why gas attacks though?

deal reached, assad wins https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/deal-reached-surrender-rebel-held-town-eastern-ghouta-180408172342106.html

Suspected gas attack http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-43686157

Militants leave https://www.rt.com/news/423644-jaysh-islam-douma-prisoners/

US Strike force heads to the Med https://www.stripes.com/news/truman-strike-group-departs-for-middle-east-europe-deployment-this-week-1.521207#.WszW8ncds-A.twitter

Trump condemns gas attack https://twitter.com/StateDept/status/983381624212500480

BBC's what we know http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-43697084

Trump pledges "forceful" response http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-43707023

Russia claims Israel struck Syria https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/syria/russia-outs-israel-two-israeli-fighter-jets-struck-iranian-base-in-syria-1.5979943

Tensions rise between Israel and Iran https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-israel-on-high-alert-prepares-for-iran-retaliation-for-syria-strike-1.5990777

Rebels used Sarin http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22424188

Mattis concerned about gas attacks https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-mideast-crisis-syria-usa/u-s-mattis-says-concerned-about-syrias-potential-use-of-sarin-gas-idUKKBN1FM1WF

Mattis admits no evidence Assad used gas http://www.newsweek.com/now-mattis-admits-there-was-no-evidence-assad-using-poison-gas-his-people-801542

Regime Change

McMaster - US eager for regime change https://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/hr-mcmaster-syria-regime-change-237038

Haley - US no longer focused on regime change https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/us-assad-syria-ambassador-un-nikki-haley-a7659266.html

Trump aboout-turn on regime change https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/04/us-syria-policy/522117/

Nilkki Haley a priority https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/09/regime-change-syria-one-many-priorities-says-nikki-haley/

Haley - No peace until Assad gone https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/09/no-peace-in-syria-until-assad-is-ousted-says-nikki-haley

Nikki Haley Assad change inevitable https://edition.cnn.com/2017/04/09/middleeast/syria-missile-strike-chemical-attack-aftermath/index.html

Tillerson contradicts on regime change http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ambassador-nikki-haley-rips-russia-covering-assad-article-1.3036251

Haley - Not satisifed until assad gone https://www.rt.com/usa/403505-syria-haley-russia-assad-deirezor/

Rex Tillerson wants regime change https://www.sbs.com.au/news/tillerson-sees-syria-regime-change

Hill encourages Trump to intervene http://thehill.com/opinion/international/361570-trump-must-not-give-up-on-ousting-assad

Haley it is going to happen https://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/nikki-haley-syria-regime-change-237033

Stays

Macron: Assad stays http://kayhan.ir/en/news/47749/macron-iran-russia-won-in-syria-assad-to-stay

Britain says Assad stays http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5419701/UK-says-Assad-stay-power-west-loses-leverage.html

Trump wishes to leave Syria https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/03/trump-syria-troops-withdraw-498531

Saudi prince wants US to stay http://time.com/5222746/saudi-crown-prince-donald-trump-syria/

Trump - out of syria https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-infrastructure-initiative/

Saudis confirm Assad stays https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201803311063093064-saudi-prince-assad-staying/

Turnaround

Blair speaks from experience, i guess https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tony-blair-uk-syria-military-action-kosovo-dourma-chemical-attack-us-un-a8297336.html

Blair speaks from experience, i guess https://news.sky.com/story/tony-blair-uk-will-have-to-intervene-in-syria-or-give-carte-blanche-for-chemical-weapons-attacks-11324987

Investigation team https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/04/10/global-weapons-watchdog-investigate-syria-gas-attack/503934002/

May pressured https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/may-under-pressure-to-join-strikes-on-assad-lmksf7mtp

British forces mobilising https://twitter.com/airlivenet/status/983780330216853504

British envoy to UN invokes Marx?? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_q2RJG6StQ

Allies agree action is needed http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43719284

Russia will defend Assad https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/russia-us-missiles-syria-launch-sites-lebanon-zasypkin-putin-a8298941.html

Trump tough talk https://www.rt.com/usa/423802-trump-get-ready-russia-missiles/

WHO demand access http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-43725352

Truman strike force https://www.stripes.com/news/truman-strike-group-departs-for-middle-east-europe-deployment-this-week-1.521207#.WszW8ncds-A.twitter

Chilcot report https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/chilcot-report-inquiry-tony-blair-iraq-war-weapons-of-mass-destruction-evidence-verdict-a7122361.html