Is Putin Responsible for Israel’s April 1 Attack on Damascus, Syria, that Killed 7 officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard?
Paul Craig Roberts
As I often emphasize, Putin’s determination to avoid war has the result of widening war as the consequence has been more and more dangerous provocations.
Iran said Israel will be punished for the attack, causing President Biden to forget which country he is president of and rush to Israel’s defense sending more US military force into an area already over-loaded with US military, declaring: “We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help to defend Israel.”
It was Putin who prevented President Obama’s overthrow of Syria by proactively sending the Russian Air Force to Syria’s defense. This is an example, perhaps the only one, of Putin showing strategic vision in war. The great puzzle is: why has Putin left Syria unprotected with air defense against Israeli and US attacks? If the Israeli planes that attacked Damascus had been shot down, we would not be facing the escalation of Israeli aggression into Iran and an outbreak of wider war.
In an age of nuclear weapons, war must be avoided. The avoidance of war requires countervailing force against the aggressors. As Russia and China do not provide the countervailing force, the war widens.