Illegal US Presence in Syria

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

US forces operate illegally in many countries - in war theaters and elsewhere, including numerous covert operations.

America is unaccountable for Nuremberg-level crimes worldwide, including crimes against peace - defined as "planning preparation, initiation or waging of a war of aggression or a war in violation of international treaties, agreements or assurances."

It's guilty of crimes of war and against humanity as defined under Nuremberg principles. They include murder and wanton destruction.

The UN Charter is binding international law. It's US constitutional law under the Supremacy Clause (Article 6, Clause 2).

Article 51 of the UN Charter prohibits military action by one country against another except in self-defense - only with Security Council authorization.

All US post-WW II wars were and continue to be acts of naked aggression, defined as unauthorized attacks by one nation against another, including military occupations - flagrant UN Charter and constitutional violations.

International Law Professor John Quigley explained "(t)he United Nations Security Council has not asked outside states to send military forces into Syria. The United States has not been invited by the government of Syria."

Law Professor Francis Boyle stressed "(a)ll the bogus pretexts the United States has used over the years to justify its indirect and direct aggression against Syria… are too numerous to list here."

"Russia and Iran are in Syria at the valid request of the Syrian government, which makes their presence lawful under international law."

"By comparison, the United States intervened militarily into Syria without any permission from the Syrian government."

US operations lack UN Charter Chapter 7 Security Council authorization - the same true in all its other war theaters.

"(T)he United States in Syria stands in gross violation of the United Nations Charter, the Nuremberg Charter, Judgment and Principles, as well as US Army Field Manual 27-10 on the Law of Land Warfare," Boyle explained, adding:

"If you read the 1986 Judgment by the International Court of Justice in the Case of Nicaragua versus United States, all you have to do is substitute Syria for Nicaragua and jihadis for Contras to reach the exact same conclusions of gross illegality across the board."

Defense Secretary James Mattis lied, saying "the UN said…we can go after ISIS…to take them out" in Syria or anywhere else.

FALSE!

Fact: Washington created and supports ISIS, deploying its fighters where the Pentagon and CIA want them used as imperial foot soldiers - a proxy US army, doing its killing and dying, other terrorist groups used the same way.

Fact: No UN authorization exists for US military operations anywhere.

Assad rightfully calls US forces in Syria lawless "invaders" - aiming to topple his government, install pro-Western puppet rule, and isolate Iran ahead of targeting the Islamic Republic the same way.

That's how imperialism works, raping and destroying nations to control them. Mattis was clear and unequivocal, explaining America came to Syria to stay, saying:

Defeating terrorists in the country "doesn't mean we just walk away and let ISIS 2.0 pop back around."

Security Council Resolution 2249 (November 2015) called on member states "that have the capacity to do so to take all necessary measures to redouble and coordinate their efforts to prevent and suppress terrorist acts committed specifically by ISIL," as well as other terrorist groups - "in compliance with international law."

America's military presence in Syria and other war theaters is flagrantly illegal, violating laws Francis Boyle explained.

Responding to Mattis, Syria's Foreign Ministry issued a statement, saying:

"The presence of the US forces or any foreign military presence in Syria without the consent of the Syrian government constitutes an act of aggression and an attack on the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic as well as a gross violation of the Charter and principles of the United Nations," adding:

America's presence "only leads to prolonging the crisis and further complicating it." 

Damascus demands immediate and full withdrawal of all US forces from the country. Russia concurs.

Conflict resolution is unattainable as long as Washington maintains a military presence in the country.

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My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

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