UN Resolution 2254 on Syria – which was passed unanimously by the Security Council – strongly emphasizes the “close interconnection between the cease-fire and the parallel political process.” Downscaling this conflict may  significantly calm tensions in the Middle East. However, one problem remains. Among the five permanent members of the Security Council, there are three – the US, France, and Great Britain – who have flagrantly breached the 'sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic, despite the fact that these countries offered Syria their “extended support.” It is these countries who have created “a growing influx of terrorists in Syria,” whilst in the Resolution have claimed there is a “extremely serious concern.” 

 

This all means that any “ceasefire” depends primarily on these three NATO members, Turkey – the outpost of the secret war against Syria – and other members of the NATO alliance, such as Germany. On top of this, much depends upon Israel – which has interests in this war, and in many others too. How will all these interests play out? In cases such as these, the facts can be more telling than any words.

 

On the very same day — 18 December – that the United Nations Security Council was thrashing out its “road map for achieving peace” in Syria, NATO announced that it was sending Danish and German warships to Turkey,  as well as aircraft equipped with an AWACS radar system, with the purpose of “bolstering the security of the border with Syria”. This was nothing short of direct action against Russia, whose intervention in the struggle against ISIL had turned the tables in Damascus's favor. The following day NATO announced the battle-readiness of the first of its Global Hawk drone aircraft, which will be deployed at Sigonella (one of NATO's airbases in Italy) alongside American drones to conduct “ground surveillance” — which in other words means spying on countries which fall under the suspicions of the USA/NATO. On the same day that the Security Council prepared its “road map for achieving peace” in the Middle East, Germany announced it was sending its fifth submarine to Israel, capable of firing nuclear weapons.

 

It has been reported in the German magazine Der Spiegel that these are Dolphin-class submarines which have been modified to be capable of firing American-supplied Popeye Turbo cruise missiles with nuclear warheads, with an operational range of 1500 kilometers. With this new submarine, which has been named Rahav – with a price-tag in excess of two billion dollars, one-third of which  has been funded by Germany – Israel has strengthened its position as the only nuclear-capable nation in the region. Meanwhile Iran – which, unlike Israel, is a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons – has rejected the use of nuclear weapons, and Syria has surrendered its chemical weapons that were intended to contain Israel's nuclear capabilities.

 

On 19th December — the day after the UN Security Council renewed its commitment Syria's  “sovereignty and territorial integrity"- Israel made an aerial assault on Damascus, which killed the Lebanese militant Samir Kuntar, who had spent thirty years in captivity in Israel for his involvement in the liberation struggles of Lebanon and Palestine. He was released in a prisoner exchange in 2008, after which he joined the Hezbollah movement engaged in fighting ISIL – which gave Washington cause to include him in its listings of “international terrorists.” 

 

 

Meanwhile France, which has been supporting the Syrian ceasefire in the UN Security Council – has announced it has received a seven-billion-dollar advance payment for the delivery of 24 of its Rafaele fighter-bombers to Qatar – one of the countries responsible for prompting the conflict in Syria, after having a hand in the destruction of Libya. Like Saudi Arabia, Qatar ploughed billions of dollars into the creation of ISIL and other terror organizations – before coming forward to join the anti-terror coalition “against ISIL” under US leadership, and itself taking the lead in forming the “Islamic anti-terror coalition.”