So, not long after the not only the Americans, but the British, Australian and at least one other European military had demonstrated what was, at best, gross incompetency, or, at worse, wilful intent on attacking and killing scores of Syrian soldiers, we now have an inexplicable and indefensible attack on an aid convoy heading towards the rebel held sector of Aleppo. At least,when considered from the perspective of a society not at war.
As Donald Trump would probably have said, what the hell is going on?
Why was this aid convoy attacked, when it should have been clearly obvious to the attackers that it was an aid convoy, manned by brave men and women who have placed their lives at serious risk to bring aid and comfort to those who are suffering. And who could only be conceived as posing no greater danger to the Syrian Government and its Russian and other allies, than to be accused of possibly unintentionally feeding the rebels who are positioned in the rebel enclave of Aleppo?
The Americans are out to undermine the relationship between the Syrian Government and the Russians, which is why Russia needs to be more circumspect in in pursuing the dangerous path of discussing ceasefire and peace with the Americans and the west, and then going back to the Syrian Government to consult with them, and, probably on occasions, pressure it into accepting what they, the Russians and Americans have discussed and tentatively agreed. This is how colonialists and imperialists operate.
It is vital for the Syrian Government to be a direct participant in any discussion about lasting ceasefire and peace negotiations in this Syrian Proxy War. For the countries handling and managing the proxy armed forces to think that they can resolve this conflict, by sitting around tables in the absence of key players on the battlefield and the representatives of the Syrian Government, is to be in a state of denial.
It would be similarly a gross miscalculation for the Americans and the west, to see the Syrian Government as 'a Russian proxy', and expect the Russians to use their support of Syria's sovereignty as a manipulating tool to get its compliance with what the west wants to happen.
Russia cannot afford to be the 'proverbial Judas goat' in this catastrophic and perfidious conflict.
But, back to the attack on the aid convoy. Like the American coalition attack on the Syrian soldiers and their position, it will probably take sometime for us to have more relevant details on what happened, and why. If, indeed, we ever will, as the parties who have things to hide endeavour to conceal and bury them, and feed us misinformation.
Yet, in the meantime, it is arguable that the Syrian Government might have motives to attack the aid convoy, even if not wanting to sacrifice the lives of the aid workers who were killed and injured in the attack. Of course, you cannot attack an aid convoy and then expect to be absolved of having any intent to kill and maim the aid workers.
The Syrian armed forces and their allies can be expected to be seething at their losses at the hands of the American coalition, as, not only did it result in the deaths of scores of soldiers, but, also in the reported military advantages it gave the rebels in the area. Similarly, the Syrian Army is intent on liberating the rebel held part of Aleppo, and to bring this disastrous war to an end. As such, while the humanitarian aspect of this tragedy does loom large, from a military perspective, they are unlikely to want to encourage the sustainability of the current status quo in Aleppo.
They might therefore contend that, either life in rebel-held Aleppo has to become untenable, to the point where the citizens turn against the rebels - which is probably unlikely - or the rebels must be forced out by the Syrian military, or surrender or withdraw. That might be the stark reality of the situation, since the maintenance of the existing status quo is, arguable, not in the interest of the civilian population.
In a human and conflict-free context it does not justify the attack on the aid convoy, but it is likely that what happened was the result of military and strategic calculations. It is too late now, but a better course of action would have been for the Government to have refused the aid convoy permission to make the journey.
The focus of humans should not be on 'fighting ethical and 'lawful' wars', but on not getting to the point where wars have to be fought, as it is not possible to fight them either 'ethically or lawfully', since wars, by their very nature, require a suspension or dissolution of civil society.
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