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Introduction to Public Diplomacy
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It was not surprising for international observers when the US, UK and France launched airstrikes on Syria Friday night. Though the obvious reason for the strikes is the accusation that the Syrian government is using chemical weapons, the real motivation behind the attack is far more complex.
The use of chemical weapons in Syria has yet to be verified, along with which side – the Syrian government or rebel forces – would have been behind the attack is still unknown.
Therefore, without knowing the key facts, the US-led airstrikes can be interpreted as aiming to contain and suppress the momentum gained by Syrian government forces.
Furthermore, with the Syrian civil war entering its eighth year, both Russia and Iran’s influences in Syria and the Middle East as a whole has increased.
Russia is becoming the dominant force in the process of building a post-war Syrian political mechanism. In the eyes of the US-led Western countries and their allies, including Saudi Arabia and Israel in the Middle East, they certainly don’t want Russia and Iran's influence increase in the region.
The timing for the joint airstrikes also goes hand-in-hand with the recent developments in Syria, the UK and US. First of all, the current situation in Syria is becoming extremely unfavorable to the rebel forces, as the Syrian government is controlling a large part of Eastern Ghouta. Secondly, the ex-spy poisoning case in the UK has sparked the unprecedented expulsion of Russian diplomats from many countries, with fears rising that a new Cold War is looming.
The hawkish cabinet which is forming now in the White House also regards Russia as a dangerous enemy. Both the Secretary of State Nominee Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton have tough stances on Russia. The move could also be a way to distract from the Mueller investigation in the US.
By launching the air strikes, the US is sending multiple messages to Russia and the world. First, the US is still the strongest military power in the world. Second, the US can no longer tolerate the increasing influence enjoyed by the Russia-Iran alliance in Syria and the whole Middle East. Third, the US can easily change the momentum and return to the Middle East when the US feels necessary to do so. Fourth, when the US decides to take action, the country is not alone, but has allies in the entire Western world.
The fact that the UK and France also joined the strikes showed that the trans-Atlantic alliance between the US, UK and all the European countries as a whole has always been strong and unshakable. Although the Trump administration once pressed European countries to take more responsibility for their military budgets, it doesn’t mean the long-established trans-Atlantic alliance has been weakened. When there are events like the Russian spy-poisoning case, Western countries will immediately stand together and show the world the “solidarity of common values.”
April 16th 2018
The author is a senior fellow at the Charhar Institute
Source: CGTN