US wants Assad out for not backing Qatari pipeline: Kennedy
Washington’s intention to overthrow Syria's legitimate and democratically-elected President Bashar al-Assad results from his refusal to back a Qatari gas pipeline project, an attorney says.
According to an article published by Politico on Thursday, American attorney and nephew of US President John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., wrote that the US decided to topple Assad after he declined to back a gas pipeline project of the Qatari government.
The project was aimed at building a gas link from Qatar through Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria and Turkey to Europe.
The $10 billion pipeline project first surfaced in 2000 and the CIA went ahead with the plan until nine years later Assad announced that he would not support the pipeline initiative, a move that could grant Qatar direct access to European energy markets via terminals in Turkey.
“Soon after that the CIA began funding opposition groups in Syria," said Kennedy.
“If completed, the project would have had major geopolitical implications. Ankara would have profited from rich transit fees. The project would have also given the Sunni kingdoms of the Persian Gulf decisive domination of world natural gas markets and strengthen Qatar, America's closest ally in the Arab world," he noted.
Kennedy added that the pipeline would have also strengthened Saudi Arabia by giving the kingdom additional leverage against Iran.
In a separate interview with Sputnik, Kennedy said, “If we study the history of America’s relation with Mideast and looking at the US’ violent intervention in Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt over time and the extraordinary and astonishing thing is the solid record of the cataclysmic failure every time we venture there in violent fashion. Most Americans are completely unaware of us attempting to overthrow the democratically elected government in Syria, contrary to our own state department policy and contrary to American values.”
Since March 2011, the United States and its regional allies, in particular Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, have been conducting a proxy war against Syria. The years-long conflict has left somewhere between 270,000 to 470,000 Syrians dead and half of the country’s population displaced.
Clinton whisked away amid pro-Palestine protest at Belfast university
Trump team drawing up list of Pentagon officers to fire: Sources
US appeals court overturns 1983 Beirut bombing victims' judgment against Iran
Iran says resolved to ‘legally’ pursue Gen. Soleimani assassination case
VIDEO | Outraged over Gaza genocide, Iraqi protesters burn Israel, US and UK flags
Far-right German party calls for UN probe into ‘Berlin’s role’ in Nord Stream blasts
Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ shows US debilitated, desperate: Fmr. IRGC chief
Jordan rage: Protesters blast Israel’s genocide in Gaza, carnage in Lebanon
Pentagon official says ‘shocked’ by Yemen’s firepower, arsenal
IAEA chief tours two key Iranian nuclear facilities
Larijani asserts Iran’s support for resistance, says conveyed Leader’s message to Lebanon
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
