On Sunday, pro-Western UN envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura made Damascus an offer it refused – dividing Aleppo, letting US-supported terrorists called “moderates” control eastern areas.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem slapped him down diplomatically, rejecting his outrageous proposal, saying:

We held talks Sunday morning with UN Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura and his delegation, and we expected a date for resuming the intra-Syrian dialogue, but we did not heard about that from him. We gave three truce opportunities respectively for evacuating the residents from the eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo, but the terrorist organizations did not allow them to get out through the safe corridors identified by the state. The idea of the self-management proposed by de Mistura in eastern Aleppo is categorically rejected. We have not seen any desire from de Mistura to resume Syrian-Syrian dialogue. Perhaps he is waiting for a new administration in the United States or a new leadership at the United Nations” beginning January 1.

“Syria believes in a role by the United Nations that respects its Charter and the sovereignty of member states.” Representing US-led Western interests, de Mistura has other ideas.

“It is impossible to accept the presence of any Turkish soldier on the Syrian territories…Turkey hides behind terrorists in its invasion to the Syrian territories as its support to those terrorists is no longer a secret to anyone and this issue must be tackled decisively,” said al-Muallem.

We and the Russian side are in continuous coordination in the political and military fields and Russia condemns any violation of the Syrian sovereignty. There are mutual interests between the Syrian and Iraqi armies to prevent the infiltration of ISIS terrorists from Mosul into Syria. The United States wanted to provide cover to ISIS and not eliminate it. There are positive changes on the international arena with regard to the crisis in Syria. These changes were imposed by the steadfastness of the Syrian people with the allies in the fight against terrorism. What we want from the next US administration is not only to stop its support for terrorists, but also to curb the states backing them.

Assad repeatedly explained his objective is totally liberating Syria from foreign-supported terrorists infesting the country. Nothing less is acceptable – nor should it be.

He knows his main adversary is America, along with NATO, Israel, Riyadh, Turkey and other regional rogue states. Support from Russia, Iran and Hezbollah is vital.

Without it, Syrian sovereignty perhaps would already be destroyed, a pro-Western puppet leader in charge, he perhaps brutally eliminated like Gaddafi.

Instead, the dynamic on the ground was changed in his favor. If Trump fulfills his pledge to ally with Russia in combating regional terrorism, mainly in Syria, for the first time since America’s rape of Yugoslavia it’s imperial agenda could change.

Is it likely? Do I expect it? Will Trump go his own way, diverging from longstanding US imperial policy? Will he be more diplomatic than belligerent?Does his America First plan mean disengaging from foreign entanglements? Does he want less adventurism?

From inception, America has been a warrior nation at home and abroad. Will Trump change its sordid tradition? It takes a giant leap of faith to believe it.

Throughout the campaign, I said no matter which wing of America’s one-party state wins, dirty business as usual will continue like always.

If Trump proves me wrong, I’ll applaud him. If not, I’ll get on his back and stay there – criticizing him relentlessly like I went at Bill and Hillary Clinton, Bush/Cheney and Obama.

The only way to defeat pure evil is by combating it without letup. It’s headquartered in Washington.

Changing of the guard won’t likely matter. Yet with two months before Trump succeeds Obama, I hope he proves me and other critics wrong.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected].

His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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