No to War in Syria!

The Causes and Consequences of the Unending US War Drive

Wednesday, April 12, 5:30pm
247 Dwinelle Hall, UC Berkeley


With the launching of military strikes on Syria, the US is opening a new chapter in its bloody wars in the Middle East, which have left more than one million dead. The consequences of the direct targeting of the Syrian government are incalculable. How will Russia respond? The world could wake up some morning in the near future to the news that the two largest nuclear-armed powers in the world are at war.

There is no opposition to war from within the media and political establishment. Indeed, the Trump administration’s actions against Syria are in line with the demands of the Democratic Party, backed by the most powerful factions of the Pentagon and CIA.

As always, the US government justifies its actions by reference to allegations of atrocities carried out by whatever government is in its crosshairs. The media treats as established fact the claims that the Syrian government is responsible for the use of chemical weapons, while ignoring the horrific atrocities committed by the US throughout the Middle East.

What are the real motivations for the unending war drive? What are the geostrategic interests of the US in the Middle East? What will be the consequences? Above all, how can war be opposed?

Suggested reading for Wednesday's class:

The airstrikes in Syria and the war drive of American imperialism
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2017/04/10/pers-a10.html

The US attack on Syria: A prelude to wider war
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2017/04/08/pers-a08.html

The bombing of Syria: A new chapter in the US drive for global hegemony
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2017/04/07/pers-a07.html