How did little Syria spoil things for the powerful West?

Hit Syria – Target Russia

“Worse than a feud with the Anglo-Saxons can only be a friendship with them.” (Alexej Jedrichin–Wandram)

Interview with Professor Andrei Ilyich Fursov

The following conversation with Professor Andrei Ilyich Fursov, Director of the Centre of Russian Studies at the Institute of Fundamental and Applied Research of Moscow University for the Humanities (MosGU), a member of the International Academy of Sciences, and a member of the Writers’ Union of Russia was published on 9 August 2012 at KP.ru. Given the initial question it reaches unexpectedly far into the sphere it covers. Starting from the current situation in Syria and the “Arab Spring”, the Russian historian tries to provide considerations on and prognosticate the further development there, ranging from the concrete to the global.

Last remark: the term “regime” does not necessarily have a negative connotation in the Russian language.

Why is the West in such a hurry to hammer the nails in the coffin of the Assad regime?

Professor Andrej Fursov: This small Middle Eastern country has suddenly become a major sore spot of the planet. The UN has meetings on it, continually. China and Russia take a hardliner stance. A squad of our warships with marines headed for the Mediterranean also stopping in Syria on the way. The US provides the “rebels” with another $ 15 million. Is there a sense of a greater war here?
Gas war

How did little Syria spoil things for the powerful West?

Actually by everything. Let’s look at it one by one – from small to large, from regional to global. In all the constellations in the Middle East in general and in the Americans’ and the Sunni monarchies’ (Saudi Arabia, Qatar) fight against Shiite Iran, the country is not just an ally of Tehran, but also the link connecting it to the Shiite factions in the Arab world. Without such a link Iran’s influence in the Arab world would be greatly reduced. I am not talking even about the oil pipeline running from Iran through Syria. Without a solution to the Syrian issue, the Anglo-Saxons, i.e. the British and the Americans will not dare to tackle Iran.

The Syrian regime is in fact the only strong secular regime in the Arab world. The fact that it is strong irritates the Atlanticists with their plans of restructuring the Middle East and the world. The fact that it is a secular and economically successful regime annoys the rulers of Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Some say that this is the first war for gas.

Gas fields were indeed discovered in the Southern Mediterranean – in the sea and on Syrian territory (Kara). It is hard to say how big the reserves are, but they are there. Qatar exports liquefied gas with the help of a tanker fleet. If the Assad regime collapses, Qatar will be able to transport the “blue fuel” directly from the Mediterranean coast to Syria. This would at least double the volume of its exports and at the same time complicate Iranian exports. The strengthening of Qatar on the gas market will worsen Russia’s position. Well, if the Americans succeed in controlling the Algerian gas, it looks like a blockade of the Russian oil and gas exports. So the economic interests of Qatar coincide with the US’ geopolitical interests in their efforts to maximally weaken Russia, which is not to not be reinvigorated.

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