America's True Purpose in 'Using the Slope To Get off the (Syrian) Donkey'

At the 68th United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 24, American President Obama delivered a speech. The Syrian problem was one of the main points of that speech. Obama called on the Security Council to adopt a resolution directed at the problem of Syrian chemical weapons and indicated that the U.S. had already made preparations to use military force to protect Middle Eastern interests.

After Russia proposed that the Syrian government hand over its chemical weapons, the U.S. suspended its plans for military strikes and carried out negotiations with Russia with regard to a draft resolution about Syria giving up its chemical weapons. It seems as if the U.S. has joined the process of a political resolution in Syria. However, the fact is that behind America’s so-called “political resolution” to the Syrian problem are its own selfish interests.

All along, the United States has been devoted to resolving the Syrian problem, including the chemical weapons problem, at the lowest price. America’s acceptance of Russia’s proposal to allow the Assad government to hand over its chemical weapons of its own accord is in fact “using the slope to get off the donkey,” or taking advantage of an opportunity. This move lets the Syrian government completely give up chemical weapons, forces it to join the Chemical Weapons Convention and removes the “worrying thought” of Syrian chemical weapons. At the same time, by disposing of Syrian chemical weapons, a warning is sent to Iran and North Korea’s nuclear programs.

The U.S. has already proclaimed the Assad government illegal, but overthrowing him through military intervention is not America’s first policy choice. On one hand, to date, the U.S. has been unable to find a suitable agent among anti-government influences. On the other hand, with the help of the current juncture, the political process is pushed a step forward, allowing the U.S. to achieve regime change in Syria without losing a single soldier. This bloodless victory allows the U.S. to save costs, manifests its superpower strength and influence and increases Obama’s personal prestige, thereby realizing American interests to the maximum degree.

Additionally, the U.S. has preserved maximum policy flexibility as far as the manner of dealing with the Syrian problem. The U.S. has stressed that it is only pausing military strikes and that it has not given up the option of using the military against Syria. Although the U.S. and Russia have reached an agreement by means of the Chemical Weapons Convention organization supervising the destruction of all of Syria’s chemical weapons, the U.S. still pressures Russia unceasingly. It demands that, on the basis of Article Seven of the U.N. Charter, the Security Council pass a resolution using military force to compel Syria to submit or else the U.S. will obstruct the efforts of international organizations to assist in the destruction of chemical weapons. Russia condemns the U.S. for trying to bluff and trick Russia into allowing the Security Council to authorize the use of force against the Syrian government, thus disposing of the obstacle the U.S. has been facing until now — and not seriously joining the political process.

Under these circumstances, military force has become a sword hanging over Assad’s Damascus. Resolving the chemical weapons problem is a complex and time-consuming process, including steps of handover, inspection, supervision and destruction. In this course of events, the U.S. can put forward harsh conditions and thus at any time seek a reason to set in motion a military strategy.

From America’s actions, Russia, China and other countries have seen America’s purposes and latent dangers. This serves to emphasize that the international community needs to quickly form a consensus on the problem of Syrian chemical weapons and that the Security Council must send out a signal of unity. During the period of time that Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended this year’s U.N. General Assembly Meeting, he emphasized many times that China supports the Chemical Weapons Convention’s objective, just and professional operations and that China hopes to send professionals to take part in the inspection and destruction process of Syria’s chemical weapons. He also stressed that the destruction of Syrian chemical weapons and the political resolution of the Syrian problem should be carried out together. The U.S. should not disregard Russia, China and other countries’ efforts to push forward a political resolution to the Syrian problem. Working with the international community is the way to resolve this problem.

The author is the deputy director of the Chinese International Issues Research Institute’s International Strategy Research Department.