Paul Craig Roberts: Kerry’s Moscow Meeting: A Hopeful Sign?

Kerry’s Moscow Meeting: A Hopeful Sign?

December 16, 2015 

Kerry’s Moscow Meeting: A Hopeful Sign?

Paul Craig Roberts

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We must all pray that the French writer’s hopes are on the mark and that the evil in Washington collapses before it can destroy life on earth.

In the meantime we must face reality, which can be discouraging. Yesterday, December 15, US Secretary of State John Kerry met in Moscow with the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, and Defense Minister, Sergey Shoygu, followed by a meeting with President Putin. The day before the meeting the Russian Foreign Ministry accused Washington of failure to comply with the Russian-American agreement designed to avoid conflict between Russia and NATO in Syria.

The combination of Russian diplomacy and the West’s presstitute media makes it unlikely that we will learn what Lavrov, Shoygu, and Putin told Kerry. It is likely that Kerry was presented with evidence that Washington is the culprit that attacked a Syrian military base in the area of Russian operations, and that the Russian government sees this as a violation of the accepted rules of engagement, to which Washington had agreed, and perhaps as an indication that the crazies in Washington intend war against the Russian/Syrian coalition against ISIS.

Additionally, more evidence has materialized that Turkey’s attack, which downed the Russian SU-24, had the logistical support of US AWACs aircraft or US satellites. http://russia-insider.com/en/natos-got-brand-new-syrian-bag/ri11846

In other words, Russia has Washington cold on Washington’s involvement with, and support of, ISIS and Turkey’s act of war against Russia.

We will not know if a confrontation occurred, but Kerry came out of the Moscow meeting talking a different talk: “We see Syria fundamentally very similarly, we want the same outcomes.” “The US stands ready to work with Russia.” “Russia and the United States agree that you can’t defeat Daesh (ISIL) without also deescalating the fight in Syria.” “Syrians will be making decisions on the future of Syria.” “We don’t seek to isolate Russia as a matter of policy.”

From the Russian side, things don’t sound as well. Today, according to Reuters, Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova said that serious differences remain between Russia and the US. 

Still, it is not completely clear that the Russian government and media understand that behind the evil of ISIL is the greater evil of Washington. How many more times will Russia be burned as a result of trusting Washington?

Hopefully, the meeting in Moscow helped Kerry understand that the Obama regime’s neoconservative policies have created a momentum toward war that needs to be broken. As the Syrian drama unfolds, the Russian government will learn whether Kerry’s words are for real or just more of Washington’s dissembling.

Dr. Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy and associate editor of the Wall Street Journal. He was columnist for Business Week, Scripps Howard News Service, and Creators Syndicate. He has had many university appointments. His internet columns have attracted a worldwide following. Roberts' latest books areThe Failure of Laissez Faire Capitalism and Economic Dissolution of the West