Several motivations are
operating simultaneously. One is offered by Phil Greaves
of Global Research:
“There are predominantly two parties to blame for the sectarianism rife in
Syria and spreading beyond its borders, they are: Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Sitting behind these states, and driving their destructive policy is, as
always, the Empire of the era. Those who gain the most from destabilizing
whole resource-rich regions for their own benefit. For the last 60 years,
that Empire has been the United States of America.”
A second explanation is
the hypothesis of Paul Craig
Roberts: “Perhaps
the purpose of the wars is to radicalize Muslims and, thereby, destabilize
Russia and even China.”
A third reason is held by
many, including both Greaves and Roberts, which is that destabilizing Syria
allows Israel to achieve its aims.
Fourth, for both the U.S.
and Israel, this is a means to undercut Hezbollah, which is sponsored by
Iran.
Fifth, the neocon agenda
long ago was to roll up the “axis of evil”, including Iran and its ally
Syria. Their agenda is world domination by the sole surviving superpower.
Sixth, the
military-industrial complex and its lobbies on the Hill thrive on the
profits, the work of war, the advancements, and the demand for their services
that instability brings. The DHS thrives on an atmopshere of war and fear.
Members of Congress thrive on making speeches about promoting rights and
democracy, even though they are promoting war, instability, refugees and
death. The State Department appears to have abandoned diplomacy and become
subservient to the neocon influences.
Seventh, the U.S. has a
ready-made pro-war interest group in many churches.
Eighth, important leaders
and politicians believe their own rhetoric about spreading democracy, being
anti-dictators, building progressive states, and eliminating certain kinds of
weapons. These beliefs accord with being anti-Second Amendment. They are
parts of the ideology of “liberalism”, which arose as classical liberalism
faded out and was replaced by its opposite of nationalism, expansionism and
progressivism.
How can
the U.S. and its NATO allies can get away with these policies? What
are the long-term effects of these policies? Those are separate and important
questions too.