No-Fly/Buffer Zone for Syria Still in the Works

The Gray Lady is not just the paper of record, it is also a vital propaganda organ for the United States government. Take, for instance, today's story by Michael R. Gordon, "Touring Refugee Camp, Kerry Sees Mounting Syrian Suffering." There is nothing newsworthy here. The massive size of the Zaatari refugee camp on the Jordanian border with Syria has been subject of previous reports. We know that its population is over 100,000, the majority of which are children, and that it is costly to operate and that the United Nations has struggled with its administration. The point of the story is not about refugees and the audience that six of them had with Secretary of State John Kerry. The point of the story is to keep the bad idea of a no-fly zone in the news. Refugees are quoted plaintively demanding military succour:

But as frustrated Syrian refugees appealed for Western military intervention to halt the attacks by the Syrian government’s forces, Mr. Kerry’s visit soon became a graphic illustration of the limits of the Obama administration’s policy. 

“We are not satisfied with the American answers,” said Jamalat Abdulraouf al-Hariri, 43, after her meeting with Mr. Kerry. 

“We just need an action,” she added, noting that the refugees wanted the United States to establish a no-fly zone or a protected area for civilians inside Syria. “We always hear words.”

Kerry's response is quoted at the end of the story:

“We are trying to help in various ways, including helping Syrian opposition fighters have weapons,” Mr. Kerry added. “We are doing new things. There is consideration of buffer zones and other things, but it is not as simple as it sounds.”

And the propaganda function is fulfilled. When the story appeared yesterday on Google News the lede was about no-fly zones. So once again no-fly zones are in the news, despite the fact that the Syrian government is widely regarded to have all but won the civil war. An interesting alteration is how a "buffer zone" is now being introduced along with "no-fly zone" as an interchangeable term when clearly it is not. Establishing a no-fly zone would do little to change the facts on the ground because much of the fighting is conducted without air power. But a buffer zone entails claiming Syrian territory by full military means.

It is important to keep in mind here what Franklin Lamb reported on the Counterpunch web site last month, that the prevailing wisdom of Congressional staffers he polled on Capitol Hill was that a no-fly zone would be in place by the end of summer.

The story today tells me that a no-fly/buffer zone is still in the works. War pig Senator John McCain's block on General Martin Dempsey's second term as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff pending his fulsome proclamation of support for the rebels is more proof.