Sina Military accuses US of ulterior motive in ISIS strikes

An American F-18 prepares to carry out an airstrike against an Islamic State position on Aug. 8. (Photo/Xinhua)

China is not falling for America's "devious plan" to topple Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad under the guise of an anti-terror campaign against the Islamic State, the Beijing-based Sina Military Network says in a bombastic editorial.
The editorial was released three days after the US carried out a new round of airstrikes in Syria on Tuesday against the brutal jihadist group also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) or the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in partnership with a coalition of Arab nations. The attacks were made in support of the Syrian opposition, which remains engaged in a bitter civil war with the government led by Assad.



The Sina editorial said that though the airstrikes were carried out under the auspices of an anti-terrorism campaign, it is obvious that Washington's ultimate aim after forcing ISIS out of Syria is to topple Assad's regime.
The editorial added that Russian president Vladimir Putin was effectively calling out US president Obama on the strategy when he made a call to UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon last week to say that the US-led strikes should not have been carried out without the consent of the Syrian government.
The website said it already suspected America had an ulterior motive when air strikes were first made against the Islamic State last month without UN approval, adding that the motive was "reasonably deduced" from an analysis of America's interests and the modern history of the geopolitical game. As support for the accuracy of its analysis, the editorial added that the website had previously been spot on with its dissection of the attacks made against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi by NATO in 2011.
The editorial said America is turning its attention to the Middle East after successfully muddying up the situation between Russia and Ukraine earlier this year by supporting the ousting of pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych in February. The Ukraine crisis allowed the US to weaken Russia and also revitalized NATO, aligning the European Union and other Western nations with its agenda, it said. Now, the US is using the Islamic State to align interests in the Middle East, having already formed an alliance of 54 nations to take down the terrorist organization with the support of the European Union, NATO and the Arab League, according to the editorial. Saudi Arabia alone has pledged funding of up to US$500 million.
Everyone knows what the US is up to but they are all playing along because getting rid of Assad is also in their own interests, the editorial said. However, China is not falling for it as it knows that Washington is only cozying up to Beijing because it wants to put an end to China's ongoing support for Russia, the editorial plodded on tiresomely. China has already rejected America's offers to join its military alliance against the Islamic State on the basis of its policy of "non-interference" in the internal affairs of other countries (except when it concerns Russia and Ukraine). Chinese president Xi Jinping has also said that it will never support nor participate in sanctions against Russia, no matter how much pressure China faces, according to Russian Federation Council chairperson Valentina Matviyenko following his meeting with Xi on Sept. 23.
That said, China is not simply standing on the sidelines when it comes to the Middle East, having reportedly sold DF-21 guided missiles to Saudi Arabia and recently carried out its first ever joint military drills with Iran in the Persian Gulf, the editorial said.
The US will continue to put pressure on China in other areas, the website said, including reported plans to remove a ban on selling arms to Vietnam by the end of the year. This may open up sales of America's top-of-the-line P3-Orion surveillance aircraft to Vietnam, which could increase tensions between China and Vietnam over their territorial dispute in the South China Sea.
The US is also continuing to strengthen ties with Japan, which remains embroiled in a territorial dispute with China in the East China Sea. The United States Pacific Command recently appointed Japan-born US admiral Harry Harris as its new commander so as to improve communications with the Japanese military, the editorial said.
No matter what America does, nothing can stop China's rise, the website concluded, adding that future conflict will be inevitable in China's future. However, China has so far made all the right decisions while the US is losing control of its rhythm, and all Beijing has to do is to remain patient and stay on the same path, the editorial said.