War no solution to Syria crisis

Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan voices opposition to a military attack on Syria as the United States gears up for a strike the Arab country.

Dehqan on Monday underlined the need for an inclusive political solution to the crisis in Syria and said “Sowing the seeds of warmongering and violence has never resulted in lasting peace and security.”

He said that the US currently does not have the necessary operational capabilities to use military force and create strategic balance in Syria.

“Therefore, [the US] wants [to launch] limited strikes in order to rebuild the shattered morale of terrorists [in Syria], weaken the operational capability of the Syrian armed forces and change the balance of operation in the favor of Takfiris,” he added.

The Iranian minister said US disregard for international demands to avoid violence and militarism and use approaches based on dialog and reconciliation to settle crises prove that peaceful and reconciliatory slogans of the US officials lack truth.

US President Barack Obama said on Saturday that he had decided to launch a military attack against Syria for its alleged use of chemical weapons and now seeks congressional consent for the move. Lawmakers will debate the issue upon return from recess on September 9.

The call for military action against Syria intensified after foreign-backed opposition forces accused the government of President Bashar al-Assad of launching a chemical attack on militant strongholds in the suburbs of Damascus on August 21.

Damascus has vehemently denied the accusations, saying the chemical attack was carried out by the militants themselves as a false-flag operation.