Washington's Plan B for Syria by Stephen Lendman 
Obama officials "abandoned efforts for a diplomatic settlement to the conflict in Syria, and instead it is increasing aid to the rebels and redoubling efforts to rally a coalition of like-minded countries to forcibly bring down the government of President Bashar al-Assad, American officials say."Obama officials are meeting with Israeli, Turkish, and Western counterparts. They're also discussing policy with Syrian opposition leaders. Internal Washington "daily high-level meetings" are held. At issue is Plan B "to help map out a possible post-Assad government.""The administration has had regular talks with the Israelis about how Israel might move to destroy Syrian weapons facilities, administration officials said."Washington is directly involved in arming, funding, training, and directing Syrian opposition mercenaries. They're cutthroat killers. They're enlisted to commit mass murder. They target pro-Assad civilians and others randomly. Expect stepped up efforts ahead of direct Western and/or regional allies' intervention.Unnamed US officials said:"You’ll notice in the last couple of months, the opposition has been strengthened. Now we’re ready to accelerate that."
According to hawkish, pro-Israeli Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP) member Andrew Tabler:"We're looking at the controlled demolition of the Assad regime."He left unsaid that official Washington policy includes all options. They include full-scale war.International Crisis Group member Robert Malley warned of "war that never ends." Syrians won't tolerate being ruled by elements now fighting them.Josh Rogin reports on national security, foreign policy, and defense issues. On July 20, his Foreign Policy article headlined "Inside the quiet effort to plan for a post-Assad Syria," saying:Senior Syrian opposition group representatives are meeting covertly in Germany. The State Department provides funding.
For "the last six months," they've been working with so-called US Institute for Peace (USIP) members. They're planning a post-Assad government.USIP is a pro-Western front group. According to the Weekly Standard:Washington supplies millions of dollars. "Since 1985, taxpayers have forked over more than $720 million (inflation adjusted)." "That has included support for a gleaming new 150,000 square foot office building in the shadow of that other taxpayer-supported institution (allegedly) devoted to peace: the State Department."USIP's Steven Heydemann heads the initiative. In June, he met with Friends of Syria representatives in Istanbul. The project is called:"The day after: Supporting a democratic transition in Syria." Heydemann said USIP is "working in a support role with a large group of opposition groups to define a transition process for a post-Assad Syria."USIP shortly plans releasing a report. It's a regime change strategy document. Implementing initial priorities needs to start now, said Heydemann. He disingenuously claims pushing Assad from power isn't discussed. "We have very purposely stayed away from contributing to the direct overthrow of the Assad regime," he said. "Our project is called 'the day after.' There are other groups working on the day before."Of course, they're interconnected. As the lyrics to the well-known spiritual "Dem Bones" say, the hip bone is connected to the thigh bone, etc.USIP board chairman J. Robinson West is a corporate CEO (PFC Energy). President Richard H. Solomon is a former Assistant Secretary of State. Vice chairman of the board George E. Moose is a former Assistant Secretary of State.
Other board members include:Judy Van Rest: right-wing International Republican Institute (ISI) executive vice president.Michael H. Posner: Obama's Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.Of course, all US administrations deplore these values. They tolerate none of them at home or abroad.James N. Miller: Obama's Under Secretary of Defense for PolicyNancy McEldowney: Interim president of the National Defense University (NDU).Eric S. Edelman: A retired US Foreign Service Career Minister. He also held senior Defense Department positions.Judy Ansley: Previously she held various high-level national security and Senate staff positions.Syrian opposition members support violently overthrowing Assad's government. Most Syrians support it. In May, free, fair, and open parliamentary elections were held. Ruling party members won most seats.Washington, key NATO partners, and so-called Friends of Syria don't recognize them. They represent Syria, not Western interests. Replacing them with subservient puppets is policy. USIP was enlisted to help. It's a wrongly named imperial tool. It supports war, not peace. It's well paid for furthering Washington's imperium. Destroying Syria is prioritized.