France, the United Kingdom, Israel and Qatar have prepared yet another plan for intervention in Syria. 6000 new jihadists, including 4000 from Lebanon, should be poised to attack the upscale Mezzeh neighborhood south of Damascus, home to many embassies and where several top military and civilian officials reside. An incident involving chemical weapons across the country is set to increase the tension. A traitorous general would then claim to have seized power and call to the West for help, thus providing a pretext for military intervention outside the UN mandate.

Several military coup attempts have been orchestrated by the West during the current year. All have failed and there is nothing to suggest that it will be any different this time.

Time is running out for those states opposed to the Geneva peace plan concluded between the U.S. and Russia, since it should be presented to the Security Council in February, that is just after the endorsement by the U.S. Senate of the new Obama administration. Therefore, during the forthcoming two months, all kinds of coup attempts should be expected.

It is unclear what Russia’s and Iran’s reactions would be to such an operation. Vladimir Putin said he is ready to defend Syria "on the very streets of Moscow," meaning he is ready to go to war. For its part, Iran has always asserted that Syria was its line of defense and that, consequently, it would not abandon it. All these statements may only be a bluff, but by triggering a military intervention, Paris, London, Tel Aviv and Doha would be taking the risk of causing a general conflagration.