Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury during President Reagan’s first term.

He has held numerous academic appointments, including the William E. Simon Chair, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Georgetown University, and Senior Research Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University.

He is the author of “Supply-Side Revolution: An Insider’s Account of Policymaking in Washington”; “Alienation and the Soviet Economy and Meltdown: Inside the Soviet Economy”, and is the co-author with Lawrence M. Stratton of “The Tyranny of Good Intentions : How Prosecutors and Bureaucrats Are Trampling the Constitution in the Name of Justice”.

- Dr. Roberts, what's the main reason why Syria has come under such a fierce campaign by the West, Washington’s Arab allies and Turkey?

- The Syrian crisis is orchestrated by Washington and Israel. Overthrowing the Syrian government achieves several purposes important to Washington and Israel. It extends Washington's and Israel's hegemony over the Middle East and dissolves Syria into sectarian conflict. It removes Syrian support for Hizbollah, thus furthering Israel's designs on the water resources of southern Lebanon. It removes Russia from its only base in the Mediterranean. Additionally, the overthrow of Syria is a step toward the overthrow of Iran.

- Will Iran, Russia and China play further role in resolving the Syria conflict?

- Neither Iran, Russia or China can play a role in solving the crisis, as Washington does not want the crisis solved except by the overthrow of the Syrian government.

- A few days ago the new head of the opposition Syrian National Council Abdel Basset Sayda announced that the Syria's  national minorities on the consequences of a possible fall of the Assad regime will  be protected. Do you really see this as a trustworthy announcement for the national minorities of Syria?

-The Syrian National Council is a CIA orchestration.  Any statements made by SNC are propaganda to advance the overthrow of the Syrian government. The purpose of this is to make minorities feel secure and accept regime change. The overthrow of the Syrian government will bring to Syria the same continuing bloodshed that characterizes Libya and Iraq. No one will ever be safe again in Syria.

- How do you rate the Western media coverage of Syria?

- The Western media coverage of the Syrian crisis is propaganda in behalf of the Washington/Israeli effort to overthrow the government.

- If Syria is attacked, what will be its impact on the region?

- Syria is already being attacked. The so-called "rebels" are being supplied from outside with military weapons.  The Assad government will fall if enough Syrians conclude that Washington will prevail and realign with Washington.

What is happening is that Washington is removing all governments of countries of strategic importance that are not US puppets. If Syria falls, it will make clear to Russia and China that Iran is next and then Russia and China. The most likely outcome is WW III.

Narine Daneghyan talked to Paul Craig Roberts for Mediamax.