The United States recognized the Syrian Opposition Council, Syria's newly formed main opposition group, as the sole "legitimate representative" of the Syrian people on Tuesday. It is evident that the US-led Western countries are determined to push their own agenda on the Syria crisis.

This will only further complicate the 21-month crisis in Syria, as it runs counter to the international consensus on solving the crisis through political resolutions and pushing for dialogue between the Syrian government and opposition forces.

Nothing is clearer than the US-led Western countries are maneuvering for a regime change in Syria. In an interview with ABC News, US President Barack Obama did not hesitate to call the US recognition "a big step" in the so-called international efforts to unseat Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The US decision will embolden Syria's opposition forces to fight in an even fiercer way with the government forces, which will in turn bring more bloodshed and humanitarian disasters to the country.

Yet, the recognition of the Syrian opposition group might be only one step in the US and its Western allies' maneuvering for a regime change in Syria. NATO's decision to deploy Patriot missiles in Turkey last week was seen as a step toward making preparations for military intervention in Syria. Western leaders' stern warnings and criticism of Syria's chemical weapons this month could also be perceived as consolidating "moral grounds" for that purpose.

On the other hand, the US does not disavow its support to political resolutions to the Syrian crisis. On Sunday, Lakdhar Brahimi, the United Nations and Arab League joint envoy on Syria, said in a statement that in his meeting with senior US and Russian officials in Geneva they agreed "a political process to end the crisis in Syria was necessary and still possible".

The US should match words with deeds. It's double-dealing in the Syria crisis is both immoral and irresponsible, and it offsets the international efforts that have been made so far to resolve the crisis through talks and negotiations.

(China Daily 12/14/2012 page8)