Syrian Disaster Brewing
By Larry Johnson on December 13, 2012 at 12:29 PM in Current Affairs
The history of the United States meddling in the affairs of other countries is long and tawdry. We had success in some places, such as Greece, where we helped stem the tide of Communism. But the record in other places–e.g., Iran, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Egypt–is tarnished at best. And what have we learned from our history? Not a damn thing. Clueless Obama, with the backing of Hillary, is moving ahead with our delusional desire to dictate who rules in Syria.
It is funny as hell to watch the news media spew its pomposity about Syria “murdering” its citizens and then, a short time later in the news programming, listen to praise surrounding the movie Lincoln and what a wonderful guy Lincoln was. See, we the victors (i.e., northerners), can re-write history and celebrate as a great triumph the Civil War, which cost the lives of 625,000 Americans. When we kill people it is okay because we know they are bad people and they deserve it. Understand?
Syria is now in the throes of a civil war and Assad, while using brutal tactics, is doing what any legitimate ruler would do–try to defend his government. But we have cast our lot with the jihadists. In fact, we are now backing Al Qaeda in Syria.
This is insane. Oh sure, Hillary’s State Department declared the al Nusra front as a foreign terrorist organization, but pay close attention to what the rest of the so-called Free Syria group declared:
But the leader of the coalition took issue with a decision by the Obama administration to classify Al Nusra Front — one of several armed groups fighting Mr. Assad — as a foreign terrorist organization and urged the United States to review that decision.
The coalition leader, Sheik Ahmad Moaz al-Khatib, said, “The logic under which we consider one of the parts that fights against the Assad regime is a terrorist organization is a logic one must reconsider.”
He also said: “We love our country. We can differ with parties that adopt political ideas and visions different from ours. But we ensure that the goal of all rebels is the fall of the regime.”
We still have not learned the lessons of Chairman Mao–Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun. Does not matter if al Nusra is a majority or minority among the Syria rebels. They have the guns.
The State Department says Jabhat al-Nusra (or the “Nusra Front”) is essentially a wing of Al Qaeda in Iraq, the jihadi group that flourished in Anbar Province after the US invaded to topple theBaathist regime of secular dictator Saddam Hussein. During the Iraqwar, Sunni Arab tribesmen living along the Euphrates in eastern Syria flocked to fight with the friends and relatives in the towns along the Euphrates river in Anbar Province.
The Nusra Front has gone from victory to victory in eastern Syria and has shown signs of both significant funding and greater military prowess than the average citizens’ militia, with veterans of fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya among its numbers.
The US of course aided the fight in Libya to bring down Muammar Qaddafi. In Afghanistan and Iraq, the chance to fight and kill Americans was the major drawing card.
We are enabling Al Qaeda’s ability to take control of a country that, despite its rocky record on human rights, still respects the rights of Christians, Shias and even Sunnis. And we replace it with what? We don’t have a damn clue.
Meddling in another country can be justified on the basis of creating more stability. But that’s not what Obama is doing. He and Hillary are doing the opposite. They are sowing the seeds for more war and chaos.
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