The increasingly public re-branding of America’s war in Syria as a proxy war against Russia has suited a lot of officials, particularly in the Pentagon, who see a new Cold War as a ticket to a bigger budget. With Russia’s fighting focusing on al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front, this Russo-centric view has seen the administration realigning US interests more directly with al-Qaeda.
Embarrassing as America’s realignment toward al-Qaeda is, officials see the defeat of the al-Qaeda-dominated rebels in Aleppo as an even bigger blow, presenting the loss of Aleppo as Russia’s victory and America’s loss, in addition to being al-Qaeda’s loss.
This “loss” is being presented by current officials as potentially hindering President-elect Donald Trump’s policy choices going forward, though since Trump was not in favor of backing al-Qaeda, or backing Syrian rebels in general, it probably makes his go-to plan of moving toward fighting ISIS even simpler to sell to the public.
In the meantime, officials committed to the current policy warn that al-Qaeda is likely to rebound from a direct defeat in Aleppo than America is going to, seeing the continued sectarian violence in the country as giving Nusra ample new fighters to recruit to keep the civil war going, even if it’s not in Aleppo.
The US by contrast has spent most of the year harping on about the need to “save” Aleppo’s “moderate” rebels, by which they mean al-Qaeda, and will have to basically start over in presenting the Islamists as a “moderate” force for change in some other battle.
Obama and his administration have become terrorist supporters to groups totally associated with Al Nusra and Al Qaida. Shame on this clown.
Come now Mr Ditz. You have written literally miles of commentary referring to JaN as “rebels” and obscuring their AQ affiliation. Pot and kettle…
They are “rebels.”
Words mean things.
Bill Clinton did the same thing in Yugoslavia Bush worked to get the Muslim brotherhood removed from the Egyptian terrorist list Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan supported Bin Laden against the Russians in Afghanistan .The United States has a long and distinquished record of supporting the most violent Muslim terrorists for a very long time .. In Yugoslavia The KLA and AlQaida were more known as NATOs terrorist .There are maybe a thousand names the Muslim terrorists fight under . we rarely complain about more than 1 or two of these organizations when we have not yet relabeled them freedom fighters yet . In Syria we support and arm Al Qaida and Al Nusra as freedom fighters trying to win a democracy . In Iraq where they once were in power we bomb Al Qaida and Al Nusra When they lose any war we take them in as refugees in almost all western democracies to have them teach us how to live more frightful and obedient live for Allah .
Is this new?America has been acting as al Qaeda’s sword arm, and vice versa, openly since Kosovo 1999.
The problem is now much tougher in Kosovo. Since we allowed our friendly terrorists win and seceede — the initial crime gangs renamed Kosovo Liberation Army went on to govern. But the darker story is developing at present. Almost all mosques have become Salafi oriented, and there is a growing radicalization among them. Syrian groups have come to Kosovo for consultations and for R&R. I am wonderng if the next target are two southermost provinces in Serbia on the border w Macedonia. They already attacked a Macedonian town and it took great effort to move them out of area.
Back further than that.
This thing has come full circle, in that we originally got in bed with Al-Qaeda when we used them to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan.
This is one of the most lucid assessments of our policy. It does not matter who it is — for as long as fighting goes on and on. With a wishfull thinking that Al-qaeda will show somewhere else! Oh, what a joy! Do not we have penty of laws that prohibit helping terrorists? These people clearly think they are above the law. And when some deluded youth thinks it is cool to join the militants we so ardently support, what kind of morality tale are we going to uphold then?
So, we can arrest homeless people for “supporting terrorists”, but this bunch walks free? How about remembering the Twin Towers and sending this whole lot down to Gitmo?
People get arrested for just THINKING about “terrorist” activities in the USA while “our leaders” foster death and destruction as part of their STATED policies of war! There’s no two ways about it- either you are supporting mercenaries(“terrorists”) in another nation or you aren’t, and if you are, you should be tried for treason for violating the American Charter!(mankind’s inviolable right to self determination) Trump has to lessen the power of foreign lobbies to dictate American policies, most especially AIPAC!
The oroblem is that AIPAC and Saudis are on the same page. While Saudi fanatical Wahhabism is after “non-believers”, that is all Shia, that suits AIPAC just fine. Their nemesis, the Hezzbolah in Lebanon that dished them a defeat in the last Israeli incursion into Lebanon — is an enemy of Saudis as well. Saudis see any Shia population anywhere a challenge to the Wahhabi control of Islamic dogma. Thus, the mere presence of Shia population in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Bahrain — in the paranoid kingdom, this means the spread of Iranian influence. The bizzare fact is — paranoid kingdom and Israel share same goal — the destruction or at least weakening of Iran. Israel is not concerned with the chaos in Iraq, never ending fight in Syria — in fact, weak states with religious strife are preffered neighbors to strong, respectable secular states. For as long ss US will be there forever to deal with chaos — Israel would be secure in advancing its state goals. So, in many ways our military has been rented to Saudis and their vision of non-secular Middle East managed by Saudi controlled caliphates, emirates and sultanates. Back to 18th century when the contract has been signed between House of Saud and the Wahhabi sect. Israel would be very satisfied with such Middle East , as small feudal fiefdoms would never challenge its goals of dealing with Palestinians on Israeli terms. Israel does not like strong secular states on its borders. These are unsettling times for both Israel and Saudi Arabia. As well as Iran. While anti -Iran hawks are aplenty in Trump world — the clear disinclination to regime change and nation building in Trump foreign policy should worry both, Saudis see that the idea of caliphates will not be happening. And that funding of cults to do dirty work for globalists — will not have any takers. Israel may worry about the fact that Trump intends to get his hands dirty in solving Palestinian issue. Among many proffessions of love for Israel in his AIPAC speach Trump had one eentence that worries Israel. He suggested that US should IMPOSE a process to solve Israeli-Palsstinian ussue in which both sides must give up something of value to reach a lasting solution. Nobody ever before suggested that US, being Israel’s only true friend — has some rights as well — a right to help guide a oeace process in the jnterest of the peace and stability in the region. So, the focus on the agreement with Iran may have an effect of an alarm in both Saudi Arabia and Israel. For if US takes a tough stand on the treaty, all the whining coming out of both on the Iranian threat — will have to be suspended. And the new topics take its place instead. The issue of Saudi inspired caliphates in the Middle East, Central Asia, Balkans, Africa and South-East Asia — as number one topic. And with Israel, the Palestinian issue.
As at the very top of all foreign policy agencies and intelligence sits a person who was pushed out as a head of Defense Intelligence Agency under Obama administration for his open objection to arming terrorist groups — one can hardly expect him to be soft on terrorist infrastructure. Or be blind to what other agencies are doing. He was intelligence opr.erative — not one that got promoted through bureaucatic huerarchy. This gives a hope that the deep inserted globalists cannot operate on their own — running circles around a president like Obama.
It is indeed mind boggling. If I were superstitious, I would see Hillary’s fainting spell at 9/11 memorial as an omen. Supporting — even glorifying, the very organization that killed so many innocents that day. Accusing Russia of war crimes for trying to destroy the noble revolution against brutal regime. Civilians of Aleppo are not hostages in our reinvented Al-Qaeda fantasy, but brave people manning the barricades. Never mind that they kill those that refuse to fight and even a seven year old was beheaded as he was hiding from “recruiters”. How many kidnapped girls were forced into “marriage” with these barbarians? How many executions were committed just the other day when barehanded inhabitants tried to break free and make it to escape corridors? People in the Government who support terror in any shape or form — need to be prosecuted. People who think themselves so above the law think nothing of their e-mail violations. Gen. Petreaus in Congress suggested we arm Al-Qaeda in Syria. While there was indignant condemnation against the thought — how many of them did nit know that we were doing it already. All the “disappearing” trained, armed and “vetted” rebels were nothing more then conduits of arms and other supplies to Al-Qaeda and dozens of affiliated Salafi extremist cults. Al-qaeda has always been the strongest and others accepted its command. Except that now they are fighting among themselves, as some want out, such as one group under Jaish Al-Islam that wanted out and prevented by Al-Nusra. However, the gash created by Syrian Army cutting East Aleppo in two parts is allowing uncontrolled rush out of the city by both population and militants. Al-Qaeda is trying to choke off the flight out of the southern rump, but the northern is offering little resistance. Will the Weetern liberal trumpets continue the crumbling narrative? Probably. The bastion of Hillary’s liberal globalism is now Germany’s Merkel. Ably assisted by UK’s perenial imperial urges and forever lost Hollande in France. But the public in Europe is not bying it quite as readily as before. It was not that long time ago that headchopping of Serbian population was not news and poor Moslems were all the rage in liberal circles. From Bosnia to Kosovo. Now they are reaping the fruits of their labor. Millions of refugees, the result of US/EU excellent adventures. But the ordinarynprople will suffer — never the elites. Hope Trump remembers who supported him — and not let the terrorist-funding and enabling law breakers newr the levers of power. And that goes not just for liberal interventionists but the so called conservatives who enabled it all.
The Obama’s administration forgin policy is totals wrong for America’s interests. Sure hope The Trump Team joins the fight against Islamic terrorism , with Russia to end the likes of ISIS, Taliban, and AlQuidia or what ever name they choose this week.