Syrian government forces have killed over 7,000 protesters since March 2011, according to human rights activists within Syria, which makes the Assad regime more than worthy of UN condemnation. However, the situation is much more complex than Western leaders would have us believe for it appears the U.S. and its allies, once again, find themselves in league with Al Qaeda in opposing a Mideast dictator.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton illustrated the diplomat’s tendency to simplify this weekend in declaring that the U.S. stands with “the people” in Syria against the tyrant Assad.
Secretary Clinton also mentioned that a peaceful political process in Syria was “essential”. She also said that the Syrian people deserve “no less than a democratic future free of government oppression, terrorism, and violent extremism.”
However, also on the side of “the people” according to U.S. intelligence chief James Clapper is Al Qaeda. On Thursday Clapper told the Senate Armed Services Committee that “al-Qaeda in Iraq is extending its reach into Syria” given recent bombings in Syria bore the terrorist group’s hallmark.
Clapper also said he feared Al Qaeda fighters had inserted themselves inside an ever expanding armed movement fighting the Assad regime.
New Al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahri called on Muslims to support Syrian rebels against the “butcher” and said “the resistance of our people in Syria is escalating and growing despite all the pains, sacrifices and blood." Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught reported earlier this week how Al Qaeda is very familiar with Syria:
"No one should be surprised if al-Qaeda shows a presence in Syria. Syria was the route by which al-Qaeda entered Iraq. We know from captured fighters in Iraq, from computers and documents captured with them, that there was a whole infrastructure in Syria that dedicated itself to this safe passage of fighters through Syrian territory."
Peter Oborne from The Telegraph describes the alarming short-term alliance the U.S. has supposedly strewn together to topple Assad:
As the Arab Spring has unfolded, we have encouraged the Saudis to develop a makeshift alliance that embraces Qatar, Jordan, the Israelis, al-Qaeda and, it would seem, elements of the Muslim Brotherhood, who have very strong historical reasons for wishing to dislodge the Assad regime, in the light of its brutal crushing of the Brotherhood-inspired revolt in Hama 30 years ago.
All of these actors would like to see the Shiite-Allawi regime in Syria replaced by some form of majority Sunni rule, Oborne posits. On the other side of the U.S. and Saudi-led alliance sits Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, Hamas and Iraq’s al-Maliki government.
Many Americans would find it curious that amongst our allies is the very terrorist organization the U.S. has invested ten years and billions of dollars to “disarm and dismantle” in Afghanistan.
To make things even more complex, Oborne also indicates that a majority of Syrians might even support the Syrian government despite Assad’s brutal handling of political dissent.
If this scenario seems to ring a bell it’s because the U.S. also found Al Qaeda elements as unlikely bedfellows in toppling Gaddafi in Libya.
Comments