21st Century Wire says…
If you believe all the government and corporate media propaganda, then you probably still think that ISIS is entirely a grassroots Islamic ideological movement – with no connection to foreign agencies like the CIA, Britain’s MI6, Turkish (NATO) intelligence, Saudi intelligence, Israeli intelligence, or Pakistan’s ISI. Not only would you still be wrong, but US coalition support for ISIS is an “open dirty secret” that continues to this day.
Back in 2014, 21WIRE’s Patrick Henningsen wrote about the ISIS ‘Sand Pirates’ – “a turbo-charged jihadist mercenary conclave of 21st century privateers, and almost certainly managed and run by allied ‘Coalition’ intelligence agencies.” Henningsen added:
They’re being paid for, and directed at the highest levels by powers outside of Iraq and Syria. So it’s no surprise that the US, UK, Saudi, Qatar and Turkey all share the exact same objective as ISIS – the destabilization of secular nation states in the Middle East and the removal of Bashar al Assad in Syria. With the same objectives and agenda, the Western Coalition and ISIS work together like a well-oiled machine.
For financial or political reasons, Empires have always used external militarized cells and mercenaries to commit unsavoury acts under a flag different from the monarchy, nation state, or private corporation who was directing them behind the scenes.
Ruthless and unconventional “asymmetric” enemies are nothing new to the United States. Historically, the Privateer, or Barbary “Corsair”, was a private person or ship authorized by a government to attack foreign vessels or governments, often covertly. During the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, Ottoman Corsairs operated along the North African coast, and attacked Colonial American ships for over a century.
It’s the time-honored practice of non-state actors (with state sponsors) who are let loose to pillage and plunder. Today’s ISIS pirates are really just the 21st century’s version of the ‘privateers’…
This context brings us to present day. 21WIRE’s recent post titled SWEIDA: Heartbreaking Video Testimony of ISIS Attack Survivor, documented July’s massacre of over 140 civilians by ISIS suicide bomb attacks in in southern Syria. Over 170 were injured and dozens of women and children were kidnapped and held for ransom. We embedded a map of the region:
In the map: Orange is the area that was attacked, Blue is the area that under the protection of the US military base.
Do you see the problem here? ISIS is allowed to exist, and wreak havoc and horror on local communities, directly adjacent to areas under the protection of the US military.
To drive home this point even further, we now know that ISIS is given “breathing space” in US-occupied areas of Syria, according to the UN’s own report:
Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), having been defeated militarily in Iraq and most of the Syrian Arab Republic during 2017, rallied in early 2018 [owing to] a loss of momentum by forces fighting it in the east of the Syrian Arab Republic, which prolonged access by ISIL to resources and gave it breathing space to prepare for the next phase of its evolution into a global covert network.
Whitney Webb, writing for Mint Press News, summarizes this reality on the regional chessboard:
By maintaining a Daesh pocket in the territory it occupies, the U.S. can continue to justify its illegal presence in the country for the long-term. Indeed, just last month, the Trump administration made it clear that the U.S. military plans to stay in Syria for the long haul, substituting Iran for Daesh as its new regional boogeyman.
Indeed, President Trump said he wanted the US to ‘quickly withdraw’ its forces from Syria, however, this does not appear to be the case. This is precisely why the news of the US coalition transporting over 250 trucks filled with weapons to Deir Ezzor did not surprise us at all – you can bet these weapons will end up in the hands of ISIS terrorists.
Writer Stephen Lendman further explains the “open dirty secret” of ISIS in this column…
By Stephen Lendman
US support for ISIS is an open dirty secret – undiscussed by media scoundrels, pretending it’s not so.
Washington actively arms, funds, trains, and directs ISIS and other terrorists – backing the scourge they pretend to oppose.
Obama and Trump’s vow to degrade and destroy ISIS was and remains a bald-faced lie, using these and other cutthroat killers as proxy fighters in Syria and other countries where they’re deployed – their presence unjustifiably justifying illegal US occupation of northeast and southwest Syrian territory.
Last November, Russia’s Defense Ministry said the following:
“The Abu Kamal liberation operation conducted by the Syrian government army with air cover by the Russian Aerospace Force at the end of the last week revealed facts of direct cooperation and support for ISIS terrorists by the US-led ‘international coalition.”
“Americans peremptorily rejected to conduct airstrikes over the ISIS terrorists on the pretext of the fact that, according to their information, militants are yielding themselves prisoners to them and now are subject to the provisions of the Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War.”
US-led “coalition’s aviation tried to create obstacles for the aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces in this area to safely shield militants of the Islamic State.”
“There is indisputable evidence that the United States pretends it is waging irreconcilable struggle against international terrorism in front of the international community, while in reality it provides cover for the combat-ready Islamic State groups to let them regain strength, regroup themselves and advance US interests in the Middle East.”
Washington directly aids ISIS and other terrorist fighters, deploying them where Pentagon commanders want them used, relocating them to new conflict zones in Syria and other countries.
Iran has credible documents showing US support for ISIS. Its armed forces deputy chief of staff Major General Mostafa Izadi earlier said “(w)e are facing a proxy warfare in the region as a new trick by the arrogant (US-led) powers against the Islamic Republic,” adding:
“We possess information showing direct support by US imperialism for (ISIS) in the region which has destroyed Islamic countries and created a wave of massacres and clashes.”
Separately, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani condemned Washington for “align(ing) itself with ISIS in the region.”
So-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are infested with ISIS and other terrorists. Washington’s objective in Syria remains regime change – why the Obama regime launched naked aggression in the country, continued by Trump regime dark forces in charge of Washington’s geopolitical agenda.
A new Security Council report showed renewed ISIS strength in parts of Syria controlled by US forces and allies, saying:
ISIS terrorists have “breathing space to prepare for the next phase of its evolution into a global covert network.”
Aided by the Trump regime and allied forces, they control “small pockets of territory in the Syrian Arab Republic on the Iraqi border.”
Russia’s General Staff earlier accused the Pentagon of training ISIS and other terrorists at its illegally established At Tanf base in southwest Syria – calling it a staging ground for US armed struggle against the Syrian government.
ISIS and other terrorists infest the Rukban refugee camp controlled by US Forces, holding tens of thousands of defenseless Syrians hostage, using the camp to recruit anti-government terrorists.
On August 15, AMN News said US-led forces “transported over 250 trucks filled with weapons (and other military hardware) to the Euphrates River Valley this morning” – intended for Syrian Democratic Forces terrorists in Deir Ezzor province, adding:
Washington is “expand(ing) (its) bases and airports in northern and eastern Syria” – indicating US forces will remain in the country, not leave, as Trump earlier said.
Separately on August 18, AMN News said Washington and its allies “sent reinforcements to their military bases in the towns of Tal Tamer, Al-Houl, and Al-Shaddadi.”
Syria’s liberating struggle continues, no end of it in sight as long as US regime change intentions remain unchanged.
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The above column was originally published at StephenLendman.org
READ MORE ISIS NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire ISIS Files
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