How American occupation of Syria enables terrorist attacks like in Homs

By Shabbir Rizvi

On October 5, Takfiri terrorists launched a horrific drone attack on a Syrian military academy in the western city of Homs, killing more than a hundred attendees and wounding several others.

The attack, one of the worst in recent years, during the graduation ceremony comes as Syrian Arab Army forces have been conducting successful operations against terrorist strongholds in the country.

The Syrian Army has already delivered a response in some measure, vowing that the terrorists who planned and executed the attack “will pay dearly.”

In a statement, the Syrian military accused the terrorists who are "backed by known international forces" of the attack that took place as the graduation ceremony was about to conclude on Thursday.

For years, cities such as Aleppo and Idlib and the areas surrounding them have been infested with Takfiri terrorists, which the Syrian Arab Army and its allies have been clearing out.

It may be surprising to the uninitiated how these terrorists have held out for so long, especially against a force as battle-hardened as the Syrian Arab Army, which has been engaged in a multi-front conflict against multiple international foes since 2011.

American hand underneath the Takfiri glove

Behind every element causing chaos and instability in the Arab country is unsurprisingly the hand of Washington, who not only has the motive to aid Takfiri terrorists but also brazenly admits it.

In the early days of the outbreak of US-sponsored conflict in Syria, US foreign policy took advantage of the fog of war to train, fund, and arm terrorist groups within the country.

These proxy fighters would play an important role in creating a pretense for American invasion of the country.

An intense white-washing campaign was conducted in order to enable terrorists within Syria to effectively wage war against the Syrian public and attempt to overthrow President Bashar Al-Assad.

While these US-backed terrorists attacked Syria on one front, the US invaded and occupied swaths of Syrian land on another front. To no one’s shock, the US occupation was centered around the Syrian oil fields, which enabled them to steal billions of dollars worth of oil. The occupation of this land continues

A large part of this campaign to arm the terrorists was conducted through a CIA operation known as “Timber Sycamore.”

Timber Sycamore armed and trained what then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton infamously referred to as “moderate rebels.”

The moderate rebels, as Clinton claimed, were opposition forces that fought alongside the “Free Syrian Army,” (FSA) which the US was also arming and training. She did not mention their links to Takfiri extremist and terrorist groups.

Armaments within the Timber Sycamore operation included small arms, rocket launchers, explosives, and more unleashed on poor civilians.

This was also not a conservative supply of arms. Billions of dollars worth of arms were funneled into “opposition” hands, which were working hand in hand with various Takfiri terrorist groups.

Through sophisticated black market transactions, these arms continue to fall into the hands of various terrorist groups in the country (that they were not initially meant for) such as Daesh.

Kept for some time from the American public, the US intelligence agencies arming these terrorists did not mention that they weren’t just simply “moderate” elements fighting against the Syrian government.

In fact, they were not “moderate” at all. They actively allied with and fought alongside known terrorist outfits like Al-Nusra, an Al-Qaeda affiliate.

Al-Nusra carried out barbaric practices such as beheadings, sending suicide bombers to civilian areas, horrendous torture, and much more.

The CIA and the US government knew that their weapons were falling into the hands of Al-Qaeda adjacent terrorists like Al Nusra, the same elements they wanted to root out in Afghanistan - or pretended to. But the proliferation of arms continued.

The unholy alliance

The unholy alliance between the US State Department and the Takfiri alliance is further normalized by Western media’s framing of using Takfiri terrorists as a means to an end.

Let's suppose you are not willing to believe declassified CIA documents that affirm Timber Sycamore and the extent of its operation, including being on the same side as Takfiri terrorists.

You can take a look at this email leaked by Wikileaks that reveals US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan informing Hillary Clinton (then Secretary of State) that “AQ” (Al-Qaeda) was on their side.

Email

The preferred strategy for the US in recent years has always been destabilization via proxy fighters. A destabilized region allows for a pretense of US invasion, and amidst that invasion destabilizing elements such as Takfiri terrorists can expend a state’s resources while the US ransacks billions of dollars worth of resources.

Despite having an official on-the-ground presence and occupation since 2014, US troops have been pulling their punches against Takfiri terrorist groups in comparison to the Syrian government and its allies.

The bulk of the fighting against terrorist threats is being taken up by Syrian forces alongside Russian and Iranian allies. A successful example of this would lead to an overthrow of the existing government, replacing it with a US-friendly comprador regime.

The US has the proven capability to arm, as we have seen for over a year now, Ukrainian soldiers with advanced technologies to fight a modern and far-superior Russian army.

If the US wanted to, it would be able to root out Al-Qaeda-linked terrorists. However, it is willingly choosing not to. The short-term goal has always been occupation and theft, and the long-term goal remains total control via a comprador regime.

The pretense of “terrorism” allows for the US to invade and steal 80% of Syria’s oil output. The ongoing theft deals a serious blow to Syrian society and economy and does nothing to stop the terrorist insurgency within the country.

Furthermore, the Caesar Act pushed by Washington sanctions and blocks key industries in Syria, including energy and defense, which allows for Takfiri terrorism to not only survive there but also thrive.

Washington’s multi-pronged approach to destabilizing Syria has intentionally empowered and emboldened terrorists, while US troops loot the majority of the country’s oil output.

It is a sophisticated plan to create a pretense of unwanted US occupation in the area. And the people who suffer the most are Syrians, much like the ones targeted in this week’s horrific and unprecedented UAV attacks on a Syrian military graduation ceremony.

US long-term goals thwarted?

The terrorist attack on the military academy comes amid rapid new developments in Syria. Looking at this terrorist attack in isolation, knowing full well the US hands in arming Takfiri terrorists and allowing for their proliferation, is ignoring the big picture.

Much to the dismay of Washington, Syria, through immense effort combined with military aid from Iran, has been able to reclaim significant swaths of its land, and stabilize much of the region.

Its key ally, the Islamic Republic of Iran, has entered into the BRICS alliance and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which will undoubtedly benefit Syria as Iran has always held positive relations with Damascus.

This has forced many Arab governments, which had at first isolated Syria, to welcome it back into alliances like the Arab League and pursue Syrian normalization.

The straw that broke the (American) camel’s back may have been Bashar Al Assad’s recent visit to Beijing and expanding multi-pronged cooperation with China.

Syria could play a key role in China’s Belt and Road initiative not only because of its geographical location but also because of its oil production. China has many times questioned and condemned Washington’s marauding practices in Syria.

Syria’s reintegration into the region combined with powerful economic and defensive allies means not a question of “if” it will be able to expel the American occupation and thus end Takfiri terrorism, but rather “when?”

Washington will undoubtedly turn a blind eye to its already soft punches on terrorist threats and ramp up oil theft.

In the meantime, we can count on Syria to deliver a harsh retaliation against cowardly terrorists - especially the ones that inadvertently (or knowingly) serve imperialist interests.

Shabbir Rizvi is a Chicago-based political analyst with a focus on US internal security and foreign policy.

(The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Press TV)

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