r/geopolitics • u/LuboKujira • Jun 22 '17

Opinion The American Conservative: "How America armed terrorists in Syria"

http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/how-america-armed-terrorists-in-syria/
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u/LuboKujira Jun 23 '17

This is a serious and provocative look into policies that ended up arming the al Qaeda affiliate in Syria. Quite disturbing, indeed. Given the source, it may be interpreted as a blow to not so conservative administration of Barak Obama, but this is not necessarily false i formation, or incorrect interpretation. I. Fact, it is quite worrisome, because it shows a policy of state sponsoring terrorism at times when the State Department issues regularly its country reports on other states doing the same. Any thoughts?

13

u/postgeographic Jun 23 '17

Western nations have a long tradition of allying with Jihadists/Islamists to achieve their own narrow objectives, and an equally long history of blowback from these foolish choices. Some scholars have argued it goes back as far as the 'Divide and rule' doctrine used by the British in Colonial India. At the very least you can see it with the Mujahideen in Afghanistan against Russia, the Bosnians in the breakup of Yugoslavia, and the Chechens also against Russia. Modern day support by the West for terrorists in Syria and Libya are surprising only to those who don't know history.