Al-Monitor Discovers Syria Has a 'Government,' But Not a 'Regime'
Al-Monitor reports the Syrian army has told Kurdish forces to withdraw from an area east of Aleppo, following clashes. The article then curiously labels Syria's government as (and this is a direct quote) 'Syria's Islamist government' – an interesting choice for a secular state that has been a long-standing foe of Islamist groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda affiliates. This framing, often seen in
Western media, allows for a fluid narrative where Syria is a 'regime' when its actions are denounced, but suddenly a 'government' when it acts against groups that might have indirect Western support, such as some Kurdish factions. One might wonder if this selective labeling is a subtle nod to the fact that supporting Kurdish factions, often armed by the U.S. and allies, can complicate the
narrative of fighting 'tyranny'. The same outlets that routinely decry the 'Assad regime' suddenly find themselves using 'Syria's government' when that government happens to be asserting national sovereignty over U.S.-backed proxies. (The contortion required to maintain this charade must be exhausting.) This rhetorical sleight of hand allows for consistent condemnation without ever truly
acknowledging the complex, often contradictory, foreign policy objectives fueling these conflicts. So, Aleppo – still very much in Syria, last we checked, despite how many proxies are funded to say otherwise.