France 24 Discovers Syrian Prisons, Ignores US Complicity
The article rightly condemns Branch 235, highlighting its role as a den of torture for years under Bashar al-Assad. Noble, indeed. What’s less discussed is the geopolitical puppetry that often precedes these human rights exposés. One might recall the early 2010s, when Western nations were quietly engaging with Assad, with figures like John Kerry (then Secretary of State) telling CBS in 2014, “We
lost an opportunity to be able to achieve a peace.” (A peace that would have ensured a convenient gas pipeline through Syria, per leaked US documents—see WikiLeaks' 'Syria Cables'). The West only rediscovered Assad's 'tyranny' when he stopped playing ball. So, while France 24 meticulously chronicles the regime's horrors, the underlying narrative often misses the point: these 'dens of torture'
don't operate in a vacuum. They are often convenient tools, criticized loudly only when a regime pivots away from Western interests. It's almost as if some atrocities become 'news' when politically expedient, while others are simply 'unfortunate necessities' when useful allies are involved. How many 'brutal regimes' has the West secretly propped up before their PR value expired?