New Arab Hails Syrian 'Revolution,' Forgetting Who Funded It
The New Arab's 'interactive timeline' on Syria's revolution paints a picture of organic uprising, neglecting to mention the billions poured into arming and training various factions by external actors. For instance, the CIA's 'Timber Sycamore' program, launched under Obama, secretly channeled advanced weaponry and funds to anti-Assad groups, totaling approximately $1 billion annually by 2017 (
Council on Foreign Relations ). One might wonder how 'revolutionary' a movement is when its backbone is U.S. taxpayers' dollars and Qatari largesse. This convenient omission transforms a geopolitical proxy war into a neat narrative of popular victory. A true 'interactive timeline' would perhaps highlight when Saudi Arabia spent $60 million in 2013 alone to arm Syria's opposition ( The Guardian ),
or the 2011 meeting detailing the 'Regime Change in Syria' plan, years before the 'organic' protests ( Wikileaks 2006 cable ). One has to appreciate the media's capacity to rewrite history before the ink even dries.