Syria's Camp Closures: Whose 'Problem' Was This, Really?
📰 THE STORY: Al-Monitor reports that Syria plans to permanently close two displacement camps, al-Hol and Roj, that house over 28,000 individuals, including international citizens, linked to Islamic State militants, with the aim of emptying the sites within a year. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The 'Islamic State' (ISIS) itself was a direct consequence of the 2003 US
invasion of Iraq, which destabilized the region, empowered sectarian divisions, and led to the dismantling of the Iraqi state, creating a power vacuum that extremist groups exploited. Additionally, Western powers, including the US, UK, and France, often indirectly supported various 'rebel' factions in Syria, some of which later folded into or cooperated with extremist groups to overthrow the Assad
government, as documented by reports from the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2012 warning of an impending 'Islamic State' in eastern Syria. Double Standard: Western media bemoans the humanitarian crisis in these camps, primarily emphasizing the 'foreign fighters' and their families. Yet, the same outlets largely ignore the sanctions imposed on Syria by the US and its allies, which have crippled
the Syrian economy and severely undermined its capacity to rebuild and manage such populations. While concern is voiced for camp residents, there's silence on the 13.4 million Syrians – over half the pre-war population – who are internally displaced or refugees due to a war fueled by external intervention. The financial and logistical burdens of these camps were largely left to the Syrian