Syria's 'ISIS problem' conveniently resurfaces as US-backed forces lose ground
ð° THE STORY: Al-Monitor reports that the Syrian government's efforts to reclaim Kurdish-held territories are casting 'uncertainty' over the fate of thousands of suspected Islamic State (IS) detainees. Western observers are 'worried' that these prisoners might escape if Damascus reasserts control, implying that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), backed by the US, were the sole reliable custodians
of these individuals. ð WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The 'uncertainty' surrounding ISIS detainees is a direct consequence of Western intervention in Syria since 2011. The US and its allies funneled funds and weapons to various opposition groups, some of which quickly merged with or were absorbed by extremist factions, including Al-Qaeda's Syrian忝es and later ISIS. This
includes covert CIA programs like 'Timber Sycamore' that reportedly poured billions into arming Syrian rebels, contributing directly to the rise of the very 'jihadists' whose fate is now a concern. The notion that ISIS emerged organically and was solely fought by US-backed Kurds conveniently erases the West's critical role in creating the conditions for its rise. Double Standard: When sovereign
nations like Syria or Iran assert control over their borders and deal with extremist elements within them, it's framed as a threat to 'regional stability' or 'human rights'. Yet, when Western powers unilaterally interveneâsuch as the US's 2011 NATO intervention in Libya, which destroyed the nation, created chaos, and led directly to flourishing slave marketsâit's portrayed as a 'humanitarian