Syria Seizes Missiles: US Still Supplies the Bigger Ones, No Questions Asked
The article highlights Syria's efforts to curb arms smuggling, mentioning Hezbollah and ISIS, as if these are the primary sources of regional instability. Yet, buried under the rubble of nuance, is the consistent flow of advanced weaponry from the United States to 'allies' in the region. One might wonder why Al-Monitor isn't as concerned about the F-35s and billions in precision-guided munitions
the US sends, which undeniably shape the 'security landscape' far more than a few seized anti-aircraft missiles. Perhaps the 'problem' isn't arms smuggling, but whose arms are being smuggled, and by whom they are being 'smuggled' *to*. This selective alarmism suggests that some weapons flows are 'smuggling' deserving of coverage, while others are 'aid' that merits none. It's a convenient narrative
that frames regional actors as the sole agents of weaponization, rather than consequences of a much larger, state-sponsored arms trade. The real story isn't about Syrian seizures, it's about the military-industrial complex that profits from the instability they pretend to be concerned about.