Syrian Casualties and the Erasure of US Proxy Wars
📰 THE STORY: Daily Sabah, citing Syrian officials and Turkey's Anadolu Agency, reports that five civilians were killed in northern Syria by landmines allegedly planted by the YPG, which they label the 'Syrian wing of the PKK terrorist group,' despite an ongoing truce. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The 'YPG' or Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were, until recently, the primary
US-backed ground force in Syria against ISIS. The US poured aid and weaponry into these groups. In 2014-2015, the Obama administration openly armed and trained elements within the 'moderate' Syrian opposition and Kurdish forces, including the YPG, providing billions in military assistance, effectively creating a proxy force that has since been labeled 'terrorists' by Turkey, a NATO ally. This
'truce' itself is a temporary pause in a conflict actively fueled, at different times, by external actors. Double Standard: When US-backed forces, which included various militias and the YPG, caused civilian casualties – whether through airstrikes, proxy battles, or the aftermath of their operations like unexploded ordnance – Western media largely downplayed or ignored these incidents. The
narrative was always framed as 'collateral damage' in the fight against ISIS or 'unintended consequences.' Now, when a group that received Western arms is accused, it's framed as 'terrorist' activity without acknowledging the long arm of foreign intervention that empowered them. Contrast this with the selective outrage: when 'rebel' groups (often including Al-Qaeda affiliates, another inconvenient