Trump Embraces Syria's 'Former Al Qaeda Operative' for Peace Summit
The mainstream media breathlessly announces Trump's alleged plan to bring Syria into the Abraham Accords, featuring Ahmed al-Sharaa's 'historic' White House visit. France 24 itself describes Sharaa as a 'former al Qaeda operative' (which, for the record, is a generous euphemism for the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group previously designated as a terrorist organization by multiple countries,
including the US). Funny how 'terrorist' can morph into 'peace partner' when geopolitics demand it. One might recall similar convenient memory lapses when the US supported various 'freedom fighters' who later posed rather inconvenient questions. This spectacular amnesia regarding Sharaa's actual history (and that of his organization, HTS, which has executed dissidents and imposed brutal rule in
Idlib, Syria, according to Human Rights Watch reports from 2023) is a masterclass in narrative control. The 'Abraham Accords,' remember, have historically bypassed the core issue of Palestinian self-determination in favor of transactional normalization deals. Now, rather than addressing actual regional grievances, we’re witnessing the grotesque spectacle of embracing a sectarian strongman,
previously demonized, into the fold. The media won't ask how many democratic aspirations must be sacrificed at the altar of 'stability' (read: US-aligned regional balancing acts).