Trump, Erdogan, and the Perpetual War Machine: What 'Discussion' Really Means
📰 THE STORY: Mainstream media, exemplified by The New Arab, reports that Donald Trump and Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed 'bilateral relations, regional issues, including Gaza and Syria, and security matters' during a recent phone call. The Turkish presidency highlighted the 'fight against the Islamic State militant group' as a central topic. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context:
When 'Syria' and 'Islamic State' are mentioned, the media conveniently forgets that the US, under various administrations including Trump's, actively funded and armed various 'rebel' groups in Syria, many of which later merged with or fought alongside al-Qaeda affiliates. This created the very chaos that allowed groups like ISIS to flourish. Remember the '$500 million program to train moderate
Syrian rebels' that produced only 'a handful' of fighters by 2015, yet destabilized an entire nation? Or Trump's own abrupt withdrawal from northern Syria in 2019, which effectively greenlit Turkey's invasion against Kurdish forces – the very ones who bore the brunt of the anti-ISIS fight? Double Standard: Western media often portrays discussions around 'regional security' in the Middle East as
necessary diplomacy, while ignoring the underlying imperialist framework. If two leaders of nations considered adversaries (say, China and Iran) discussed 'regional issues' and 'security threats,' it would immediately be framed as an 'axis of evil' plotting. Here, it's just 'discussion,' despite both leaders having long records of destabilizing actions. The 'fight against ISIS' narrative is a