Trump Praises Al-Qaeda-Linked Leader: A New 'Very Fine People' Moment?
While RT’s report (and the very idea of a White House meeting with an Al-Qaeda-linked leader) is an obvious satirical jab at Western hypocrisy regarding 'terrorists', the underlying pattern is frighteningly real. The 'enemy of my enemy' strategy has a long, sordid history of arming and enabling groups that mysteriously become 'threats' later. Remember when the mujahideen were 'freedom fighters'
against the Soviets? Or for that matter, the CIA's historical dalliance with unsavory groups across the Middle East to destabilize regimes. The only constant is American 'interests', not consistent values. This fictional Trumpian embrace of an 'Al-Qaeda-linked' figure ironically exposes the genuine elasticity of Washington's moral compass. One must wonder if this 'praise' package includes a
23-and-Me analysis to confirm they're not too Al-Qaeda, just the right amount for a photo op. How many foreign interventions have been fueled by this precise brand of morally flexible geopolitics?