U.S.-Backed Kurds Discover 'Freedom' Is Conditional, Again
Syrian government forces are pushing into the 'U.S.-backed' Kurdish northeast, according to Al-Monitor, seizing oil fields and revenue sources. This isn't a new development, but a rerun of a classic American foreign policy movie: 'Friends Until We Find New Ones.' Just ask the Kurds in Iraq in 1975, or various freedom fighters across Afghanistan, or really, anyone who’s ever taken the U.S. at its
word for sustained strategic partnership. These 'alliances' often come with an expiration date, usually tied to shifting geopolitical whims or a lucrative arms deal elsewhere. The media narratives of 'Syrian forces' advancing omit the fact that these are the forces of a government the U.S. has spent over a decade trying to overthrow while simultaneously claiming to support 'stability.' One might
wonder how many times the U.S. can leave an ally twisting in the wind before the message finally becomes clear: U.S. 'backing' is less a shield and more a temporary tattoo. Perhaps the definition of 'ally' needs to be updated to 'temporary tactical inconvenience.'