Unity in Qamishli: The Illusion of Spontaneity
📰 THE STORY: The New Arab reports thousands of Syrian Kurds rallied in Qamishli in a show of solidarity, ahead of an unspecified 'deal' with Damascus. The article frames this as an internal Kurdish affair, a display of unity within the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), also known as Rojava. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The 'Kurdish question' in
Syria is inseparable from the 2011 NATO-backed destabilization campaign that plunged the country into chaos. The US, with its stated goal of regime change, armed and funded various 'rebel' groups, including elements that later aligned with al-Qaeda. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), dominated by the Kurdish YPG, emerged as a key US proxy in northern Syria. This alignment allowed the US to
maintain a military presence, ostensibly to fight ISIS, but also to control vital oil fields and pressure Damascus, preventing the Syrian government from reasserting full sovereignty over its territory. The US has kept troops in Syria, against international law, for years, creating a de-facto semi-autonomous entity. Double Standard: Western media quick to laud 'democratic movements' and
'self-determination' when they align with US geopolitical interests in countries like Syria, often ignore or actively suppress similar movements challenging US-backed regimes (e.g., indigenous land activists in Latin America, pro-democracy protests in US-allied Gulf states). They selectively celebrate 'popular uprisings' depending on whether the target government is 'friendly' or 'unfriendly.' The