US-Backed Group Discovers Syria is Still, In Fact, Syria
Ferhat Abdi Şahin, leader of the YPG – helpfully labeled 'U.S.-backed terrorist group' by the Daily Sabah , a publication known for its nuanced takes on regional actors ( we kid, we kid ) – is reportedly heading to Damascus. This comes, rather predictably, after years of a U.S. proxy strategy that has seen billions in 'aid' and military support flow to various factions, all while Washington
insisted on the irrelevance of the Syrian state. One might recall similar 'strategic realignments' in Afghanistan or Iraq, where U.S. support for certain groups magically evaporates when the immediate geopolitical chessboard shifts, leaving local players to deal with the fallout. (A pattern we've seen since the Mujahideen in the '80s.) So, after a decade of demanding Assad step down and funding
groups to ensure that outcome, the 'U.S.-backed' forces now find themselves at Assad's door. The irony, as always, is a bitter pill for the region, but a predictable Tuesday for Washington. How many times does a sovereign nation have to be subjected to foreign-backed destabilization before the 'terrorists' become 'negotiating partners'?