US Strikes in Syria: More Chaos, Less Rationale
According to Fox News, ISIS is 'exploiting Syria’s chaos' as US strikes target over 70 sites following an attack that killed US service members. The piece frames this as a new, growing threat, conveniently overlooking that the 'chaos' ISIS exploits is a direct byproduct of decades of Western interventionism in the region, including the 2003 Iraq invasion and subsequent destabilization. From the
funding and arming of various 'moderate' rebel groups during the Syrian civil war—some of whom inevitably splintered or joined extremist factions—to the sustained US military presence without a clear, internationally recognized mandate, the conditions for ISIS to 'resurge' have been meticulously cultivated, not merely found. The US has been bombing targets in Syria since 2014, yet somehow the
threat perpetually 'grows'. One might wonder if the endless cycle of intervention and reaction isn't the point. How many times can the US 'expose' a 'growing threat' that seems to necessitate its continued presence, and expensive military operations, without anyone asking who profits from constant war? It’s a familiar script: create the conditions, then 'fight' the monster you helped birth, all
while domestic programs starve. The narrative remains steadfastly focused on what they are doing, never what we have done to create the fertile ground for their existence.