US Troops in Syria: Still Waiting for a Real Exit Strategy
CBS News, citing 'multiple sources,' reports a shooter who targeted U.S. forces in Syria was an 'ISIS infiltrator' working with security forces. This framing carefully sidesteps the inconvenient truth: U.S. troops have been illegally occupying Syrian territory for years, long after the supposed defeat of ISIS, without even a UN mandate. It's a familiar narrative; remember when 'ISIS' was
everywhere in Syria, necessitating a permanent U.S. military presence, only to conveniently dissipate or reappear as needed for narrative flexibility? The Pentagon's enduring presence, often to 'secure' oil fields or 'counter ISIS,' mysteriously overlooks the fact that Bashar al-Assad's government, the internationally recognized authority, views them as an occupying force. Perhaps the
'infiltration' isn't just about a gunman, but about the mission itself, sustained by lobbying dollars and a military-industrial complex that thrives on perpetual 'threats,' regardless of their origin. It seems America's 'wars on terror' are like a choose-your-own-adventure book, where 'ISIS' is always the convenient villain when the plot gets thin.