While all eyes are on the Ukraine, and as the world ascertains the global fallout of the Crimean crisis, the situation in Syria should generate the most concern for the international community. Today in Syria, al-Qaeda is regaining a strong foothold in the region. Meanwhile, the US military efforts and the actions of our global and regional allies are working against the mission of the “war on terror” and adding to the destabilization of Syria.
What started as Syrian citizens demonstrating against their government has turned into a complex and casualty-heavy civil war with over 140,000 lives lost. What was once a secular nation is now breaking under Taliban- style rules . In a nation where Muslims, Christians, Jews and even ethnic minorities like Kurds lived in harmony, the radicalization of these rebel groups has given al-Qaeda the upper hand in orchestrating a devastating sectarian civil war.
The UN calls the number of Syrians fleeing to other countries one of the largest refugee crisis known in history. In this case, it’s not the lack of US action that is important, but rather what the US has already done and what its allies are actively doing.
In March 2012, the Free Syrian Army was formed by the “Friends of Syria” organized by the United States and initiated by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. The Friends of Syria group mainly consists of Western nations and the Arab Gulf states who oppose Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad’s. The United States and its allies promised to supply and support the newly formed Free Syrian Army in the revolt. But, within months, this revolt turned into an armed insurgency when branches of al-Qaeda came to fight in Syria for their own political gains. The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Nusra Front- both groups identified by the US as “Terrorist Organizations”- hijacked the FSA revolt.
Their ideologies are political and extremely radical. ISIS believes that all governments are evil and should be replaced by a caliphate of their choosing. Al-Nusra believes that the government is God’s order and God has chosen the downfall of the Assad Regime. Both groups have vowed to attack the United States once they gain complete control of Syria, in what political analysts say could be worse than 9/11.
Here is where a deeper dive into the situation reveals who the puppeteers behind these destabilizing forces are. ISIS is being supplied and funded by our ally Qatar. They are competing with al-Nusra, another offshoot of al-Qaeda, which is being supplied and funded by our ally Saudi Arabia. The Saudis and Qataris have an interest is seeing the Syrian government fall because Syria has long been an ally of Iran and resistance group Hezbollah. Iran and Hezbolla have both been critical of the gulf nations’ funding and supplying of these exact terrorist groups around the world to destabilize nations and to further their political gains. Yet the US calls Qatar and Saudi Arabia “allies” and sells military weapons and equipment in mass to them. Qatar and Saudi Arabia say they are worried about Iran’s nuclear ambitions. In addition, in fear of a similar 1979 Iranian revolution to overthrow US backed dictator the Shah, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have also expressed concern about Iran’s revolutionary ideology spreading throughout the region which would destabilize their own Gulf regimes.
The strings continue to tangle as more groups have gotten involved.
Turkey supported the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria early on and saw them as a way to assert their influence in the region like they once did through the Ottoman Empire. Early in the Syrian revolt however, the Erdogan administration backed the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria which later merged with al-Nusra. And despite their radical ideology, Turkey continues to support them, and are allegedly supplying them with weapons and funds.
Over 75 rebel groups are now vying for power in Syria along with the proxy war that is taking place there. Christian and Kurdish minorities have become a target to the al-Qaeda linked rebels and have aligned themselves with Pro-government fighters and military forces, who they say is protecting them. Russian and Iranian military advisers are on the ground in Syria to train and supply the Syrian army against these foreign fighters. Hezbollah has even sent fighters to support the Syrian regime from the foreign fighters as well as protect their holy sites that have become targets by al-Qaeda.
Innocent lives are being shattered in Syria as Syrians battle fellow Syrians and allegiances within the FSA begin to shift to terrorist organizations like al-nusra and commit crimes against humanity. The proxy war, funded and supplied by our allies, using military weapons and supplies acquired from the United States, is giving rise to a new crop of violent extremists—whose next target is the United States. Thus Al-Qaeda isn’t faltering because of our actions against them, but thriving as we continue to support and supply those who support al-Qaeda.