Bonus:
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Experts: U.S. Case that Syrian Government Responsible for Chemical Weapons Is Weak [7]
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French Oppose War Against Syria [8]
The civil war in Syria started in March 2011 [9]. And see this [10].
However, the U.S [11]. has been funding the Syrian opposition [12] since 2006 [13] … and arming [14] the opposition since 2007 [15].
So the American government’s argument that “we must stop Assad because he’s brutally crushing a spontaneous popular uprising” is false. The U.S. started supporting the rebels 5 years before the protests started.
Moreover, reports from mainstream media sources such as the New York Times [16], (and here [17]), Wall Street Journal [18], USA Today [19], CNN [20], McClatchy [21] (and here [22]), AP [23], Time [24], BBC [25], the Independent [26], the Telegraph [27], Agence France-Presse [28], Asia Times [29], and the Star [30] (and here [31]) – confirm that supporting the rebels means supporting Al Qaeda and two other terrorist groups [32]. Indeed, the the New York Times has reported [33] that virtually all of the rebel fighters are Al Qaeda terrorists.
By supporting the rebels, we’re supporting our sworn terrorist enemies.
A War 20 Years In the Making
If there is any doubt about this timeline, please keep in mind that the U.S. and Britain considered attacking Syrians and then blaming it on the Syrian government as an excuse for regime change … 50 years ago [34] (the U.S. just admitted that they did this to Iran [35])
And the U.S. has been planning regime change in Syria for 20 years straight [36].
The Last “Humanitarian War”
Libya’s Gaddafi claimed [37] that the rebels in that country were actually Al Qaeda.
That claim – believe it or not – has been confirmed [38].
According to a 2007 report [39] by West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center’s center, the Libyan city of Benghazi was one of Al Qaeda’s main headquarters – and bases for sending Al Qaeda fighters into Iraq – prior to the overthrow of Gaddafi:
[40]
The Hindustan Times reported [41]:
“There is no question that al Qaeda’s Libyan franchise, Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, is a part of the opposition,” Bruce Riedel, former CIA officer and a leading expert on terrorism, told Hindustan Times.
It has always been Qaddafi’s biggest enemy and its stronghold is Benghazi.
(Incidentally, Gaddafi was on the verge of invading Benghazi in 2011, 4 years after the West Point report cited Benghazi as a hotbed of Al Qaeda terrorists. Gaddafi claimed – rightly it turns out – that Benghazi was an Al Qaeda stronghold and a main source of the Libyan rebellion. But NATO planes stopped him [42], and protected Benghazi.)
Al Qaeda is now largely in control of Libya. Indeed, Al Qaeda flags were flown over the Benghazi courthouse [43] once Gaddafi was toppled.
There is a direct connection to Syria. Specifically, CNN [44], the Telegraph [45], the Washington Times [46], and many other mainstream sources confirm that Al Qaeda terrorists from Libya have since flooded into Syria to fight the Assad regime. And the post-Gaddafi Libyan government is also itself a top funder [47] and arms supplier [48] of the Syrian opposition.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that there are no few good guys involved in the Syrian war.
The solution is not to bomb the country … or to send more arms to the rebels.
The solution is to make sure that less weapons – chemical and conventional – get into that tinder box of a country.
And to stay the h@!! out of a conflict which has no bearing on our national security.