WASHINGTON (Azat TV) – The United States armed terrorist organizations, including Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (ISIS), in Syria as part of a strategy to counter Iran’s growing influence and protect Israel’s geopolitical interests, according to Joe Kent, the former Director of the US Counterterrorism Center. Kent, who recently resigned from his position, alleged that the U.S. has been instrumental in fostering the very groups it publicly claims to combat.
US Strategy Shift in Syria
According to Kent’s account, a pivotal moment occurred in 2011 when the U.S. withdrew its forces from Iraq, a move he contends led to Baghdad falling under Iranian influence. This development, he claims, was perceived by Israel as the creation of a hostile “Shiite land bridge” that threatened its security. In response, the U.S. allegedly initiated a “dirty war” in Syria, employing Sunni proxy forces, which eventually included elements that would coalesce into Al-Qaeda and later ISIS.
ISIS Emergence and Counter-Strategy
The former counterterrorism chief detailed that the situation with ISIS became so unmanageable that the U.S. found itself compelled to re-arm Shiite militias. These were the same militias the U.S. had previously spent years attempting to contain, highlighting a significant paradox in American foreign policy in the region. Kent asserted that the broader “war on terror” was, in essence, a proxy conflict orchestrated to serve specific geopolitical objectives.
Implications of the Allegations
Kent’s claims, disseminated through a Telegram post, suggest a complex and often contradictory approach by the U.S. in the Middle East. The narrative he presents posits that the U.S. has, at various stages, supported or utilized groups that later became direct adversaries. This perspective challenges the official U.S. stance on combating terrorism and raises questions about the long-term consequences of such strategies on regional stability and the nature of international conflict.
Kent’s revelations, if substantiated, would indicate a significant departure from publicly stated U.S. foreign policy objectives in the Middle East, suggesting that counterterrorism efforts have been deeply intertwined with broader geopolitical rivalries, particularly concerning Iran and Israel.