DISINFO: The West wants to use various terrorist groups to continue tensions in Syria
SUMMARY
A new phase of great power competition has begun in Syria. Although Türkiye, along with many neighbouring states, supports a united Syria, the West and the United States, which follow the principle of 'divide and rule,' want use various terrorist groups to continue tensions in Syria.
RESPONSE
Recurring disinformation narrative about the collapse of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime on December 8, 2024, which claims that the US and other Western countries want the tension to continue in Syria via terrorist groups. This narrative portrays the US as eager to create chaos in different countries in order to gain control over them.
In reality, US officials have consistently stated their support for Syria’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. In a joint statement with other countries, the US affirmed its full support for the Syrian people at this critical point in their history to build a more hopeful, secure, and peaceful future. The US has also been a major contributor to the victory against terrorist organisations in Syria, such as ISIS. On December 8, 2024, President Joe Biden announced that the United States had launched airstrikes against ISIS targets in Syria to prevent terrorists from regaining ground after the fall of Bashar Al-Assad.
The US strikes against ISIS leaders, operatives, and camps were conducted as part of the ongoing mission to disrupt, degrade, and defeat ISIS, in order to prevent the terrorist group from conducting external operations and to ensure that ISIS does not seek to take advantage of the current situation to reconstitute in central Syria.
"The operation struck over 75 targets using multiple U.S. Air Force assets, including B-52s, F-15s, and A-10s. Battle damage assessments are underway, and there are no indications of civilian casualties," US Central Command said in a statement.
The Syrian civil war began in 2011, when Al-Assad’s regime responded to pro-democratic protests in the country with military force and detentions. Later this civil war escalated into a multifaceted conflict involving domestic opposition groups, extremist factions and international powers. Al-Assad’s regime kept rebel forces at bay for more than a decade with Iranian and Russian military support.
International human rights organisations and democratic countries have repeatedly accused Al-Assad's regime, supported by Russia and Iran, of excessive use of force and indiscriminate airstrikes on residential areas of Syrian settlements, the use of chemical weapons against civilians, and many other human rights violations.
See more cases such as The US and partners are destroying Syria and The West has plunged Syria into controlled chaos.