Is the US Funding ISIS?

By Laura Fawaz, Contributing Reporter

Governments always lie, but to what extent we never fully know.  In particularly, the rise in technology has delivered visual evidence of brutal dictatorships worldwide.

If there is one thing the American people have learned as of recent, it is that there is the truth, and then there is the administration’s version of the truth.  One of the most recent uncovered truths comes from the Obama Administration is President Barack Obama asking congress for funding to support the Syrian “rebels.”  The White House is asking Congress for new arms and aid to send to those they call the “moderate Syrian rebels,” all as ISIS terrorist make gains inside of Iraq.  The requested $500 million would fund the U.S. training of the “rebels” in neighboring countries such as Jordan, as well as to supply them with small arms.  Though the one request that the rebels are asking for is the anti-aircraft missiles, which is also the one request being denied by President Obama.  Congressional leaders in both parties believe that the request can pass as long as the administration has a convincing strategy for spending it.  Though even if it is passed, it will take months before money comes through—perhaps by autumn.

The international apprehension of this funding goes back to U.S. history.  During the 1970’s, Russia was America’s biggest threat.  Russian army personal were already settled on the northern border of Afghanistan with plans of going in deeper.  Since the U.S. government wanted to eliminate the Soviet Union, they found the situation with Russia and Afghanistan to be one to their advantage.  So of course, in efforts of eliminating the Soviet Union, the U.S. began funding and training a group of people within Afghanistan who had a history of militant-like behavior.  The mujahideen were to rebel against the Russian forces right out of Afghanistan.  Some of these militants included people who would form the nucleus of Al Qaeda.

One of the most prominent members of the mujahideen was a wealthy son of a Saudi Arabian businessman—Osama Bin Laden.  Zbigniew Brzezinski, the National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter, visited Afghanistan in 1979 and met with Bin Laden, even taking a picture with him.  It was written that Brzezinski told the mujahideen, “We know of their deep belief in God, and we are confident their struggle will succeed.  That land over there is yours, you’ll go back to it one day because your fight will prevail, and you’ll have your homes and your mosques back again.  Because your cause is right and God is on your side.”

The BBC, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the Russian journal Demokratizatsiya have all written that the CIA and U.S.A. funded and supported Bin Laden during the Afghan war.  They, as well as other authors, journalists and statesmen, were all making the claim that Bin Laden was funded, armed and trained by the CIA to fight off the Russians and get rid of the Soviet Union for the U.S. government.  Then, in 1981, after Ronald Reagan was elected, the U.S. funding of the mujahideen significantly increased.  As well as did the CIA Paramilitary Officers that were training, arming and sometimes even leading Bin Laden and the rest of the mujahideen forces.  The CIA trained the mujahideen in many of the tactics Al Qaeda is known for today, such as car bombs, assassinations and other acts that today even they would considered to be terrorism.

The American government also funded Al-Qaeda in Libya to overthrow Gaddafi.  They funded Ukrainian rebel groups to take over the sale of natural gas to Europe.  There are even rumors of Hillary Clinton fighting to keep Boko Haram off the terrorist list because the U.S. funded them and the group Al-Shabab. 

Even though governments are suppose to learn from the mistakes within history, the American government did not learn from the mistakes of the creation of their enemies, such as Saddam Hussein, Manuel Noreaga, and Osama Bin Laden.  Fast-forward to present day, the Obama Administration giving weapons and financial aid to “rebels” to fight against ISIS.  But where did ISIS come from?  It is a formation of a few militant terrorist groups; Daesh and Al-Qaeda to name a few, all of whom are CIA trained. 

These “rebels” that America wants to fund are in turn ISIS, the same ISIS that is destroying Iraq and using their warped version of religion to rule with an iron fist.  So, yes, President Obama is following in the footsteps of what other U.S. Presidents have been told to do before.  Fund some terror group, because we’re all going to make more money on the back end.  The Obama administration is funding the ‘rebels’ in Syria, and hopes that the American people do not ask too many questions.  Sadly, that may work since the people are mainly concerned about the Kardashians, or baseball, or even health threats such as Ebola, anything that keeps them far keeping up with current events.

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