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21st Century Wire says…

Since 2011 the United States government, led by President Barack Obama, has adopted an open policy of supporting an armed opposition in Syria. While certain officials have only recently admitted to arming and funding these militants, evidence shows that the support has been pouring in through both covert means and official channels from the onset of the conflict. We now know that those commonly referred to in the western media as “rebels” in Syria are comprised mainly of religious extremists and designated terrorists.

Despite this revelation, the US, UK, France, along with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and others have continued to back them, and even go so far as to color them with political legitimacy – all in a grand effort to try and achieve regime change in Syria. It’s not the first time either that Washington has pursued this same policy of destablization in order to overthrow a foreign government.

President Donald Trump has an opportunity to reverse this backwards US policy. Will he capitalize on the opportunity to start anew, or will the US revert back to its old deep state default position? The passage of Hawaii Congresswomen Tulsi Gabbard’s recently proposed piece of legislation entitled, Stop Arming Terrorists Act, would be positive move in that direction. Will President Trump champion her bill?

The following is an open letter from writer Steven Sahiounie to the US Government…

To the Government of the United States of America:

I am asking my American government to stop supporting terrorists in Syria. The US government, and media, keep calling them ‘moderate rebels’, but they are not. They were never moderate, and many are not rebels. By definition, a ‘rebel’ is rebelling against their own government. However, many of the US backed ‘rebels’ are not Syrian, and have no family ties to Syria, and have never been a citizen of Syria. For example, how could a Chinese citizen fight in a rebellion against the American government? By what right does a Chinese citizen have to kill and maim in order to change the US government? It is wrong and makes no sense.

I would never advocate, or support any armed attack, or rebellion against the American government. There are laws against murdering, raping, kidnapping and maiming people in USA. The same such laws exist in Syria. How could a democracy and a world leader like USA advocate murdering, raping, kidnapping and maiming innocent Syrian people?

From the out-set of violence and crimes in Syria in 2011, the US backed ‘rebels’ used sectarian slogans, and carries out sectarian attacks and massacres. Syria is a secular form of government, as is USA. Why would American leaders support the targeting of minorities in Syria, when the President of America is himself a minority? Why would the US government support the destruction on churches and mosques? American’s value religious freedom, and equality of minorities; yet the US backed ‘Free Syrian Army’ destroyed churches, targeted Christians, attacked Christian villages, as well as targeting Muslim minority sects with similar acts: such as Kessab, Ballouta, Mahardeh, and Maaloula among many others.

The US government sent weapons, missiles, special training, equipment, food, medical supplies, communications, and satellite imagery to the Free Syrian Army from 2011 to 2016. Yet, the current exodus of evacuees from East Aleppo has not received even one loaf of bread from USA. While the US backed FSA had many warehouses full of food and medicines they have left behind as they retreated deeper into East Aleppo. Finally, the ‘rebels’ who agreed to vacate recently have burned all the medical supplies and food storages, which were the gifts of the American taxpayers, so as to prevent the distribution of those supplies to the starving masses who have fled East Aleppo now.

American citizens are currently very concerned about Syrian refugees coming to USA who may have had ties to terrorism. The US backed ‘rebels’ are exactly the type of people the American citizens should be afraid of as possible new neighbors, living in their midst as settled refugees. They are the type of people who would chop off the head of their neighbor because his religion is not exactly the same as theirs. They are the type of people who are willing to take money from a foreign government for the purpose of destroying their own community. They are the type of people who do not value religious freedom, or minority rights. What would happen when the US backed ‘rebels’, who may be settled in USA, decide to rebel against the American government? Will the US President and Congress call them ‘freedom fighters’? Or, perhaps America’s enemies will fund and support their armed attacks on the US government and civilians?

We should all be united in our plea: please stop supporting terrorism in Syria, and around the world.

– Steven Sahiounie

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21WIRE Special Contributor Steven Sahiounie is an American citizen born in Fresno, California. He has been living permanently in Latakia, Syria, which was his father’s original hometown. Steven is a freelance journalist and University student studying English Literature.

READ MORE SYRIA NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Syria Files

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