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Recent headlines from the mainstream media have cited administration sources in claiming "Trump ends covert CIA program to arm anti-Assad rebels in Syria." And while the administration has not commented, General Raymond Thomas, head of U.S. Special Operations Command has confirmed according to "what he knows of it."
In and of itself this means little to nothing since the arming of the opposition groups in Syria seems from recent reports to have been privatized, using the cover of the Azerbaijan state-run Silk Way Airlines with their diplomatic immunity to avoid inspection, and seemingly largely paid for by the Saudis and Gulf states. This was just recently revealed in Trud, the largest-circulation Bulgarian daily newspaper by reporter Dilyana Gaytandzhieva - although it has been completely ignored in the mainstream media the world over. Much of the arms came from or through Bulgaria. Even if the recent announcement about Trump stopping the CIA from supporting the various Salafist fighters in Syria is actually true, and not just a ruse for one reason or another, that doesn't mean the US is not and will not arm and train the opposition groups anymore in Syria. To quote the Master Yogi:
"It ain't over till it's over."
Right now it looks to many writers and middle-east prognosticators that American forces are settling in to aid in the creation of a Kurdish state encompassing Northern Syria and Northern Iraq. The recent release in the Turkish media of the locations of all American bases in Northern Syria which Erdogan's regime claimed to have no responsibility for, and which the US claims are temporary, supports that view. That has implications for US-Turkey relations since they view the Kurds fighting in Syria (YPG, Yekineyen Parastina Gel, People's Protection Units) as an extension of the Kurdish secular-socialist separatist movement in Turkey (PKK, Partiya Karkeren Kurdistane, Kurdistan Workers' Party) who use bombings in Turkey to make their point none to subtly. If that is the goal of the US, or if that is just the first part of an eventual goal of regime change in Damascus, that remains to be seen.
The Saudis and sheikhs of the Emirates and Qatar have spent billions in buying and supplying massive quantities of every kind of armament you can think of to the various fighting groups - from tanks, artillery, missiles, to you name it. And many sources claim they funded ISIS as well. Americans and Israelis have also spent a lot of money in aiding that effort through arms, logistics, training, field support, and even medical aid.
So I find it hard to believe that at the least the royals in The Kingdom and Gulf states after spending so much are just going to give up on what I have written about previously - they have a plan to conquer Iraq and Syria. First by using America, then afterwards use ISIS to destabilize and destroy the stability of the countries, thereby making it difficult to enable the state to fund a strong military. And then by using the other jihadist groups to continue on. Then when everything is sufficiently destroyed have America with an Arab version of NATO, that was supposedly recently created, come in as saviors. Then installing puppet regimes.
I believe they likely want to covertly or otherwise rule over both Iraq and Syria, not only to end the coalescence of the oft-mentioned "Shi'a Crescent" axis from Iran to the Mediterranean, but also more importantly to control the resources (oil, gas, minerals) to supplement their unknown and dwindling oil reserves (state secret how much). Plus the locations of those countries provide for cheaper transportation of oil and gas to Europe and Asia, who as now are aligned with Iran. Syria may not have a lot of oil right now, but who knows what secrets they may know about unannounced finds? The big reserves in Iraq are not far from their borders. Syria may have a lot of natural gas as well, with recent big finds next to them in the Levantine Basin off of the coast of Israel. That basin extends all through Syrian waters and may be another reason Israel is so invested in regime change - who knows if they have found large reserves but are keeping it secret?
Is Trump really intent on giving up American involvement in regime change for Syria, or is he just pretending to go along with the Russians because his base of voters wants the US to get out of spending so much, and shedding their children's blood in the middle-east? That remains to be seen. With so many different interests and with so much already invested in destroying Iraq and Syria thereby accomplishing the first part of the theoretical plan, I find it hard to believe they will give up because of the Russian obstacle.
The US claims that they will stay in Iraq and Syria after "The Caliphate" is defeated ostensibly to bring support to peace and aid in rebuilding. Which was the exact same thing said about the mission in Afghanistan. After the defeat of the Taliban they would stay for a bit to bring peace and stability and rebuild...they said. So why does that war go on and on? Machiavelli believed that the best way to conquer a state was to keep it in a state of disarray because in that way the people are too busy trying to survive and keep safe to be able to put up much of a resistance. Also industry is then unable to prosper and create wealth. It is well known that Machiavelli is widely read and admired by American leadership, especially by the advocates for American interventionism and war. And if I am right, they are being paid-off by the oil sheikhs and pressured by Israel to stay the course until the job is done. If Trump really is not going along with it, my assumption has been all along that they will successfully get him impeached to further their goal. I see them as the money behind the "Trump is a Russian mole" crusade from the media for the purpose of ensuring his compliance.