Biden’s Admission: US Allies Armed ISIS

By Patrick Martin

October 06, 2014 "ICH" - "WSWS" - -Speaking to students at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy Forum Thursday, US Vice President Joseph Biden committed what the US media characterizes as a “gaffe.” In other words, he told an embarrassing truth about US government policy, one that is usually obfuscated in the remarks of government officials and the commentaries of media pundits.

Asked about US policy in Syria, Biden touched on the dirty secret of the current US-led war against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. ISIS (or ISIL as the Obama administration terms it) is essentially the creation of the United States and its allies who fomented civil war in Syria against the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

Referring to Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Biden said,

“They were so determined to take down Assad and essentially have a proxy Sunni-Shia war, what did they do? They poured hundreds of millions of dollars and tens, thousands of tons of weapons into anyone who would fight against Assad—except that the people who were being supplied were al Nusra and al Qaeda and the extremist elements of jihadis coming from other parts of the world.”

“Now you think I’m exaggerating,” he continued, to emphasize his point. “Take a look! Where did all of this go?” Biden claimed that the US opposed arming these al Qaeda-linked groups, which included ISIS, adding, “We could not convince our colleagues to stop supplying them.”

According to Biden’s narrative, only in the summer of 2014 did these countries realize that ISIS was a threat to them as well as to Assad, and shifted, joining in the US campaign of air strikes against ISIS targets in Syria. He gave as an example the position of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, suggesting that he had admitted the error of a permissive policy towards the extremists: “President Erdogan told me, he is an old friend, said you were right, we let too many people through, now we are trying to seal the border.”

It is testament to the degeneracy of the American political system that the circumstances behind ISIS’s rise, alluded to in Biden’s remarks, have not been the subject of any investigation. There have been no calls in Congress for hearings to examine the origins of an organization whose actions have been seized on to proclaim a new war in the Middle East.

As for the media, it merely serves as a government mouthpiece. Significantly, no US media source reported or commented on these portions of Biden’s remarks at Harvard. But once the comments were publicized, first by the Russian-based RT network, then throughout the Middle East, Biden hastened to mend fences with the offended client states.

The US embassy in Ankara released a statement that Biden had called Erdogan personally to “clarify recent comments made at Harvard University.” According to the embassy, “The Vice President apologized for any implication that Turkey or other Allies and partners in the region had intentionally supplied or facilitated the growth of ISIL or other violent extremists in Syria.”

Whatever the level of “intentionality” involved, ISIS was the recipient of the US-supported arms aid to the Syrian rebels, routed by the CIA through Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Turkey and other Mideast client states. The State Department and CIA were well aware that the Syrian rebels included many Islamic militants, including those linked to al-Qaeda, because it had previously employed many of these fighters in the overthrow of the Gaddafi regime in Libya in 2011.

Originally established as Al Qaeda in Iraq during the eight years of warfare that followed the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, the group only took the name ISIS in April 2013, long after it had built up significant strength in Syria as part of the US-backed rebel forces fighting the Assad regime.

In other words, as Biden admits, ISIS was created by the methods pursued by the US government and its allied reactionary regimes, both the Islamist government of Erdogan in Turkey and the Gulf monarchies like Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Another confirmation of this relationship came in the form of a Washington Post report Sunday on the supposedly contradictory role of the sheikdom of Qatar, another of the Persian Gulf despotisms that is a client state of American imperialism. Qatar hosts the huge Al-Udeid Air Base, headquarters for US air operations in the region and the directing center of the air war in Syria and Iraq.

Only 20 miles from the base is the Grand Mosque in the Qatari capital, Doha, which “has served as a key outpost for al-Qaeda-linked rebels fighting the Syrian regime,” the Post noted, including the al-Nusra Front, the official al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, which was formerly part of ISIS until a split last year.

Despite the presentation in the Post, there is nothing surprising in Qatar hosting the US Air Force and raising money for al-Qaeda militants in Syria. As long as ISIS gathered strength in Syria, as part of the US-backed “rebels” opposed to Assad, it was encouraged in its ambitions. It was only when ISIS moved its forces back across the border from Syria into Iraq—and in particular threatened oil-rich regions in northern Iraq—did the Obama administration move against it.

The contradictions in US policy persist. Even as it seeks to forestall ISIS’s advance, the US is arming and promoting “moderate” forces within Syria that are openly allied with al-Nusra and other Islamic fundamentalist groups. The main target of American imperialism remains the Syrian government, which is also the reason why Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and other countries that fostered ISIS and are hostile to the Assad regime are now supporting the operation.

The “war against ISIS,” America’s erstwhile ally against the Assad regime, is only the latest episode in the intervention of US imperialism in the Middle East, whose goal is not freedom, or democracy, or the struggle against “terrorism,” but the domination of the oil-rich region and the preparation of new and even bloodier wars against Iran and against the main targets of Washington: Russia and China.

You apologists never get it out of your head that the US cannot control everything. Further, only in a macabre way is one responsible for the evil of ones friend or associate. If the wahabbists decides to spread burkaism and misogynisism as articles of faith as they have done in their missionary projects inclusive in our society, it is not the US fault. Further, even if those those lessons develop into this perverted and  bestial  strain of " Muslim locusts", it cannot to be blamed on them either

 

The point of your concern should be that they are as vile as they are and claim to be Muslims. In fact all are Muslims from off the proverbial Islam street

 

Yet you have the nerve to post that story and not comment on the odium being committed in your name! It speaks volumes as to why seemingly good kids are acting like plunderers of medieval times. They were never given the rap on the hand and correction for improper beliefs because those like you always have a convenient excuse for their ill founded articles of faith.

US gives arms to plenty people..that's no excuse to go massacre people with those arms

The articles of faith are the foundation of our religion.A religion with 1.2 billion followers and just and I repeat just a few follwers who are fanatics when compare with other religions.

 

You quick to paint Muslims as being bad. if you and riff raff take  time to educate yourself as to who are the responsible for the financing of these ISIS idiots, you both might avoid getting a heart attack 

For once, stop blaming the US and by default tacitly supporting your Jihad brothers. ISIS is in control of their own actions. The US is not ordering, telling, or supporting ISIS in their quest to slaughter non Muslims all across Iraq and Syria. What the hell you think an article from the World Socialist Website would have to say about the US? Do you think it would be anything good?

 

The US is not financing ISIS either. That would be a wicked lie were you to spread it. The US is taking the fight to them and paying for it too. A lot of ISIS financing is coming from their Jihad brothers in Saudia Arabia, Qatar and other rich Sunni Middle Eastern states who support the fight against the Shiites. ISIS is also using the blackmarket sale of oil and funds raised as ransom for people they kidnap to finance their wickedness. You wouldn't be unhappy if they take over the entire world anyway because you would love to see us banging our heads in the dirt five times a day.

 Where has any argued or concern themselves with your articles of faith?  I am pointing you to a group purporting to be of your faith who are in the business of creating sex slaves of christian women and  those of other faiths. They emphasize that their religion give them the authority. Either you agree with me they are wrong and misuse your religion or not.

 

I do not give a crap about Muslims or Christians etc on matters of faith. I concern myself on matters of human decency and fair play. Presently a bunch of bestial creatures who seem to be spawns of hell are running rampant in region of the world persecuting any not of their liking and that include other Muslims. I am sure you are not calling them good Muslims doing gods will.

 

I paint anyone or religious person as crude and corrupt if they are crude and corrupt. These are the worse kinds of murderous manifestation for a long while.

 

I am educated in the best of US schools so what the hell can you tell me of liberalism which is my social ethos that is wrong? I do not need your religious bullshit to condition me to any point of view. In reality, since I am an avowed heathen  I think it is all  wholesale bunk; Islam, Christianity and Judaism as well. They are all myth making building and stealing and borrowing from the first to the last and in the end are all straight up Nancy stories. Worse when as religions they orient themselves to exclude and create categories of lesser than they are, the world suffers. These religions have been the evil taskmasters  from their inception. Presently, some of the Muslim faith seem to be carrying that torch as monster in charge.

 

Again, the US did not finance these fellows. That is your fathom belief because in your mind and that of the hate america first crowd, nothing can happen unless the great Satan had its hands in it. Well, these fellows are a spontaneous generation based on tribal Muslim wranglings. That war started on the day Mohamed died.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who this thread was intended for? I don't know any poster by that alias. I don't know why Stormborn is allowed to get away with his disrespectful heading. Education starts at home for some of us, bro.

I call you pajama pants and get away with it also don't I? Go tell the moderator I am transgressing the rules with respect to name calling.

Your behavior stinks. If I was the moderator I let you edit your heading, but the forum moderator is totally blind and slack period.

My behavior compared to yours is pristine.

Nothing further, sir. Thank you!

ISIS is bad for Muslims....some people need to wake up...

You should not open your damn mouth in the first place. 

Oi Chief, those diaper heads are not Christian,Hindu, nor any other denomination, they are Muslim, no one is saying all Muslims are bad. You've gotta get that in your head Chief,

 

 

R u sure about that. Those ppl are doing exactly what they did before becoming muslims. Slavery and vicious killings have been part of their culture since the beginning of time. And they even created a religion to justify their bad ways. Do you know of any time since the creation of Islam that they were at peace? When they let up a lil bit with conquering and imposing their faith on the conquered they went straight into the sunni and shite divisions. Then they started to kill themselves. They doing that onto this day.

Ohhh rass, I gotta say seignet got a point there.  Oh Oh...

 

OI CHIEFFFFFFFFF!!!!  REP  REEEE SENT.

Cobra = PJ? I thought Shaitan was PJ.. you people and your name changes ohhh rassss.

You never give up an opportunity to show what an idiot you are eh? You want to go back to counting how many Muslims have committed ill compared to non-Muslims since the beginning of Islam or you will do like you did the last time and run and hide under your rock? Hitler alone probably made up for more killing that have ever been perpetrated by Muslims since the beginning of Islam.

Cainsta, Sagga boy is missing more than a few brain cells. Be mindful of what he writes.

Indeed. These Muslim militants like to label others as enemies of Islam when they are truly the enemies of Islam. It would actually be good if all these people can be eliminated from the world. I have to also agree with Stormy about people taking personal responsibility for their own actions. The Qur'an states that the evil that people do are from their own hands. Stop blaming others should be Muslims all over the world mantra.

Kaz, this is exactly what the people all want to hear and the people want to hear it constantly so they know Muslims are also against these loonies.

Bai, Cainsta. Muslims can say this from now until thy kingdom come and those who hate Muslims and Islam will pretend that it is never said. Nonetheless, Muslims still need to do it. Look around the world and you will not have trouble recognizing that only Muslims are called upon to carry the burden of other Muslims. When others commit horrible acts, they alone are criticized not never their whole community, culture or religion. We can handle it though because Islam is very valuable to us. 

Ah tawt Demented Guy was D-G Demerara Guy. How come he has not posted any of his inane shyte?

The difference is that the crazies do it in the name of Islam...so that's what people see and hear

Constipation.

Perhaps!

People in Guyana didn't know of the crazies doing evil in the name of Islam back in the 60s and 70s. They just plainly hate Muslims and Islam back then. The only thing Muslins were doing in Guyana back then was taking care of orphans and giving charity to people regardless of their religion.

Ksaz, I was in Guyana in the 60s. I don't recall religion being an issue with people. I was born a hindu and most of my friends were muslims. I never experienced any hatred from my friends' parents. Most of them treated me like their son. My parents never mentioned anything about my muslim friends. Some of my relatives are married to muslims.

Skelton man. Have you ever heard the term "all Muslims are scamps" or better yet, have you ever used it. For someone to label all Muslims as scamps is hateful. That was common in Guyana especially amongst Hindus. And I am married to a Hindu but they are not religious. Also they consider me their best in law because I am upstanding.

I have heard the term. However, because my friends were muslims, I just ignored the insult. I almost married a muslim girl. My niece a year ago married a muslim man. Man made religion so they can divide and conquer. I don't go church or practise any religion.

Muslims are taught from holy quran and from the Sunnah of our Holy Prophet,Muhammad, SAW, peace be upon him, to respect each and every religion. Please note that there are bad people in each and every religion.

Yes, Muslims do not support ISIS.

. Doan worry you fellas are proving yourselves EVERY DAYYYYYYYY. Do not forget u r a muslim convert. Your hindu ways can never be washed away unless u accept you know who.