Counter-Terrorism Simulation: Is the US-Led Coalition Pure Fiction?

Saudi Arabia and Turkey are involved in recruiting and aiding Sunni extremists in the Middle East, Stephen Lendman writes, adding that together with Washington they are using Daesh (IS/ISIL) and other Islamist fighters to advance their objectives.

Saudi Arabia wants to maintain greater control over oil reserves in the MENA region (Middle East, North Africa) and in order to achieve its ambitious goal Riyadh is creating, financing and fostering regional terrorism, claims US author and syndicated columnist Stephen Lendman.

"Saudi Arabia and Turkey are key US allies, fostering endless Middle East wars. They're involved in recruiting and directly aiding ISIS [Daesh] and other terrorists throughout the region — mainly in Syria and Iraq, now beginning to establish a foothold in war-torn, chaotic Libya, with elements in Yemen and elsewhere," writes Lendman in his article for Information Clearing House.

With unconcealed sarcasm the author points to the fact that Saudi Arabia's 34-nation "Islamic military alliance" against terrorism is nothing but a deceptive PR hoax.

"Riyadh claiming the so-called coalition has 'a duty to protect the Islamic nation from the evils of all terrorist groups and organizations whatever their sect and name which wreak death and corruption on earth and aim to terrorize the innocent' is pure propaganda, ignoring its central role in creating, financing and fostering regional terrorism," Lendman stresses.

Who is fighting Daesh in the region?

The only nations countering the notorious Islamist group are Syria, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon's militias and Russia, Lendman underscores.

In contrast, Washington, its NATO partners and Middle Eastern allies actually "support what they claim to oppose."

According to the US columnist, Washington's 65-nation anti-terrorism coalition is pure fiction. During its year-long campaign the US-led coalition has targeted Syrian and Iraqi sites, not Daesh or other terrorists.

Furthermore, Turkey, the US' NATO ally, has blatantly struck Syrian and Iraqi Kurds under the pretext of combating Daesh.

Lendman refers to Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova who noted: "(W)e can state the (US-led) coalition is simulating the fight against ISIS [Daesh] and real terrorism and acts on its own politicized approach to the situation, which runs counter to international law, at least in Syria."

Paradoxically, during a year of the Pentagon's bombing of Syria and Iraq, Daesh and al-Qaeda's affiliates made "substantial territorial gains," while their oil smuggling operations were "protected" not attacked by the US-led coalition.

Russia's military operation has clearly upset their applecart, prompting fierce criticism of Moscow's actions in Syria from the "fake" anti-Daesh coalition.

"Moscow so far unsuccessfully urged the formation of a global coalition against terrorism," Lendman notes, adding that "Russia's all-out efforts for regional peace have no chance to succeed as long as US-led Assad enemies want escalated aggression to oust him illegally."