The Realities of the War on Terror in 2025

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/3/french-german-foreign-ministers-visit-damascus-to-meet-syrias-new-rulers

It was something to see, a historic moment I thought. To see German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock (along with French counterpart Barrot) walking about Damascus with HTS leader al-Julani should have generated a media buzz - but it didn't. The media is to be blamed for this lack of response - they have lulled the Western public to sleep.

What's the issue? Twenty-four years after Bush launched the War on Terror, two major European and NATO governments are openly walking with and engaged in diplomatic negotiations with a man who was once part of ISIS and his organisation (HTS) is merely a re-branded al Qaeda affiliate. This should be generating a public response. It's rather stunning and unimaginable - or should be. Is this even conceivable in 2005 or 2010? People would have taken to the the streets. Such a move would have toppled governments. But not in 2025.

So what does it mean?

It means that either the War on Terror was always a farce - which it was. Or, it means that al Qaeda has effectively won. They are legitimate state actors with a place at the table.

If the media had done its job the public would have understood that way back in 2011, the US was starting to ally (on the ground) with al Qaeda elements in places like Libya and Syria. Originally Washington had little dispute with the likes of ISIS - as long as they were fighting regimes targeted for downfall such as in Syria and Libya.

One would think these meetings would spark outrage but the media has done its job and has re-branded Julani. He's trimmed his beard up and put on Western clothing and so now he's deemed as acceptable and almost even respectable, this even as he refused to shake Baerbock's hand - while willingly shaking Barrot's hand, presumably since he's a man. In another instance he refused to be photographed alongside an uncovered woman. Outlets like the BBC have chosen to focus on how the new HTS-led government is banning the teaching of Evolution in public schools - which is little more than a distraction.

They constantly argue that Assad waged war on his people. He fought to keep al Qaeda from coming in to power - which is what has happened. The media cannot tell the truth and so its smoke and mirrors instead.

Of course there are other absurdities to this episode. After brow-beating al-Julani about minority and women's rights, the German foreign minister suggested that the new government should control all Syrian territory - implying that some groups (like the Turks and Kurds?) should be willing to give up their claims on territory.

But what about the elephant in the room - that would be Israel which has already seized more territory beyond the illegally occupied Golan Heights which Tel Aviv has controlled since the late 1960's? Even the US only recognized this territory in 2019 - under Donald Trump. The UN never has.

So to speak of the integrity of Syrian territory and sovereignty is absurd unless Israel abandons these seizures of territory - and quits bombing the country on a regular basis. It continues to take place but the Western mainstream media ignores this as well.

The entire War on Terror has been a farce. Aside from the lies and absurdities connected to Iraq and Afghanistan, the Syrian War has exhibited the greatest level of deception and been subject to a constant and ongoing stream of media malpractice, a literal disinformation campaign. It's only under these auspices that a meeting like this can take place and receive such lightweight and trivial coverage.