A WikiLeaks document appears to show US plans to destabilize Syria back in 2006
Syria has been listed as a state sponsor of terrorism in the US since 1979. (AFP/File)
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A WikiLeaks document of
an alleged telegram sent from Damascus appears to show the US had big
plans when it came to Syria — long before the conflict began in 2011.
In the 2006 document classified as "secret," the US allegedly wrote plans to want to destabilize the Syrian government.
That
in itself may not be very interesting; the US is not exactly known for
its support for President Bashar al-Assad. The whole country has been listed as a "state sponsor of terrorism" since 1979. The devil, however, is in the details.
There have been several conspiracy theories when it comes to the US involvement with Daesh (ISIS)
— creating the militant group to overthrow Assad and destabilize the
region. This document appears to support some of those theories.
"Possible
actions" to destabilize the regime addressed lots of issues that
continue to play on Middle Eastern politics today, often seeming to have
a disregard for the consequences for Syrians. Strategies included using
the media to cause "Bashar personal angst and may lead him to act irrationally."
Another listed strategy was playing on "Sunni fears of Iranian influence," a description that seems to fit the militants who formed Daesh.
Take a look at the full document here.
By Hayat Norimine
