PRESIDENT Trump recently proclaimed “mission accomplished” after America’s ‘symbolic’ missile strikes on Syria. However, far from being an accomplishment, Syria is actually a historic US foreign policy failure. The US, and her allies Britain and France, are actively involved in orchestrating a brutal war to topple the only Arab government that can stand up to Israel.

The Western powers are using sophisticated propaganda tools, forcing countries in the region through threats and cajolements to support them, promoting sectarian hatred, bankrolling violent outfits in the garb of ‘free armies’ and NGOs, and wasting billions of dollars of their taxpayers’ money. The brunt has been borne by the Syrian people. Hundreds of thousands have been killed in the fighting, millions more were forced to leave their homes as entire cities have been turned to rubble.

The Syrian imbroglio has seen off the main architects of this tragedy. The most vociferous ones calling for President Assad’s ouster, Barrack Obama, Francois Hollande and David Cameron, have long left office, while President Assad is gaining more power each day.

The Hezbollah, once confined to Lebanon, is increasingly present in Syria acquiring offensive warfare capabilities. Russia, once a nobody in the Middle East, is now the major game-changer in the region. Iran is looking directly into the eyes of Israeli soldiers in the Golan Heights. Ankara is at loggerheads with the US over the Syrian Kurds, and busy organising peace summits with Iran and Syria.

If President Trump and. Nikki Haley consider the above as a mission accomplished, one wonders what would a failed mission look like.

Mirza Muhammad Ali Hossain

Karachi

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2018