Did the US fund the Syrian rebels that toppled Assad?
December 13, 2024

(image credit: Getty Images)

After Syrian opposition forces led an offensive that rapidly swept through Syria's major cities in a matter of weeks and ultimately led to the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government, US President Joe Biden publicly took credit for the rebel takeover.

 

"Our approach has shifted the balance of power in the Middle East," Biden said earlier this week.

 

"Through this combination of support for our partners, sanctions, and diplomacy and targeted military force when necessary, we now see new opportunities opening up for the people of Syria and for the entire region."

 

Biden's comments, as well as a deluge of commentary claiming that Washington - and Israel - were secretly behind the offensive, have caused questions to resurface about the US's role in Syria over the past decade and a half.

 

Under the Barack Obama administration, the United States first entered the Syrian civil war in 2013 through CIA operations, and later in 2014, when US troops were deployed to fight the Islamic State (IS) group that had taken over large swathes of Iraqi and Syrian territory.


But by the time President Donald Trump's first administration came into play, the US role in Syria had trickled down to 900 troops in the northeast of the country, where Kurdish-led groups were in control.

 

And just before the rebel takeover over the weekend, the United Arab Emirates was reportedly brokering talks between the Assad government and the US.

 

Middle East Eye examines the US's role in the Syrian conflict and the groups it supported or did not support throughout the past decade.

Read here the full analysis by The Middle East Eye 

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