By Dr Bouthaina Shaaban

The announcement by the Russian Ministry of Defence that US support for terrorists is a major obstacle to the elimination of the terrorist organisation in Syria is not a simple or transitory declaration. It is an important and dangerous declaration that must be carefully looked at.

“The successes of the Syrian army with the support of the Russian space air force in the rapid liberation of the Euphrates valley seem to contradict the plans of American colleagues,” Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashinkov said, noting that US forces did not allow the Syrian army to pursue terrorists in the al-Tanf area.

It is understood, of course, that Russia does not want to initiate a conflict with the United States and to start a third world war, but such declarations and statements by the Russian Ministry of Defence, even if they are uttered in such de-escalatory terms such as “American colleagues,” represent a clear and explicit link between ISIS and US plans in both Syria and Iraq. This at the international level undermines the credibility of the United States, and undermines the impact of any American statements bragging about the fight against terrorism. Especially as Russian forces announced that the ISIS offensive relied on aerial reconnaissance that cannot be attained by the group unless provided by American reconnaissance planes.

“We support the comprehensive approach to combating terrorism, preventing the spread of terrorist ideology and funding illegal armed groups, and we call for a political renunciation of double standards in addressing the most serious threats of our time,” said Russian President Vladimir Putin in a welcoming message to participants at the International Meeting of Heads of Security Services.

“Double standards” have become synonymous with the United States, and the rise of Russia in the international system today is putting the final nail in the coffin of American unilateralism. This is what Russia’s policy depends on in its cumulative strategy, building on the shortcomings of the other, pointing to them and re-mentioning them whenever possible. While at the same time behaving differently from them, adhering to principles, values and norms in international relations.

But the biggest victim of the US sponsoring of ISIS in recent years is Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. Therefore, in addition to what the Russians are doing to draw the attention of the world to the sure link between ISIS and the United States, it is necessary to re-read all the unfolding events in Arab countries in the past seven years in light of these facts, which revealed certain close ties between ISIS, the United States, and the objectives that the Americans and Israelis hope to achieve in our countries.

When we were watching dozens of American four-wheel-drive vehicles pass from Iraq to north-east Syria, we were wondering where ISIS got all these US-made cars from, while our countries could not buy medications to save children’s lives because of sanctions and boycotts. When ISIS pays the salaries of thousands of terrorists, one wonders how could it move all of this liquidity in US dollars, while countries cannot pay for the spare parts of their civil aircraft.

The relationship between the Western and Zionist forces targeting of the Arab confrontation countries, and the Muslim Brotherhood gangs and their detachments from al-Nusra, ISIS, the Free Army, and others’ aggression on our countries is an old-new relationship, but for unknown reasons it remains in doubt despite the books written on this subject, by members of the same organisations such as Izzat al-Kharbawi.

The thorough research and investigation into this subject is an urgent need today not only to prove the creation of these movements by the West as instruments to implement its agendas which it failed to implement by other means in our region, but also to liberate the Islamic religion from all these suspicious movements and all manifestations of extremism, and the violence that has afflicted on them. The proximate end of the fighting with an ISIS on the battlefield in Iraq and Syria can be an incentive and an opportunity for political elites and Arab intellectuals to work quietly today, and hope to re-study this phenomenon, its formation, its entry into our territory, the methods it followed, the tactics that it resorted to, and the networks that provided them with support, in order to reach firm conclusions that we can provide future generations with a factual and correct account of our history that they must depend on in forming their national outlook in the future.

What we Arabs lack from our history is a study of the events we go through in a frank and in-depth manner, in order to draw lessons for the future in a timely manner; this is why we find ourselves experiencing the same turmoil more than once, and the tragedy is repeated throughout our lives in different manifestations without us learning one useful lesson that guides us in any similar experience we may encounter after a while.

Thousands of martyrs have sacrificed their lives to reach this honourable stage in this battle, and thousands have been wounded so that the will of the free peoples triumphs. Is this victory a mere news clip in the media, or should we actually make a plan in order for researchers to study all the dimensions of these events and arrive at solid scientific conclusions that we can provide not only for our peoples, but to the international family so that those who promulgate lies in order to destroy countries and peoples become more reluctant in doing so.

After these achievements in the field, we must spread research centres at the national level to honour all the sacrifices made and establish the foundations of a true and factual Arab history fit for the new world, which is rapidly taking shape, and guarantees us an honourable status at the regional and international levels.

Dr Bouthaina Shaaban, Political and Media Advisor to Syrian President, Bashar Al Assad.

This article was originally published by 21CentyryWire -