U.S. Policy in Syria is a Disaster for Christians

Backing jihadist radicals in Syria contradicts the American efforts to supposedly rid the world of terrorism.

Courtesy: counterpsyops.com

(SACRAMENTO, CA) - The woman in this interview, a business owner in the Bay Area of California, is originally from Damascus, Syria. Her name is Fadida.

She offers a startling look at how Syrian Christians view the unrelenting U.S. effort to disrupt another secular, standing Middle East government.

As Fadida reveals, the western backed jihadist Sunni "rebels" have the common people of Damascus terrified. These ragtag militants are a blight on the landscape of Damascus, which easily qualifies as one of the most significant, ancient, biblical cities on the face of this earth.

If Fadida is right, the Americans and their allies are making a huge, regrettable mistake by backing the dangerous radicals instead of allowing the Syrian government of Bashar al Assad to restore peace.

Until recently, Damascus was a peaceful, prosperous city with multiple ethnities and members of different religions living side by side in harmony. The Americans are, by all accounts, doing everything in their power to keep peace from returning, by backing the murderous FSA (Free Syrian Army) who are mostly foreigners, hired mercenaries who fight for the highest dollar.

Tim King: Fadida, you moved to the US some time ago from Damascus but still have a good deal of family in the city, can you tell us what it was like to grow up in Damascus, and explain the Biblical significance of this ancient city?

Fadida: It was the most beautiful, peaceful city in the world.

You could feel the history and the creation of the nation separate in the world. All of the Nations started from there. When you go to Damascus you can see 2000 years of history and still the city people live in it. The Bible story "the Road to Damascus" is still there until now. The ministry of Saint Paul, the most important follower of Jesus... he went later to all of Europe and was the strongest preacher.

Tim King: I know you are greatly concerned for the welfare of your family and the people and places you grew up with. As you know, Salem-News.com, unlike other US media, does not write articles based on what Washington deems appropriate. We look at local perspective. I know you are in touch with many people in Damascus, what do you think of US foreign policy at this point, with its support of groups like Jabhat al Nusra and other jihadists fighting the government... the so-called rebels?

Fadida: I think the US Policy at this moment is making the wrong choices by giving weapons and political support to those groups. They are the most dangerous groups.

They are killing innocent people, killing people in the name of Allah and targeting Christian people in Syria. I was asking myself if groups like this came to the US... would anyone support what they are doing?

Killing, suicide bombing, targeting schools, hospitals, churches. They are not there to change the government of Syria. That is a big lie. They want to finish everything modern and Syrian's history.

The government is not radical Muslim and that's why they are fighting the army there. I have lived there all my life, we never see our army targeting civilian people. What I know from there, so many places the rebel army will finish everybody.

The Syrian army protects the innocent people because the rebels are targeting their homes and businesses. There is no way to find jobs just to make living and bring food to the table.

Tim King: What goes through your mind when you hear the US television news presenters echoing the words of politicians without having any facts to base thoughts on, other that those political talking heads repeating the same old thing, which always comes down to, "Assad bad," "Rebels good"?

Fadida: The first thing I say is "Bullshit! Big Lie to American People!" ...they are trying to make excuses to target and bomb Syria under the name of democracy. This way Americans don't protest and trust their government. It's exactly the same as they did in Iraq, they went and invaded and did not find any evidence for their war.

Tim King: You mentioned when we talked that there was not always total freedom in Syria, certainly not by American standards, but you also said life was good for people in Damascus. Can you talk about life under the rule of Bashar al Assad, and his father?

Fadida: I don't understand how Americans understand freedom. I lived there all my life, finished school, had opportunity to work, good job and lived in good position, the same as all my family. We never suffered or were in need for food or homes or ever worried about our future.

The life there before what is going on right now was very safe. You go for a walk at 2:00 in the morning and no one would bother you, come steal your car or kill you to take your money or gold. When I left my family, we never locked our door, we never locked our window, everybody in our neighborhood shared happiness and sadness, even with different religions.

FSA rebel executing captive Syrian soldiers.

All of our holidays we celebrated together. The small town was like a big family. Everyone knew everything about each other.

In the summer, there's always fun time, family time, staying until late morning partying, going places where nobody stopped you from going, we could go anywhere we wanted... no matter what time. but now, with the situation... they have to think about it 100 times to go and buy food to survive in life. You have to fight to get gas, and to find heat for your kids. Suffering so many times, how you are going to get your kids to school without getting killed?

Life was good before the democratic revolution. Assad and his father took care of the people. I forgot to mention, we have in our country, free education until you finish University. Regardless of who you are. Free medical care for anybody. You can go to hospital and get care without them asking how much you make and requiring paperwork. It was very easy to get food, and help and clothes for your kids at affordable prices. All that because the government supported those programs to make the people's life easier.

Tim King: What are some of the things you hear from family and friends in Damascus that are most troubling?

Fadida: Everything has become troubling... It's hard to survive without any way to make a living. Before, we never thought this would ever be a problem. It is a hard thing for human beings to see their kids hungry and homeless in front of his eyes. What do you think about one of your families, daughters, sisters tortured in front of your eyes? You're hopeless to help them because they are forcing you with weapons to stay silent or you will be killed with them. A family recently had their daughters raped in front of the parents, then they cut them in pieces in front of the parents to make them suffer more... knowing they are dying. Then they finished the parents.

They are not human beings and they are not a Syrian "army" as the US media says. They are not Syrian citizens, these people come from outside Syria and are trained by Jihad. Weapons supplied to them are from the US & Europe.

Tim King: What about the latest story - that the Assad government using sarin gas... do media reports like that, where the information originates with the FSA (Free Syrian Army), and then is delivered via Israeli officials, have very much credibility?

Fadida: I call the FSA "Fake Syrian Army". They are the ones using sarin gas against citizens. The Syrian government the next day sent a report to the United Nations to come and investigate this lie. But, nobody from the war would be able to face their life. They take it as fake story to go and invade Syria. There is a lot of evidence from the Syrian government that the Free Syrian Army got this kind of weapon from Turkey and that they are supported by Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Tim King: What is your thought behind the apparent cooperation between the FSA and the Israeli government, do they seem like strange bedfellows considering that they have radically opposing ideologies?

Fadida: They have the same ideology. They want to demolish the Syrian government and put in a strict Muslim government, so they can be controlled by the west. They are the same.

Tim King: I know people on both sides of this fight in Syria, and that is true for many of us. The consensus seems to be that many believed that the rebel cause was a noble one, so they joined up, only to realize that they were working with a group willing to kill civilians and blame those deaths on the Syrian government. Do you know people who are on the side of the rebels?

Not that I know. If you are... really... born in Syria and have Syrian blood... you don't stand by a group like this. There is too much difference between them and the government, you can't compare.

Tim King: Fadida, I know you receive all of this information about the war in your native country with great distress, there are so many parts of this to consider, what is the worst part of all?

Fadida: I have to tell the truth, the worst part is being very far... I can't do anything, can't help with anything, and....I know from the heart of mine there are so many things that are not true. I hear it, from the country I am from. I hear from many people but I don't know what is going on.

So many people don't know where Syria is and where it is on the map. That is something that hurts me inside. I wish there was any way the US government can help the Christians there. How come they don't hear all the story? They switch the pictures... exactly opposite of what you hear on the local news here.

Tim King: When you look at the bigger picture, the government of Syria is holding on. Many critics and war hawks thought the government would fail by now but it remains strong, with the majority of its population base still pro-Assad. Do you think Americans realize this or are they being led to believe that Syrians by and large want a new government?

Fadida: It's a big lie to Americans. There is too much public support for the government and Americans don't get the truth.

Tim King: Final thoughts?

Fadida: I wish there was more conscience in the world to face the truth and that people would not believe the political lies. Always, the innocent people pay the price for the big games they are playing in the Nations. It's a shame to be in this century and still see the crime we see in Syria. I thought there was a United Nations created to save the nation... But, where is it now?

Tim King: Salem-News.com Editor and Writer

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With almost 25 years of experience on the west coast and worldwide as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor, Tim King is Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor. His background includes covering the war in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007, and reporting from the Iraq war in 2008. Tim is a former U.S. Marine who follows stories of Marines and Marine Veterans; he's covered British Royal Marines and in Iraq, Tim embedded with the same unit he served with in the 1980's.

Tim holds awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing from traditional mainstream news agencies like The Associated Press and Electronic Media Association; he also holds awards from the National Coalition of Motorcyclists, the Oregon Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs; and was presented with a 'Good Neighbor Award' for his reporting, by the The Red Cross.

Tim King reporting from the war in Iraq

Tim's years as a Human Rights reporter have taken on many dimensions; he has rallied for a long list of cultures and populations and continues to every day, with a strong and direct concentration on the 2009 Genocide of Tamil Hindus and Christians in Sri Lanka. As a result of his long list of reports exposing war crimes against Tamil people, Tim was invited to be the keynote speaker at the FeTNA (Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America) Conference in Baltimore, in July 2012. This is the largest annual gathering of North American Tamils; Tim addressed more than 3000 people and was presented with a traditional Sri Lanka ‘blessed garland’ and a shawl as per the tradition and custom of Tamil Nadu

In a personal capacity, Tim has written 2,026 articles as of March 2012 for Salem-News.com since the new format designed by Matt Lintz was launched in December, 2005. Serving readers with news from all over the globe, Tim's life is literally encircled by the endless news flow published by Salem-News.com, where more than 100 writers contribute stories from 23+ countries and regions.

Tim specializes in writing about political and military developments worldwide; and maintains that the label 'terrorist' is ill placed in many cases; specifically with the LTTE Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, where it was used as an excuse to slaughter people by the tens of thousands; and in Gaza, where a trapped population lives at the mercy of Israel's destructive military war crime grinder. At the center of all of this, Tim pays extremely close attention to the safety and welfare of journalists worldwide.