Israel’s al-Qaeda Rescue Program

While the US government continues to face – and vigorously deny – charges that it secretly helps ISIS and other extremists in Syria to keep alive Obama’s regime-change policy for Assad, Washington’s closest ally in the region makes little pretense that it is at war with al-Qaeda and other extremists.

In fact, Israel is openly coming to the rescue of al-Qaeda’s Jabhat al-Nusra just beyond the border of Israel-occupied Golan Heights.

Not only is Israel making no secret of its assistance to the same group responsible for the 9/11 attacks against the United States, Tel Aviv is inviting western media to “embed” with Israeli troops as they embark upon dangerous rescue missions into Syria. Friday’s Daily Mail ran an article complete with photos and “IDF Footage” of the Israeli army crossing into Syria to rescue members of al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria after they were wounded by Syrian government forces fighting back the al-Qaeda/ISIS-led insurgency.

This is not just a one-off emergency aid mission. According to the article, Israel has been running a three-year medical assistance program for al-Qaeda fighters in southern Syria. The article estimates that Israel has patched up at least 1,600 Islamist extremists and sent many back to battle the secular Syrian government. The missions have been undertaken at great danger to the Israeli soldiers involved and at significant expense for a small country: more than $13 million dollars spend thus far.

As for why Israel would undertake what would on the surface look like a suicide mission – propping up Islamist extremists who we are told are Israel’s mortal enemies – the Daily Mail reports that while Israel claims it is operating strictly out of humanitarian concerns, many believe Israel ” has in fact struck a deadly ‘deal with the devil’ – offering support to the Sunni militants who fight the Syrian ruler Assad…”

It would not be the first time Israel has supported radical Islamists against secular groups in the Middle East. As Ron Paul pointed out years ago on the House Floor, “Hamas was encouraged and really started by Israel because they wanted Hamas to counter Yassir Arafat.”

What are the implications for Washington’s relations with Israel when its ally is openly coming to the aid of an organization that has attacked and killed so many Americans on US soil? With the publication of the Daily Mail article will there be calls on the Floor of Congress to sanction Israel? Will there be a cutoff of the billions of US taxpayer dollars sent yearly to Israel – and thus indirectly to help al-Qaeda?

Will there be at least a strongly worded letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu requesting that he stop acting as al-Qaeda’s field hospital in southern Syria? Netanyahu told the US Congress this spring that when it comes to Islamist extremists, “the enemy of your enemy is your enemy.” Was he just joking?

Or is Washington OK with Israel getting Islamist extremists back into fighting shape? Is Washington not afraid that some of these patched-up fighters may seek US or allied targets once back on the Syrian battlefield? Or does Washington have some assurance that al-Qaeda will not target US assets or operations in Syria? And if so, how did that come about?

Shortly after the 9/11 attacks, then-President George W. Bush famously laid out US policy: “Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists.” Does that then mean that Israel is with the terrorists? Or is perhaps Israel still “with us” in propping up certain terrorists needed to implement the regime change policy in Syria? Are we then with Israel and the terrorists?

So confusing. So many difficult questions.

Daniel McAdams is director of the The Ron Paul Institute for Peace & Prosperity. Reprinted from The Ron Paul Institute for Peace & Prosperity.

17 thoughts on “Israel’s al-Qaeda Rescue Program”

  1. The US has long used colonial proxy states to prop up entities to infernal for us to back openly. Israel has long been a favored henchman for this grade of dirty work because there shameless opportunists completely lacking of anything resembling a moral compass (chip off the old empire, eh?).

    That's why the US used the Zionist state to bankroll Apartheid South Africa's post-boycott war against the ANC. That's why the US had them gift a sh*t load of surplus Uzi's to the baby raping Contras in Nicaragua and that's why we're having them play Florence Nightingale with a pack of head-lopping savages. Sadly it's nothing new.

  2. In all fairness to Israels, they are hardly alone in supporting the putative enemies of the United States. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey all support Sunni terrorists in order to undermine Shia affiliated regimes(e.g., Iran, Syria, and Yemen). Our own glorious General Petraeus has suggested that we partner with al-Qaeda. Petraeus is hardly the only U.S. government agent playing footsie with Sunni terrorists.

    What really galls me about the situation is that I can feel somebody reaching into my pocket to pay for all of these outrages. Israel is getting billions per year from the U.S. taxpayers to further their own aims. Likewise, the government I unwillingly fund allies itself with governments and terrorist groups that act against the people paying the bills. Such a deal!

  3. Seems like the israeli
    Government has missunderstood thearabic point of wiew israel is
    Shouldnt exist!.

  4. The United States has only two serious enemies in the Middle East. Israel and Saudi Arabia, both of whom have always acted directly opposed to American national interests, and in the case of Israel have done it with American money.

  5. just remember the massacre on june 8 1967 uss liberty crew burn alive ith napalm and when they tried to save themselves in life saving boats ere machined gun by Israeli navy torpedo boats……like LBJ said Israel friend and ally……whose , not the us ailors that were massacred………..

    eugen raduca

  6. If criminals are wounded while committing crime ? do we take them to the hospital or just leave them lay untreated . Seems in Israel there are still Judo Christian ethics .

  7. I believe these Israeli hospitals treat Assad's forces too . Kind of like doctors without borders in Afghanistan , which was mistakenly bombed by us recently .

  8. If this is true christian
    Usa should be ashemd
    Cause the european lands
    Ustrust in the usa
    Israel is doomed helping
    Their enemies.

  9. What really galls me about the situation is that I can feel somebody reaching into my pocket to pay for all of these outrages. Israel is getting billions per year from the U.S. taxpayers to further their own aims. Likewise, the government I unwillingly fund allies itself with governments and terrorist groups that act against the people paying the bills. Such a deal!

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