Four days ago, an Islamist group made a chlorine gas attack on Aleppo. There have been other such incidents. A November, 2015 report reported “The UN chemical weapons watchdog has confirmed with ‘utmost confidence’ that mustard gas was used in Syria in August during fighting between rebels and jihadi and likely killed a child.” The same report mentioned chlorine gas: “Experts also found toxic chemicals, including chlorine, were likely used as a weapon in an attack in Idlib province in March, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said in statement on Friday.”

So far, the U.S. Department of State has ignored the recent use of chemical weapons by a group that has agreed to participate in the Syrian “cessation of hostilities”. This silence contrasts with the rapid and sharp accusation made by John Kerry against the Syrian regime of Assad after the Ghouta sarin attack that killed hundreds. It contrasts with Victoria Nuland’s condemnation of rocket attacks against Aleppo and with John Kerry’s condemnation of barrel bombs used in Aleppo.

The State Department makes comments on selected events when it can use those events to promote a story that fits its objective. It ignores or defers comments or moderates the tone of comments when to do otherwise might interfere with its objectives. It also hides its objectives and/or distorts them in communicating to the American public and the world. This selection process is finely-tuned propaganda. It manipulates opinion or seeks to.

One important objective in the case of Syria is to reduce or remove the influence of Iran and to contain Iran. Another is similarly to contain Russia. The fate of peoples in Syria is not a political objective of the U.S., despite whatever humanitarian rhetoric it may choose to employ from time to time. This is why it condemns attacks alleged to have been made by Syrian forces and ignores attacks alleged to have been made by rebel forces, including radical Islamist factions that it supports.

The U.S. objective to control the Middle East insofar as it can is known to terrorist organizations and has been known literally for decades. The State Department’s duplicity and propaganda noted above are merely recent small examples thereof showing that the objective is pervasive in guiding U.S. actions.

The very large U.S. interventions in Lebanon, Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan, Yemen and Libya, combined with the U.S. support of Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the U.S. support of Israel, and the continual CIA operations provide terrorist organizations with a highly visible enemy, an occupation story that they can use and a recruiting tool. American hypocrisy concerning humanitarian objectives helps them too.

For us at home, the matter takes on a different hue. Here, State Department propaganda is never-ending in attempting to shape support for its policies and the broader actions of a president in ordering troops, special forces and CIA operations into the region or into other confrontations in Eastern Europe and China.

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