This week the world witnessed one of the most devastating earthquakes of this century when it hit Turkey and Syria early morning on Monday.
Life and property were destroyed in both countries by the quake that measured 7.8 on the Richter scale. As of Wednesday morning, more than 11,000 casualties have been confirmed in wake of the violent earthquake, with over 8,500 dead in Turkey and nearly 3,000 casualties in Syria.
Around 54,000 people in both courtiers combined have been injured, while the numbers of casualties and the injured are expected to rise as rescue work continues in the affected region.
Soon after the earthquake, messages of sympathy from world leaders and representatives poured in for both countries struck by the natural disaster. But when the U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price posted his message to Twitter, he was called out for his administration’s hostile Syria policy.
Price posted a video message to Twitter on Monday afternoon in which he, speaking on behalf of the US government, expressed “deepest condolences” to the people of both Syria and Turkey, assuring them that the “initial response” is on the way to help those affected by the calamity.
The responses to Price’s message were quick and blunt but clear in reminding him of the destruction done to the Syrian people by the Obama-Biden administration, a policy that continues to date. Many of the comments called out Price for America’s sanctions on Syria and stealing Syrian oil. The Twitter account of the blog Citizen Journalists retorted:
“Hypocrisy of the highest order,” wrote Francis O’Hara in response to Price’s tweet.
Gerald Celente, the founder of the Trends Research Institute, reminded Price of the damage the U.S. did to Syria: “The U.S. did far more damage to Syria than this quake.”
Martin L. Zinn tweeted a link to a United Nations news article from November 2022 in which UN human rights expert Alena Douhan urged the U.S. to lift the “suffocating unilateral sanctions against Syria.”
On Tuesday, Syria News reported that Syria condemns America’s blockade of its country that prevents the timely delivery of relief goods to the Syrian victims of the latest disaster.
In a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Syria called the emergency aid claims of the United States, and its “minions” lies meant to mislead public opinion. As seen in the statement:
After 12 years of sponsoring the proxy terrorist war on the Syrian people…the US-led coalition of evildoers around the world impose a complete blocked topped with the so-called Caesar Act, an embargo imposed on Syria and any party that transacts with Syria especially the financial firms including the banking system.
The Obama-Biden administration poured American taxpayer-funded resources into Syria to overthrow the government of Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian President that the US and its allies call a dictator. Assad’s government, in a political and military alliance with Russia, fought and won a war against ISIS and the US-sponsored rebels – groups considered radical Islamist militants by the Syrian government.
The Trump administration in 2017 ended CIA support for anti-Assad militants. Former Democrat congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard visited Syria to learn the truth about the Syrian war.
In subsequent interviews with various American channels, Gabbard confirmed that the U.S. had been supporting Syrian militants that worked hand-in-hand with and often times under the command of Al-Qaeda terrorists.
