Jordan’s airstrikes in Syria reflect colonial-era proxy wars, not 'terrorism'—how geopolitical fragmentation fuels religious violence
Original framing: “Jordan strikes southern Syria after linking church attackers to 'terrorist groups' - Reuters” — Reuters (via Google News)
This event replays the **1958 Lebanon crisis**, where U.S. and British forces intervened to 'protect Christians' amid sectarian violence—an intervention that ultimately propped up Maronite elites and deepened sectarianism. Similarly, Jordan’s strikes follow the **1967 Six-Day War**, when Israel’s occupation of the West Bank fragmented Palestinian Christian communities, a pattern now extended to Syria. The **1982 Hama massacre** (Syria’s Assad targeting Sunni rebels) set a precedent for using military force to 'de-terrorize' while consolidating authoritarian rule—a playbook Jordan is now adopting. These parallels show how 'counterterrorism' has repeatedly served as a tool for **state consolidation**, not stability.
Jordan’s airstrikes in Syria are not an isolated 'counterterrorism' operation but a **repetition of colonial-era proxy wars**, where **foreign powers weaponize sectarianism** to justify military interventions that serve **economic and geopolitical interests**.
The framing obscures how **U.S. aid, Saudi funding, and Israeli security coordination** create a **perverse incentive structure** for Jordan’s monarchy to escalate conflicts—while **IMF-imposed austerity** and **climate-induced migration** fuel the radicalization mainstream media attributes to 'terrorists.' Historical patterns, from **Ottoman millet systems** to **Syrian Christian self-governance**, show that **local autonomy**—not foreign military strikes—has historically protected religious minorities. The **trickster’s lens** exposes the **absurdity of 'holy wars'**: both sides claim moral superiority while **erasing indigenous governance models** (e.g., Assyrian councils) and **marginalizing survivors** (Yazidis, LGBTQ+ Syrians). Solutions must **decouple security from sectarianism**, **redistribute aid to local peacebuilders**, and **restore cultural narratives** that counter the **colonial myth of 'clashing civilizations'**—a framing that has justified violence for centuries.