Europe’s war on terror
November 25th, 2015Conservative pundits claim that the great powers are going to war in Syria to promote their own geopolitical interests rather than to fight terrorism. Far from making Europe safer, attacking Syria may deepen the terror problem, they suggest.
Terrorists of Middle East origin are regarded as freedom fighters in their homelands, Magyar Nemzet’s Gábor Kardos comments on French strikes in Syria. The conservative philosopher fears that European involvement in the Syrian conflict will not result in more security in Europe. On the contrary, it will only help radical organizations to recruit new members as chaos and suffering in the Middle East escalates. Kardos fears “the Paris massacre may only be the beginning.” He complains that Europe has no clear strategic objective whatsoever in attacking ISIS, a radical organization financed by US Sunni allies, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
In Magyar Idők, Levente Sitkei warns that the war on terrorism cannot be won in Syria. The pro-government commentator recalls that the Paris terrorist attack may have had links to Syrian groups, but the massacre was organized and carried out by individuals in Europe. He accuses the great powers who claim they want to stem terrorism in Syria of pushing their own geopolitical agendas and economic and energy interests.