, the Qatari story would be totally ignored by the American mainstream media. In fact, not a single major outlet in the United States ran the story, though there were a few English-language articles in the Middle East. The only appearances in the U.S. were alternative media like Zero Hedge, the Ron Paul Institute, Antiwar.com, and a few others, mostly bloggers picking up from Zero Hedge.

1. Bombshell Revelation of US and Saudi
Culpability in Creating ISIS Ignored by
Mainstream Media – and by the Team Trump
JAMESGEORGE JATRAS| 03.11.2017 | OPINION
Here it is, right from the horse’s mouth! Qatar’s former prime minister spills his guts
about how his country worked with Saudi Arabia and Turkey under the direction of
the United States – meaning then the Obama Administration – to funnel arms and
money to jihad terrorists in Syria:
‘The explosive interview constitutes a high level "public admission to collusion
and coordination between four countries to destabilize an independent state,
[including] possible support for Nusra/al-Qaeda." ... Former Prime
Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani, who oversaw Syria operations on
behalf of Qatar until 2013,... said while acknowledging Gulf nations were arming
jihadists in Syria with the approval and support of US and Turkey: "I don't want to go
into details but we have full documents about us taking charge [in Syria]." He
claimed that both Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah (who reigned until his death in 2015)
and the United States placed Qatar in a lead role concerning covert operations to
execute the proxy war.
‘The former prime minister's comments, while very revealing, were intended as a
defense and excuse of Qatar's support for terrorism, and as a critique of the US
and Saudi Arabia for essentially leaving Qatar "holding the bag" in terms of the war
against Assad. Al-Thani explained that Qatar continued its financing of armed
insurgents in Syria while other countries eventually wound down large-scale support,
which is why he lashed out at the US and the Saudis, who initially "were with us in
the same trench."’ [“In Shocking, Viral Interview, Qatar Confesses Secrets Behind
Syrian War,” Zero Hedge, October 29]
Busted! Consider the vulnerability of the former U.S. officials who were in charge at
that time, President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Just now,
the latter had had her worst week since losing the election with the revelations about
the Steele dossier, the Uranium One caper, and the Podesta Group’s implication in
“RussiaGate.” The only thing now is to sit back and watch the fireworks
show! From Tom Luongo (citing Zero Hedge):
‘Folks, I’ve been telling you for days now that the containment wall around Hillary
Clinton has been breaking down. Now Qatar, which really has nothing to lose at this
point outing the Obama Administration’s complicity in this, especially since the
Saudis turned on them and tried to make them the scapegoat for the failed
insurgency in Syria.

2. ‘But, to directly finger the U.S. CIA and State Departments, then under the control of
Hillary Clinton, is absolutely the most damaging thing they could possibly do at this
point in time.’
Here it comes! You almost have to feel sorry for poor Hillary! The Trump team and
their media supporters – starting with Fox News, which had been dancing on
Hillary’s political grave all last week – will be all over this story in no time!
Except they weren’t. While Luongo pointed to what should have happened, there
was not a peep from anyone in the Administration. Nor anything on Fox. Both were
as mum as the mainstream media, which predictably were as silent as the graves of
the hundreds of thousands of Syrians slaughtered by the jihadists.
No fireworks, just the chirping of crickets. As I predicted at the time, the Qatari story
would be totally ignored by the American mainstream media. In fact, not a single
major outlet in the United States ran the story, though there were a few English-
language articles in the Middle East. The only appearances in the U.S. were
alternative media like Zero Hedge, the Ron Paul Institute, Antiwar.com, and a few
others, mostly bloggers picking up from Zero Hedge.
In short, far from a blockbuster, it was a non-event. Non-news. It didn’t happen. The
story wasn’t even noticed by those who had a direct, partisan political interest in
hyping it.
Just like last time.
Recall: in August 2016 Donald Trump accused Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton of
being respectively the “founder” and “co-founder” of ISIS. Outrage across the media
and political world! The supposedly neutral fact-checkers leaped into action to
denounce Trump. “False,” declared FactCheck.org. Flirting with “conspiracy
theories,” sniffed Snopes. “Pants on Fire,” pronounced PolitiFact.
Well, sure, what do you expect from the MSM and their pet gatekeepers? How much
sweeter the victory would be when Team Trump hits back with the proof! In eager
anticipation I emailed a few contacts working on the campaign (August 11, 2016):
‘Gents
‘We all know MSM are liars, but DJT’s accusation that Obama and Hillary are
founder and co-founder of ISIS is true. Putting money and weapons into support for
jihadists was foreseen (when Hillary was SecState) in 2012 DIA memo to result in
“salafist principality,” what became ISIS in 2013. Flynn has said this was not a “blind
eye,” it was a “willful decision”!

3. ‘I haven’t seen a peep about this memo and Flynn’s comments in any outlet yet re
the “founder/co-founder” accusation. Are you going to put out something from the
campaign? Do you want me to draft something?
‘Jim’
The response: “Write something from your angle first.” Sure, no problem, I’m happy
to serve it up. For the good of the cause! Make America Great Again! I wrote back:
‘Feel free to use -- let me know.
‘MEDIA IGNORE D.I.A. MEMO THAT PROVES TRUMP’S CLAIM THAT OBAMA
AND CLINTON ‘FOUNDED’ I.S.I.S.
‘The latest example of the major media’s “in the tank for Hillary” behavior is the
hysterical response to Donald J. Trump’s accusation that President Barack Obama
and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are the “founder” and “co-founder,”
respectively of the Islamic State (ISIS, ISIL).
‘Not one major media outlet has bothered to mention the official document that
proves the absolute truth of Mr. Trump’s charges.
‘In 2015, subject to a FOIA request from Judicial Watch, an August 2012 Defense
Intelligence Agency (DIA) report was made public. It specified that outside support
for jihadist forces – in which al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) and the Muslim Brotherhood
figured prominently – fighting against the Syrian government created the “possibility
of establishing a declared or undeclared Salafist [radical Islamic terrorist] principality
in Eastern Syria, and this is exactly what the supporting powers to the opposition
want, in order to isolate the Syrian regime.” Hillary Clinton was at that time Barack
Obama’s Secretary of State.
‘The following year, in April 2013, the predicted “Salafist principality” did indeed
come into existence, with the AQI’s declarating itself as the “Islamic State of Iraq and
Syria” – ISIS.
‘As Mr. Trump has pointed out, a necessary precondition for the emergence of ISIS
was Barack Obama’s precipitous withdrawal of American forces from Iraq, which
facilitated AQI’s extending its operations into Syria. But also essential was the
reckless decision of the Obama White House and Clinton State Department to
pursue in Syria the same “regime change” policy that had led to disaster in Libya.
This meant pumping money and weapons into the Syrian war in support of al-
Qaeda-led jihadists.
‘Last year, commenting on the 2012 report, General Michael Flynn, formerly DIA
director and now an adviser to Mr. Trump, commented that the rise of what became
ISIS was not a result of turning a “blind eye” but of a “willful decision” to allow the

4. anticipated “Salafist principality” to come into being. As General Flynn commented in
an Al Jazeera interview:
Hasan: You are basically saying that even in government at the time you knew these
groups were around, you saw this analysis, and you were arguing against it, but who
wasn’t listening?
Flynn: I think the administration.
Hasan: So the administration turned a blind eye to your analysis?
Flynn: I don’t know that they turned a blind eye, I think it was a decision. I think it
was a willful decision.
Hasan: A willful decision to support an insurgency that had Salafists, Al Qaeda and
the Muslim Brotherhood?
Flynn: It was a willful decision to do what they’re doing.
‘The record is clear. Barely a year into the Syrian war, the Obama Administration
knew a jihadist quasi-state would form if support for terrorists continued. As a “willful
decision,” the Obama Administration, in cooperation with regional allies, continued
that support that led to the formation of ISIS, exactly as expected. Obama’s role as
the “founder” and Hillary’s as “cofounder” couldn’t be clearer.’
After that there was no response from Team Trump. Even Flynn, who was already
on the record as of 2015, made no reference to the smoking gun from DIA – the very
agency he had once headed!
In short, for whatever reason, even at that early date – August 2016 – Trump’s
operation was already in the hands of people who were committed to the Deep
State’s perspectives. No, arming jihadists in Syria wasn’t the problem. Nor was
overthrowing Kaddafi and sloshing the region with Libyan weapons. Nor was ousting
Saddam Hussein and opening up Iraq to both Iran and al-Qaeda. The only
admissible mistake was pulling outfrom someplace we had deployed American
forces.
For what it was worth, I decided to publish a version of my spurned talking points as
a commentary in Chronicles magazine. A few others also took note of the DIA
memo, such as Alex Newman of The New American. That was about it.
Ever the masochist, I decided to contact Louis Jacobson and Amy Sherman, the two
relevant hacks atPolitiFact (August 12):
‘Dear Mr. Jacobson and Ms. Sherman

5. ‘This is Jim Jatras. I am a former US diplomat and former foreign policy adviser to
the US Senate Republican leadership.
‘I don’t know how it is possible give a “truth-o-meter” rating of “pants on fire” to
Trump’s claim that Obama and Hillary founded ISIS without even passing reference
to the August 2012 DIA report that said if the western powers, Gulf States, and
Turkey kept aiding radical Islamic forces in Syria – led by al-Qaeda in Iraq and the
Muslim Brotherhood – it could result in the appearance of a “Salafist principality” in
eastern Syria. That is just what happened, in the form of ISIS’s declaration of
statehood a few months later in April 2013. General Michael Flynn, formerly DIA
director, has said on the record that that result was not a result of a “blind eye” but
was a “willful decision.” The memo itself also is specific that that outcome was
desired by the “supporting powers” and that they knew the nature of the forces they
were supporting.
‘Consider intent, causation, and effect. An intelligence service says, in sum, if you
keep doing A you’re likely to get B. So they keep doing A as a deliberate policy
choice, B results right on cue. “Sarcasm” aside, what Trump said is accurate.
‘On the assumption that your omitting this aspect was a simple oversight and not
evidence that Politifact is “in the tank” for #WarmongerHillary like the rest of the
MSM, please consider amending your judgment to refer to and cite my commentary
below. I am available to answer any questions or provide more information, either by
email or at [xxxxxxx].
‘Regards
‘Jim’