Where is Syria headed?
JVL Introduction
Another interesting article on Syria – with which some of our readers may not agree. As always we welcome comment and debate especially where this can help readers to consider different points of view in these volatile times. The situation in Syria remains uncertain; the leaders seem very keen to reassure the western powers that they have changed and are not, eg coming after Israel. Despite some claiming Israel is behind the overthrow of Assad, they seemed to have had a strange quiet accord with that barbaric regime as Israel had not invaded further into Syria, the military apparatus was left alone and Assad did not contest the Israeli Occupation of the Golan Heights. Israel’s numerous air strikes and destruction of weapons and Syria’s navy hardly gives credibility to thay argument. For those of us who see justice for Palestine and Palestinians as key for the region, we might wish that the new leadership said more about the importance of freedom for Palestinians but they seem to be, perhaps understandably, focused on building a national movement and administrative structures.
The writer also notes, with regret, that many countries have stopped considering applications for asylum from Syrians and some have even started to consider expulsions of those to whom they have given shelter.
We will continue to post articles that we feel are interesting and, as always, publishing an article does not indicate a JVL position but a desire to stimulate discussion.
LL
Please note that this article has been translated from the original Arabic published here: Al-Quds al-Arabi
This article was originally published by Al Quds Al Arabi on Tue 10 Dec 2024. Read the original here.
Where is Syria headed?
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You’re quite right about one thing – not everyone will agree with you! I suggest that this dramatic change would only be possible if almost everyone had agreed to it beforehand. I doubt Assad was in agreement, but he had no choice. But for everyone else it is a win-win. Even for Iran, for whom rapprochement with the gulf and Saudi now has no barriers. USA can back out of ME. I can assure you that Russia will still continue to have influence through Turkey and will keep its bases.
It is nonsense like this that makes one despair about the Middle East. Assad deserves criticism – but HTS has done absolutely nothing to help Palestinians. Yesterday it announced a moratorium on the activity of pro-Palestinian groups
‘Representatives from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the new ruling extremist organization in Damascus, informed the representatives of the Palestinian factions in Syria they would no longer be allowed to possess any weapons, training camps, or military headquarters, Ibrahim Amin of Al-Akhbar reported on 13 December.
Amin further reports that the factions must dissolve their military formations as soon as possible in exchange for political and charitable work under the roof of the new Syrian state.
Palestinian factions, including Fatah, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC), the Saiqa, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) Martyr Ali Aswad Brigade, have had a presence in Syria as guests of the government for decades’.
HTS was cultivated by the CIA and MI6 who exploited the sectarianism of the Muslim Brotherhood. This is just an extension of the divide and rule Shia v Sunni strategy the British have followed for years and which has been embraced by the US. Articles like this do great harm to the struggle for unity.
So far the “liberators” of Syria have:
* Declared they are following the “free market” economic model
* Allowed Israel to annex strategic areas in the south of the country
* Declared Palestinian resistance groups in Syria must disarm
* Started attacking minority communities
These people are simply tools of imperialism who are doing the job the US pays them to do in wrecking the Syrian economy and state, and as always, it’s mainstream leftists, like Owen Jones, who are gleeful about Assads departure. These same people say their pro Palestinian, but whenever imperialism, which is an enemy of Palestinians, triumphs, they can’t contain themselves, and don’t even see the contradiction in their views.
The threat to Israel has multiplied many times over for the very simple reason every rebel faction will go to the highest bidder
What this article calls ‘detainees’ includes right wing Islamist terrorist groups (Isis, al-Queda and others) that were imprisoned and have also committed war crimes. I see the detention of such groups by the Assad regime (which I am no supporter of) as necessary. Now that they are freed we have a real danger to Syria and the rest of the world.