[🇸🇾] Rebels Oust Assad

[Sharma Ji]

Syria is finished guys. The day Assad sahb told Khamenei that his army's defected to the IDF and Al-Turkiya, is the day Khamenei decided to cut him loose. This happened a month ago!

Syria will balkanize soon.

Iran can't hemorrhage millions every week on a failed venture like Syria anymore.

True, its over. Years of further instability will follow with all these al qaeda/nusra (or whatever they calling themselves now) fighting among themselves.

More refugees to Europe

Greater Ijrael

(((their))) plan worked

 

[Saif]

A new dawn for Syria

The country's future must be determined by Syrians

www.thedailystar.net

A new dawn for Syria
The country's future must be determined by Syrians

Visual: Star

With the end of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's brutal 24-year reign on December 8, the Syrian people finally have an opportunity to now rebuild their nation. Islamist-led rebel groups swept into Damascus, forcing Assad to flee to Russia, marking a spectacular end of five decades of Ba'ath Party rule in the country. After more than 13 years of civil war, during which Assad's forces ruthlessly suppressed protesters, his government collapsed in the face of a surprising 11-day offensive launched by rebel groups. Only weeks ago, few could have anticipated this dramatic turn in Syria's fate, which now stands at a crossroads as the Middle East grapples with widespread chaos and instability.

Following Assad's ouster, huge crowds were seen cheering in the streets of Damascus. Prisoners held in notorious black sites were reportedly freed by the rebels. Notably, Assad's reign ended after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)—listed as a terrorist organisation by Western governments and others, including Russia—captured the strategic city of Homs. However, HTS and other rebel groups themselves have dubious human rights records. Given this reality, the UN war crimes investigators have urged those now taking charge in Syria to ensure that the atrocities committed under Assad's rule are not repeated.

Since the start of the most recent rebel offensive, it is estimated that at least 910 people have been killed, including 138 civilians. The war in Syria has already claimed a conservative estimate of 500,000 lives and displaced nearly half of the country's population. It is, therefore, imperative that, with the fall of the previous regime, the country moves forward and begins to heal. The first step towards stability is ending the violence, with all parties in Syria engaging in dialogue to reach a solution that reflects people's will. Moreover, it is crucial that the transition of power proceeds peacefully and that all ethnic, religious and social groups in the country are protected from persecution.

Despite Assad's ruthless actions against his own people, internal factors were not the sole drivers of his regime's collapse. Syria became a battleground for geopolitical rivalries, as external powers exploited the crisis to further their own agendas. Already after the regime change, Israel has seized territory in Syria-controlled areas of the Golan Heights, with its prime minister ordering forces to establish a buffer zone in the region. Reports also indicate that Israel has resumed bombing campaigns in Syria, violating international law and further exacerbating uncertainty both within the country and across the region.

Given the years of suffering endured by the Syrian people—caused by both internal and external factors—it is imperative that foreign interference in the country comes to an end. While the international community should step forward to provide aid and funding for Syria's reconstruction, foreign powers must cease using the country as a pawn in their geopolitical chessboards. The future of Syria must be determined by its own people. Only then can the nation truly reap the benefits of ousting a brutal dictator.​

 

[Saif]

Lessons from Syria’s struggle for freedom

THE question of who ousted Bashar al-Assad has dominated countless headlines, debates and think tank discussions. Yet, for the millions of Syrians whose lives have been shaped — and shattered — by decades of brutal governance, this question is a distraction. The real focus should be on the human...

www.newagebd.net

Lessons from Syria’s struggle for freedom
Abdul Monaiem Kudrot Ullah 10 December, 2024, 00:00

People celebrate at Umayyad Square in Damascus on December 8. | Agence France-Presse

THE question of who ousted Bashar al-Assad has dominated countless headlines, debates and think tank discussions. Yet, for the millions of Syrians whose lives have been shaped — and shattered — by decades of brutal governance, this question is a distraction. The real focus should be on the human cost of oppression, the erasure of freedoms and the desperation of a people whose basic rights have been systematically stripped away.

For over half a century, Syria endured the iron-fisted rule of the Assad regime. Under the guise of stability and anti-imperialism, the government presided over an era marked by fear, repression and relentless state violence. Disappearances, extrajudicial killings and a deeply entrenched culture of corruption within intelligence agencies became the norm. Syrians lived in a society where dissent was met with imprisonment, torture, or death.

In such an environment, the natural human yearning for freedom and dignity transcends political ideology or religious affiliation. People suffering under such oppressive conditions do not concern themselves with the geopolitical machinations of foreign powers. They seek an escape from tyranny. They seek justice. They seek a life where they are free to speak, assemble and dream without fear of reprisal.

Legacy of tyranny

THE Assad regime’s oppressive reach was not confined to Syria’s borders. For decades, it extended into Lebanon, controlling parts of the country, particularly the north, with an iron grip. For residents of Tripoli, the presence of Assad’s forces was a daily reminder of their vulnerability. Checkpoints dotted the roads, serving not as symbols of security but as instruments of terror.

Travellers recount harrowing tales of random beatings and detentions, their fate decided by the mood of soldiers. Fishermen returning from long days at sea were forced to surrender their best catch and farmers transporting produce from the mountains were compelled to hand over portions of their cargo at every stop. This exploitation turned livelihoods into a daily struggle for survival.

The regime’s cruelty escalated during the 1980s when it waged war on Tripoli twice. In 1983, Assad’s forces attacked the city to root out Yasir Arafat and the PLO. The shelling was relentless, reducing homes and infrastructure to rubble. Families sought refuge in schools and countless lives were lost.

Three years later, in 1986, the regime returned, this time targeting the Islamic group Tawheed, which had once been its ally. Tripoli endured another round of indiscriminate bombardment. Even after the fighting subsided, the regime violated peace agreements, systematically hunting down those who had dared to resist. Families were left to mourn loved ones executed in cold blood or lost to the black hole of Syrian prisons.

The regime’s tactics were not limited to warfare. Car bombs in crowded streets caused unspeakable carnage, killing scores of innocent civilians. One Tripoli resident recalled losing several family members to these acts of terror. This legacy of violence and repression left scars that would haunt generations.

Syrian civil war: a tragedy of unimaginable scale

THE horrors inflicted on Tripoli pale in comparison to what Syria has endured since the uprising of 2011. The Assad regime responded to peaceful protests with brutal force, plunging the country into a civil war that has left hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced. Entire cities have been reduced to rubble and the humanitarian crisis has reached staggering proportions.

The international response has been a patchwork of competing interests and half-hearted interventions. Foreign powers, each with their own agendas, have exploited the chaos. While some entered under the banner of fighting extremism or promoting stability, their involvement often exacerbated the suffering of the Syrian people.

Geopolitical conspiracy theories abound, suggesting that foreign powers such as the United States, Türkiye, or Israel orchestrated the removal of Assad to serve their strategic interests. While these narratives dominate discourse, they miss the point. The root of Syria’s tragedy lies in the decades-long oppression that created the conditions for such chaos.

The path forward

THE enduring lesson from Syria is clear: tyranny creates a void that foreign powers are all too willing to exploit. When a government denies its people justice, freedom and avenues for peaceful dissent, it paves the way for external intervention. The only true defence against such exploitation is a government rooted in the will of its people — a government that is accountable, transparent and democratic.

True sovereignty does not lie in merely repelling foreign influence. It lies in empowering citizens to shape their own destiny. A government chosen through free and fair elections disarms external actors by denying them the chaos and disenfranchisement they thrive upon.

Resilience of the Syrian people

THE Syrian people have endured unimaginable suffering. Yet, their resilience and yearning for freedom remain a beacon of hope. Their stories — of survival, resistance and unwavering hope — deserve to be told and honoured.

As the world looks at Syria, let us not be distracted by conspiracy theories or geopolitical blame games. Instead, let us focus on the human cost of tyranny and work towards a future where the voices of Syrians are heard, their rights respected and their dignity restored.

The struggle for a free and just Syria is not just a regional issue; it is a universal call to uphold the principles of human rights, democracy and justice. Let this be the foundation upon which a new Syria rises — one that embodies the aspirations of its people and stands as a testament to their resilience and courage.

A shared struggle for freedom

THE Syrian people’s relentless pursuit of freedom and justice echoes across borders, resonating with countless others who yearn for similar liberation. The recent uprising in Bangladesh, a nation that has historically championed democratic ideals, serves as a stark reminder of the global struggle against authoritarianism.

Just as the Syrian people have endured decades of oppression, the citizens of Bangladesh have confronted their own share of challenges. Both nations have witnessed the erosion of democratic norms, the suppression of dissent and the misuse of state power. The parallels between these two struggles are undeniable, highlighting the universality of the human desire for liberty and dignity.

As the world watches these unfolding events, it is crucial to recognise the interconnectedness of these struggles. The Syrian people’s unwavering spirit and the Bangladeshi people’s pursuit of a democratic future inspire us all to stand in solidarity with those who fight for a better world. By amplifying their voices and supporting their causes, we can contribute to a future where justice, freedom and human rights prevail.

Abdul Monaiem Kudrot Ullah is a retired Captain of Bangladesh Navy.​

 

[Lulldapull]

True, its over. Years of further instability will follow with all these al qaeda/nusra (or whatever they calling themselves now) fighting among themselves.

More refugees to Europe

Greater Ijrael

(((their))) plan worked

Iran won't let these fukkers rest though. Iran will come up with a new plan soon.

The IRGC has already announced a bypass of the Syrian land route to confront the west.

There's no way in hell Iran decided to abandon Assad in isolation. It's a calculated move.

If something ain't workin, yous gotta find a new alternative.

Goal remains the same.

As weak as this Syria was, Israel's far weaker........only on western life support.

 

[Sharma Ji]

@Lulldapull

 

[Dogun18]

 

[Sharma Ji]

He/him

 

[Saif]

A new Syria in a crises-enveloped world

The speedy fall of the Bashar Assad regime in Syria brings about a dramatic change in the politics of the Middle East. In the first place, it changes the dynamics in Syria, given that the 54-year family domination of the country, first by Hafez Assad and then by his son, has come to an end. In the

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

A new Syria in a crises-enveloped world
Syed Badrul Ahsan
Published :
Dec 11, 2024 21:50
Updated :
Dec 11, 2024 21:50

A man holds a revolutionary flag Tuesday as others celebrate during the third day of the takeover of Damascus, Syria, by insurgents Photo : Agency

The speedy fall of the Bashar Assad regime in Syria brings about a dramatic change in the politics of the Middle East. In the first place, it changes the dynamics in Syria, given that the 54-year family domination of the country, first by Hafez Assad and then by his son, has come to an end. In the second, the success achieved by Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), the rebel force which is now in control in Damascus, leads to the next question, which is whether Syria now has a democratic opening or there is the dire probability of the country sliding to Islamist rule.

One cannot ignore the fact that in countries such as the United States, the HTS leader Abu Mohamed al Jawlani remains on a list of terrorists. To what extent or whether that name can be removed from the list is a big question, the answer to which depends on the next few days and on what the rebels mean to do with their new found power. To suggest that the HTS has full control over the country would be wrong owing to the fact that over the last more than a decade Syria has been sliced into pockets of domination by various groups, all of which were dedicated to the overthrow of the Assad dispensation.

The dramatic change in Syria raises a good number of other questions, all of which have a bearing on geopolitics, especially on the state of the region from here on. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been cheered by the change, gloating that his country has reshaped the Middle East. Whether the military offensive by Israel in Gaza against Hamas and in Lebanon against Hezbollah has been a fresh and positive beginning for the Middle East is a question for scholars and historians to dwell on. The organised murder of 44,000-plus Palestinians and the scores of Hamas and Hezbollah senior figures killed in Israeli missile strikes are certainly no marker to any positive change.

But, yes, Israel's relentless military assaults on Hamas and Hezbollah have left the two forces hugely diminished in their power to undertake any fresh armed assault against Tel Aviv. The manner in which Israel pounded away at Hezbollah positions in Lebanon was admittedly instrumental in decimating the group, which for years has been a dominant player in Arab radicalism in the region. With Hezbollah in a battered state, the Assad regime had little chance of survival. More to the point, a weakened Hezbollah is a reflection of the loss of regional influence which now stares Iran in the face. Neither Hezbollah nor the clerics in Tehran had anticipated such a situation arising in the days when they backed Bashar Assad in his campaigns against his enemies.

The victory of the HTS leaves Iran with influence greatly shredded in the current situation. Add to that the loss of face for Russia, where President Vladimir Putin has been a strong pillar of support for Assad in the latter's fearsome military campaigns against the forces trying to remove him from power. Yet in the past couple of years, Moscow's focus on its war against Ukraine inevitably led to a steady erosion of military supplies to the Damascus regime, leaving Assad rather high and dry. The definitive conclusion today is that it is not merely Bashar Assad who has lost power; it is Iran and Russia which suddenly find themselves out of Syria, a loss of influence which may never be recovered, if at all, anytime soon.

The swiftness with which the HTS rebels overran Syrian cities is testimony to the determination with which the group shaped strategy to push the long-entrenched regime out of power in Damascus. The jubilation with which the rebels were welcomed in Damascus and the hero's treatment accorded to Jawlani when he arrived at Damascus' leading mosque were clearly a release of emotions long suppressed by Syrians. That thousands of Syrians went searching for their relatives long imprisoned by the regime in public and secret prisons threw up the image of the brutality which defined the working of the Assad regime. It may well be that many of those hidden away by the regime will never be found.

And that is a tragedy which is generally the aftermath of the fall of brutal and corrupt regimes in the underdeveloped regions of the world. In Syria's difficult history, such brutality and corruption surfaced in the 1950s, following feeble attempts to have the country, free of dominance by the French, who ruled the place from 1920 to 1946, under what was known as a mandate, inaugurate a democratic order for its citizens. Coups, counter-coups, intrigues, executions of military officers caught in the act of planning insurrections have been part of Syrian history. There have been leftist politicians such as Michel Aflaq whose attempts to have Syria governed through socialism amounted to little. And then came the short-lived political union with Egypt under Gamal Abdel Nasser, known as the United Arab Republic (UAR). It lasted from 1958 to 1961. Syrians were happy to have their independence restored following the collapse of the UAR experiment.

Syria was pulverised in the Six-Day War in June 1967 by Israel. It lost the Golan Heights even as Egypt saw the Sinai passing under Israeli occupation and Jordan lost the most productive part of it, the West Bank, to Israel. To put it briefly, Syrians have historically paid a price for reasons that were not of their making. But worse was to come after 1967, when in 1970 Hafez Assad, defence minister in the government, seized power and would keep the country in his grip till his death in 2000. Any expectations that his passing would lead to a democratic opening for Syria came to naught, given his family's hold on power. Pusillanimous loyalists of Hafez Assad duly placed Bashar Assad, an eye specialist trained in Britain, in power as the country's new President. Under both Assads, sections as well as religious sects in the country suffered heavily. Under both men, chemical weapons were freely deployed against civilians and groups opposed to the regime.

The fall of the Bashar Assad regime sharply changes equations in the Middle East. It introduces a new element in a widening circle of global crises. With Ukraine and Russia remaining locked in war, with Sudan unravelling through the unabashed ambitions of its generals, with Afghanistan back in medievalism, with the far right making dents in European politics, an Assad-free but unstable Syria adds to the woes of the world. Looking behind one's shoulder, one spots the grave uncertainty looming over the coming four years with Donald Trump back in the American presidency.​