For more than half a century, Al- Assad family ruled Syria with an iron fist, with reports of mass incarceration torture, killings and atrocities against the Syrian people. The stunning fall of Al-Assad family rule has been described as a historic event, nearly after more than 13 years of war, and after Syrians rose in peaceful demonstrations against a government that met them with violence, met them with all its military forces, including chemical weapons, weapons that meant to be used against the enemies, but only were used to kill its own people, and the remaining of those weapons were ironically destroyed in the Israeli and American airstrikes, instead of being used to defend our unarmed brothers in Gaza.
In 2012, the government used heavy weapons against rebel groups, including air raids. The unrest spread, prompting an armed rebellion that drew in regional and international powers. Of course the regime atrocities made the peaceful demonstrations spiral into a bloody civil war that was nourished and fueled by regional and international playes, during which hundreds of thousands of people killed and millions displaced.
Now, the 24-year rule of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad which resembled the rule of his father’s 30 years of authoritarian governance is over.
US and Israel shameful actions in Syria
Before and after the fall of Al Assad, the actions of the US and Israel in Syria are beyond shameful. Since al-Assad’s dramatic flight to Russia last Sunday, and despite UN protests, Israel has attacked Syria more than 480 times, and launched a military incursion into the buffer zone that has separated the two countries since 1974.
Syrian weapons were used against Syrians, not against the enemies
Instead of using Syrian weapons against the enemies, instead of defending the defenseless unarmed Palestinian brothers in Gaza, the Assad regime used its military forces against its own people, and in spite of the non-ending Israeli provocations and airstrikes on Syrian lands during past months, he didn't respond, he didn't dare to defend his dignity, and the dignity of the Syrian lands and, instead stored weapons to kill his fellow brothers and sisters, and ironically were destroyed by the Israelis and Americans.
What made Israel dare to launch such attacks?
Israel has already tested the reaction of the Arab and Muslim world and the international community in Gaza, that remained silent and inactive toward its genocide against the defenseless civil Palestinians, so it feels free to commit more crimes, and is more enthusiastic to invade Syrian lands and other Arab lands defying the international laws and UN resolutions
Israel has carried hundreds of airstrikes on Syria, a country that was already destroyed by conflicts, wars and without an army or a government.
On the other hand, the U.S. bombed 75 sites, claiming they were targeting ISIS. Of course the American claims are not acceptable, the US has never left Syria, under the disguise of fighting ISIS terror, and they were there to steal the Syrian oil.
US presence in Syria was to steal Syrian oil
Contradicting his own officials and the Republican leadership on a range of issues, who have insisted that the remaining forces were in Syria to fight Isis (which is an American made), Donald Trump has insisted that the US military presence in Syria is “only for the oil. Moreover, Trump when he was president, admitted openly that their real motive has nothing to do with helping Syrians—it’s about greed for oil and power.
US and Israel support for SDF
To make things worse, the US armed the SDF, the Syrian Democratic Forces, which is a Kurdish-led coalition of US, backed up by Israel, and which occupyed Syria’s oil-rich regions. This group has been committing crimes and attacking Syrians who dared to stand up against their rule. In fact, the SDF is an extension of the Kurdish Separatist Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK), which Turkey, the US, and the EU list as a terrorist group. SDF's civilian and military leaders like Salih Muslim and Mazloum Abdi have never denied their connection with PKK, but as a movement, the Syrian Kurds have been forthright about their intentions not to pursue the historical ambitions of the PKK and carry out terrorist attacks inside Turkey, with the intention of grabbing lands. Instead, their goal has been to fight against ISIS, that threatens their very existence and secondly to survive in Al Assad’s Syria after the end of the conflict. It is worth mentioning that this group along with the PKK have strong ties with Israel, and they usually raise the Israeli flag in their demonstrations in western cities.
To be fair, the Kurdish problem is a controversial issue that cannot be addressed here without taking into consideration the history of their sufferings, and how this problem was used by enemies in the region and outside it.
What is clear is that the American actions in Syria aren’t the actions of a nation bringing peace or justice. They’re the actions of invaders exploiting a country in ruins. It is sad that Syria will have to endure more suffering due to the US and other powers endless greed. It is a shame that the world stay silent while the US and Israel destroy a country that has been devastated, and steal the resources from a nation that’s already struggling to survive.
Gas and oil defined geopolitics and civil war in Syria
Russian interests in Syria
One of the main reasons why Putin supported AL Assad's regime was to ensure that gas and oil from the Arab Gulf States would not flow to the EU via the cheapest route which is through pipelines. Putin wanted to protect the dependency of Europe on Gazprom and Nord Stream, considerations which today are less important to Russia.
After the fall of Assad's regime and in the event of stabilization of Syria, pipelines could be laid through Syria and Turkey and provide Europe with an alternative to Russian gas. This also explains as well the interest of Turkey in getting Assad removed, for its easy access to energy and lucrative transit fees. But also US has a dog in this fight, by pushing its own expensive LNG to Europe. Irrespective of this « pipeline-dream » Europe needs therefore to double down on renewables, and also include a big nuclear component.
If history has taught us anything, it is the greed for power and influence; it is gas and oil that defined geopolitics in Syria.
The danger of Sectarian divisions in Syria and Israeli interests
Israeli strategies to split Syria
Some prominent Israeli figures have spoken about their hopes and views of Israeli interests in Syria. Benny Gantz, leader of the National Unity party and a Netanyahu opponent, said that this was “an opportunity of historic proportion” for Israel. He called on policymakers to “develop our relations with the Druze, Kurds and other groups in Syria”, suggesting that Israel may be able to develop relations with groups who have traditionally opposed the coalition of armed opposition that deposed al-Assad.
Also The Israeli Times , talked about this in an article titled, “With Assad’s fall, the possible splintering of Syria arises hopes for a new Middle East”, and interviewed a researcher and former member of the Israeli military, who took Gantz suggestion even further, suggesting that Syria could be split into a series of cantons, each of them will be free to cooperate with external actors, including Israel.
“The modern nation-state in the Middle East has failed,” former Colonel Anan Wahabi, who identified as a member of the Druze minority, said.
The Arab and Muslim world should be aware of the dangers they are facing now, and should learn the lesson from history that justice, solidarity, stability and unity constitute a threat to enemies and their partners, whose dangers we do not realize.
------------------------------
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/13/donald-trump-syria-oil-us-troops-isis-turkey
https://www.timesofisrael.com/with-assads-fall-the-possible-splintering-of-syria-buoys-hopes-for-a-new-middle-east/
