Rebels liberated Syria from Assad's oppression - this reduces influence of Iran and Russia in the Middle East - OPPOSED to ISIS and Al Qaeda - true meaning of jihad in Islam is peace not war
[MID EDIT and will update as needed]
This is a great relief for the Syrian people. The rebels are NOT ISIS for any who worry about that. The opposite they have fought against ISIS. The leader has links with Al Qaeda but seems to have severed those links.
While the ones that approached Damascus from the South were ordinary Syrians who were living in refugee camps. They had lost their homes, their relatives, and are moderates not Jihadists at all.
It's the end of an oppressive regime. It was remarkably peaceful very little actual fighting. The Iranian soldiers for the most part fled, surrendered or just joined the rebels. It's already over for most of the country.
The rebels HTS from the North are Jihadists but they have moved a long way abandoning all the anti-West ideology also get on well with Christians and are opposed to enslavement of women.
Unusually for Jihadists, HTS are
nationalistic and focused on freeing Syria from Assad’s regime.
not anti-Western
opposed to Al Quaeda and ISIS
get on well with Christians
get on well with aid agencies who run hospitals in their cities
are opposed to the enslavement of women.
are opposed to imposing any dress code on women
On that last, the insurgents’ General Command says
“It is strictly forbidden to interfere with women’s dress or impose any request related to their clothing or appearance, including requests for modesty.”
. Syrian insurgents say they won’t impose dress codes on women or limit personal freedoms
They now fight ISIS, with some success. There have been no ISIS atrocities in HTS held territories since 2018. Examining Extremism: Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) | CSIS
There would be concern if it was an HTS dictatorship.
However, so far, it looks as if they want to transition to a democratic Syria rather than a dictatorship.
It’s not yet certain whether government of Syria will be HTS dominated or a broader group of people in government (which many Syrians would prefer).
But it looks as if it may be headed to a broader group, and a democracy with free and fair elections.
Syria should have an 18 month transition period to establish "a safe, neutral, and quiet environment" for free elections, Hadi Al-Bahra, the head of Syria's main opposition abroad, said to Reuters on the sidelines of the Doha Forum on Sunday.
…
Al-Bahra, President of the Syrian National Coalition, said Syria should draft a constitution within six months, on which the first election would be a referendum.
"The constitution will say, are we going to have a parliamentary system, presidential system, or mixed system? And based on this, we do the election and the people choose their leader," said Al-Bahra.
. Syrian opposition leader calls for 18 month transition period before elections
Whatever happens - they are a new thing.
This is an example tweet from Rim Turkmani, who comes from Homs and who hasn’t been able to return since she criticised the Assad regime in 2011 and was put on the list of people who can’t return to Syria
For the first time in 53 years, my home city of #Homs is free of the oppressive criminal Assad regime. Now I have hope in visiting the grave of my mom who died without me being be able to say goodbye to her because I am persona non grata in my country. Best of all is that so far it all happened without bloodshed inside the city. All feels unreal…
She trained as an astrophysicist but is now an expert on Syrian politics.
This interview she did with the BBC talks about what it was like for Syrians she is in touch with in Hom, the third largest city when it was liberated. She also talks about how the rebels worked with various groups in Homs to ensure that the transfer was peaceful, and to stop looting and to assure minority groups there that they would not harm them.
She says that there’s a sense of disbelief in Homs. 55 years ago the Assad regime descended on their city like a black cloud, and now it is all over.
She talks about how it is going to be very difficult but Syrians throughout the country are coming together, many diverse groups to prevent bloodshed. Before the Rebels came into Homs city they had intense communications with the residents, Muslims, Chrisitans and other minorities who calmed everyone down and reduced the tension.
She warns against a dictatorship led by HTS.
Video here: Rim Turkmani (@Rim_Turkmani) on X
This seems promising:
TWEET: HTS not going for the cult of personality: tells everyone to refrain from putting pictures of Ahmad al-Shar’a (Jawlani) on cars, walls, banners, or inside government offices.
The rebels are sure to be better than Assad's regime which imprisoned 120,000 of his citizens without trial and tortured, killed and gassed many of them. As well as used chemical weapons against them on occasion.
It seems surely an improvement on Assad for the Syrians and hopefully they find a new government of some form soon.
Here is a map of the area from ISW with annotations to explain what happened:
TEXT ON GRAPHIC: Not so extraordinary for Jihadists to turn towards peace - true meaning of Jihand in Islam is peace not war.
Annotations added to ISW map.
Russia’s only foreign air base: Latakia
Russia’s only foreign sea port: Tartus
[Foreign = outside the former Soviet Union]
Gray: Idlib: HTS, Moderate jihadists opposed to ISIS
Yellow: unaligned Syrians opposed to Assad.
Damascus liberated since this map was made.
Syria liberated by HTS from the north moderate Jihadists working closely with the population and “Southern Operation Room” - a loose alliance of moderate rebels from the south with relations with US and Jordan
Map from: Institute for the Study of War
There are two groups of rebels, the ones in the South, the “Southern Operation Room” are closely allied with Jordan and US and are moderates, ordinary Syrians pushed out of their homes who were living in refugee camps.
The ones in the north are Jihadist but a new form of Jihadist that is not opposed to Westerners. As well as opposed to ISIS and Al Qaeda, it is opposed to enslavement of women, and seems to be popular with most Syrians who likely much prefer them to Assad's regime
The HTS are opposed to both Iran and Russia and are a new thing - have had control of Idlib for some time since 2019 but expanded because of a power vacuum after the Israelis destroyed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
However when they took over Syria they were joined by ordinary Syrians and the reason for their success is that they reached out to them and worked with them. They also reached out to the other rebel groups in the area.
So it is not so much a jihadist coup as an uprising by the ordinary Syrians, what’s more the Syrian army itself, which was under funded and badly treated by the Assad regime either fled to Iraq or they deserted and joined the rebels.
So this diminishes Iran's influence in the Middle East. It also diminishes Russia’s influence.
So - this is a very broad group of people and both the prime minister of Syria and the rebels are committed to a peaceful transfer of power. The head of HTS, Al Jolane or Al Golane is calling on his fighters to protect civilian property, not to loot, and calling on civilians also to do the same.
So this is very unlike a normal coup.
Assad’s regime has oppressed Syrians for decades, with torture, imprisoning at least 120,000, gassing civilians, killing them, and sometimes chemical warfare.
He has now left Syria with Russia reporting that he is in Russia
Deposed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family have arrived in Moscow, Russian state media agencies report, citing sources in the Kremlin.
Reports also say that Assad and his family have been granted asylum by Russia.
This will be a time of sadness and joy for the relatives of those prisoners as the prison gulags are opened and the prisoners are released. Many will find their loved ones survived and there will be great rejoicing but others will find they were killed in captivity and will have sorrow and grief.
It's like the conclusion of Beethoven's Fideleo
TWEET THREAD STARTS
Syrians are still being broken out of #Assad’s infamous #Saydnaya prison — as each layer underground is being accessed with time.
Extraordinary scenes.
It’s not clear what happens next but both sides are committed to a peaceful transfer of power. It all depends on what Al Galone plans. He has a background of working for Al Qaeda for many years as a key figure but then he split with them and with ISIS and moved in a different direction. He has governed in Idlib in a way that has far less authoritarian though there are still some instances of authoritarian actions there.
Even if he became a dictator himself it would be hard to be worse than Assad but he isn’t acting like a wannabe dictator so there is a fair bit of promise here of a peaceful new government of Syria of some form.
This is weakening both Iran and Russia's influence in the Middle East. And it is ending Assad's very oppressive regime.
The Russian foreign ministry says that Assad left the country and instructed a peaceful transfer of power.
Russia also said it won’t get involved militarily.
QUOTE STARTS
“As a result of recent negotiations between B. Assad and several participants in the armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic, he made the decision to resign from the presidency and leave the country, instructing a peaceful transfer of power,” the ministry said, adding that Moscow was not involved in the negotiations.
Russia also said that it “is in contact with all factions of the Syrian opposition.”
…
Senator Konstantin Kosachev said the main priority for Moscow is “to ensure the safety” of Russian citizens in Syria.
"If the Syrian people continue to require our support, it will be provided. However, it is unlikely to extend to the conditions of a full-scale civil war. Syrians will have to handle that on their own," Kosachev said.
"For us, as Russians, the primary task is to ensure the safety of our compatriots and civilians, including diplomats and their families, as well as, of course, the military personnel who are there for the sake of Syria,” Kosachev said, also referring to personnel at Russian military bases in Syria.
. How Russia Is Reacting to the Downfall of Syria's Assad - The Moscow Times
This shows how very weak Russia is. There is no way they would have let this happen if they weren’t so caught up with the war in Ukraine they just couldn’t spare the soldiers or the fighter jets to support Assad.
Syria matters to them. Tartus port is the only port they have outside of the former Soviet Union.
Their focus is on evacuating their soldiers and their air defence systems from Russia. They can't go through the Strait of Bosporus to the Black Sea so they are likely on their way to the bases in NW Russia. This is Russia's only remaining foreign base outside of the former Soviet Union.
Russia’s fleet left Tartus base, but then they returned some of their ships again saying it was just an exercise.
. Russia Withdraws its Fleet from Tartus Towards a Total Withdrawal from Syria?
Comment about this from Thord Are Iverson who often posts about the Russian navy:
Losing Tartus would make the extended deployments to the Med they often do now much more difficult, especially for the Kilo's. Ships and subs have often spent considerable time alongside, which extends their stay in the region.
Without Tartus, the Russians will likely be able to replenish in Algiers but would have to spend more time at sea or at the various anchorages, increasing wear and tear on both ships and crews.
In Soviet times, ships and subs spent a lot of time in anchorages but they had a broader and more numerous auxiliary fleet to support them + an open Bosporos.
However he cautions we don’t know what is happening yet.
Plenty of reasons why the Russians should be concerned about Tartus but we just don't know what's actually happening right now, or will happen in the future, as the situation develops.
We don’t know if Russia will be able to hold onto that small area along the coast with Tartus port or Latakia air base. They will be hard for them to supply and defend and may well have to give them up with Assad gone. Some of the military commentators I follow on Twitter / X are treating it as if they have already lost Tartus base. But that’s not yet happened as of writing this.
UPDATE TASS say the Syrian opposition have guaranteed security of Russian bases in Syria.
Dara Massicot, Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Russia and Eurasia Program, focusing on defense issues in Russia says if they were really evacuating it would be much more obvious than we see yet.
TWEET THREAD STARTSThere are many rumors that Russia is evacuating its bases at Tartus and Khmeimim in Syria, but most assets remain there. If evacuation happens, it will be obvious. A brief thread on what is happening now and what future moves would look like. 🧵
…
I don't know how the politics of Russia's continued base access will play out at this point in time. But, I know that the airlift requirements would be massive and the signature would be unmistakable if initiated as a negotiated exit or urgent evacuation.
I assume Russia wants to hold bases if they can through negotiations. Resources they can offer: money, barter, oil/gas, limited mercs, etc. What matters is if the Syrian coalition would entertain anything from them, and I leave that assessment that to others.
Ukrainian intelligence say Russia are evacuating from Syria but if so from what Dara Massicot and Tass say, it’s likely a partial evacuation.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, on December 8, the frigate Admiral Grigorovich of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and the cargo ship Engineer Trubin of the Russian Northern Fleet left Tartus for the Mediterranean Sea.
The Russians are also transferring what’s left of their weapons and military equipment from Syria by military aircraft from the Khmeimim air base.
. Russia withdrawing warships from Syrian base in Tartus - Ukraine’s defense intel
Russia shows itself up as an army that can't spare enough soldiers or fighter jets to defend Assad's regime from rebels in trucks and lightly armoured vehicles and tanks WITHOUT any airforce.
This is NOT an army that can fight NATO.
they are also still trying to liberate Sudzha, a small city of a little over 5,000 in peace time that Ukraine took over in early August. to protect the border with Ukraine.
4 months later Russia still can't liberate it even after
Four months and after going to North Korea to get 11,000 soldiers from them to help fight and they STILL can't liberate this tiny city of 6,000 in peace time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudzha
Russia really IS this weak.
And Iran is very weak too. The Iranian fighters and Hezbollah were propping up Assad's regime when Russia withdrew almost entirely because of the Ukarine war.
But then Israel destroyed most of Hezbollahs' fighting capability in Lebanon. It also attacked Iran and destroyed nearly all its air defences in just one raid with F-35s.
So Iran is in disarray and it is just withdrawing its fighters from Syria.
Russia is too, it's focused on withdrawing its forces.
Iran will now find it very hard to supply Hezbolah in Lebanon as they depended on supplying them through Syria and won't any more.
It really is the end of an era in the MIddle East. With Iran much weaker and Russia no longer having nay presence there probably assuming they don't hold onto Tartus.
Don't see how they can keep hold of Tartus with only a few warships and not able to supply it from the Black Sea because the Strait of Bosporus is closed.
The rebels remarkably took over Damascus without even much of a last ditch fight by the Assad regime. The Iranian fighters simply retreated over the border into Iraq which is between Iran and Syria.
Here is a map to show the geography of the region. Iran, Syria and Russia are highlighted. Russia is that region slightly shaded north of Georgia
.
. Bing Maps to highlight like this search for Russia, Syria and Iran in the search box one after the other
There was no money in Damascus to pay troops and people were exhausted, contributing to the Syrian army just “melting away” against incoming rebels, according to Joshua Landis, a Syria expert and director of Center for Middle East Studies at University of Oklahoma.
“There had not been a peace dividend and nobody could rebuild their lives. Life looked so grim under this regime, going out into the future,” he told Al Jazeera.
He reminded the al-Assad government was under various sanctions and the US controlled most of Syria’s oil and gas.
“And then, of course, Israel’s extraordinary attack which pummeled Hezbollah, pinned back Iran, and has really degraded the Syrian army with about three strikes every week on the Syrian army, taking out military factories and Iranian militias.”
Landis said al-Assad was weakened and left without allies, whereas the rebel group rebuilt itself and managed to adjust and change itself.
“Now the question is how peaceful will the transition be, because everybody is fearful that there will be something like Baghdad after the US destroyed the Iraqi government where we saw a lot of pillaging and burning,” he added.
The HTS chief is renewing his call for opposition fighters to be humble and gentle with people.
“Protect and guard the public institutions and property. They are owned by the Syrian people, and you are their protectors,” he says in a new statement.
More details on how Russia may lose its only remaining foreign port outside of the former Soviet Union, in Tartus.
They haven’t lost it yet but their hold on it seems precarious. Because they can’t commit the soldiers and air power to hold onto it if Assad’s regime collapses.
Also, Turkey cut off the state of Bosporus from warships apart from Russian ships returning to bases in the Black Sea early in the war. It’s now cut off for Russian warships for the duration of the Ukraine war.
Essentially, Russia can't access the Mediterranean with its warships any more except the long way around from the Baltic Sea or northern Russia.
So it can’t support it from the Black Sea and the ships there can’t sail back to the Black Sea.
Then Iran is weakened by this because it is the main way it gets its weapons to Hezbollah and because they supported Assad.
BBC interviewed an expert on this. He says that this rebel group is opposed to Al Quaeda and ISIS now despite an earlier association and expelled ISIS from their territory. He says unlike ISIS they get on well with Christians and Western aid organizations say they are able to work with them and they are quite good at running cities in the places where they have hospitals etc.
The expert on the BBC was the former US Ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford [I did a recording of what he said].
France24 say they are also opposed to the enslavement of women.
Far from anything resembling a liberal democracy. But it's not normal Jihadist Islam either. It's something between the two.
The expert on the BBC also said if they get Homs then Damascus comes next, and Assad is in a lot of trouble.
He says the Syrian army don't seem to be trying to fight back. Russia and Iran are both pre-occupied with their own issues and Russia seems to have given up on Syria for now telling Russians there to leave the country. Hezbollah are too weakened and pre-occupied with what happened in Lebanon to do anything.
It's a big loss for Russia and Iran if Assad's regime falls.
Russia BTW if it loses control of Syria as seems likely also loses its only foreign sea port - outside of the former Soviet Union not sure there are any others outside the Russian Federation even. They have evacuated their entire Mediterranean fleet of 5 ships from Tartus. They can't go back to the Black Sea because the strait of Bosporus is closed by Turkey to warships of participating countries in either direction for the duration of the Ukraine war. So they will have to sail all the way from the Med to the ports in NW Russia.
More from France24:
The leader al-Golani also has an ambition to get his group off the international terrorist lists
QUOTE “One of his objectives is to be taken off the international list of terrorist organisations so he can travel and become a leading Syrian political player,”
QUOTE STARTS
In the beginning of 2019, HTS fighters took control of most of Idlib province in Syria’s northwest – to the detriment of other rebel groups active in the area. In a 2023 interview with FRANCE 24’s Wassim Nasr in Idlib, the group’s leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani said that he was working to ensure that the areas under his control would not be used as rear bases for preparing attacks against the West.
Abu Maria al-Qahtani, one of the group’s leading figures also interviewed in Idlib, said that the group was doing “all [that they could] to stop the youngest men from joining al-Qaeda or IS by showing them that another path was possible with what had been put in place in Idlib”.
"Not only has the HTS group broken ties with al Qaeda, but it’s been fighting al Qaeda and Islamic State group on an equal footing for years,” Nasr said, describing HTS as a “rigid, conservative Islamist group”.
“It was even their fighters that killed the Islamic State group’s fourth caliph [Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi] in August 2023,” he said.
...
[About their leader]
According to Nasr, al-Golani maintains that he has put global jihad and international terror behind him, believing “that these things ‘bring nothing but destruction and failure’”. For the Islamist leader, his group “has no problem with the West, his problem is with the Syrian regime as well as the Iranians and Russians that support it”.
HTS and its leader are still designated as terrorist organisations by the United Nations, the US and a number of European countries – a fact that has put something of a crimp in al-Golani’s political ambitions.
“One of his objectives is to be taken off the international list of terrorist organisations so he can travel and become a leading Syrian political player,” Quesnay said.
...
Nasr, who visited Idlib in 2023, said he had witnessed a limited freedom of religion, with Christian masses tolerated but no displays of crosses or ringing of church-bells allowed. He also described a policy of returning land occupied by foreign jihadists to their Syrian owners, even if they were Christians or Druze.
Ever pragmatic, al-Golani tried to win the support of those living in the territories his group had conquered, Quesnay said.
“In Idlib, the population is mostly Sufi – a popular and more classic form of Syrian Islam,” he said. “We’ve seen HTS evolve little by little, abandoning its original Salafist line to better adapt itself to those it was supposed to be governing. Other experts have noted that minorities such as the Druze and the Kurds also enjoyed some protection.
...
“It’s the first time that a group with jihadist roots – that is to say radical Islam – has shown itself to be open to other forms of Islam or other religions,” Quesnay said. “Certainly there has been localised repression against activists, but there have also been regular demonstrations against HTS, and in those cases, al-Golani engaged in the kinds of negotiations that we have usually seen elsewhere.”
“We need to be cautious in how we look at it, but it’s what they’ve been doing in Idlib for five years,” Nasr said. “HTS is far from espousing democratic values or those of a liberal society, but they have taken something of a turn – or found an unexpected third way.”
...
Applying the same strategy after the conquest of Aleppo, al-Golani tried to reassure the population of his group’s goodwill – in particular towards the city’s religious and ethnic minorities. In a publicised statement, he called on his fighters not to mistreat the Christian community in Syria’s second city. “Treat them well,” he said, going on to tell local believers that HTS “had treated the Christians of Idlib and Aleppo well – you have nothing to fear”.
Speaking to the city’s large Kurdish minority, HTS offered a message of unity that would have been unimaginable just a few short years ago.
...
“You have the right to live freely … Diversity is a strength of which we are proud,” the group said in a statement verified by Nasr. “We denounce the actions of the Islamic State group against the Kurds, including the enslavement of women … We are with the Kurds to build the Syria of tomorrow.”
The Islamist rebel group also offered Kurdish fighters the possibility to leave the city with their families.
“They’re working on a corridor to evacuate those who now find themselves in [HTS] territory towards the Kurdish bastions in the northeast, and in good agreement with the YPG – the main Kurdish militia in Syria – which is not necessarily to Turkey’s liking,” Nasr said.
The apparent agreement with the Kurds could irritate the other rebel groups that took part in the seizure of Aleppo. Although HTS may have been the driving force behind the shock assault this past week, it’s not the only one that has been fighting to claim territory.
...
Al-Golani has not been shy about publicly criticising the SNA’s armed groups – over the reported looting of a factory in Aleppo on December 3, for example.
For Ankara, returning the 3 million Syrian refugees currently residing in Turkey to their homeland is the main priority. A larger and more secure area under rebel control would certainly be a welcome step towards this goal. But it remains to be seen just how much Turkey is prepared to tolerate the fragile entente struck between HTS and the Kurds, who Ankara continues to see as its sworn enemies.
. HTS rebel group sweeping Syria tries to shed its jihadist image
In the rest of the region, the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon continues to hold.
The rebels by taking over Syria will make it difficult to impossible for Iran to supply Hebollah via Syria any more.
QUOTE STARTS
Hochstein hails fragile ceasefire
Hochstein also hailed Lebanon’s shaky truce, nearly two weeks old, stating that Israel’s work to “completely” pull out of Lebanon is “a great indicator” of its success.
When asked about dozens of Israeli attacks on Lebanon resulting in the death of Lebanese civilians since the ceasefire went into effect, he told Al Jazeera there were “violations on both sides”.
“Hezbollah must move to the north without their weapons,” Hochstein said, adding that this point is key to the ceasefire holding firm.
“I think Israel is clear that it will monitor these violations and as the [monitoring] mechanism takes hold, we’ll see – my hope is – that we’ll see a lot less activity, to zero activity.”
. Syria war to have ‘massive’ effect on Lebanon: US envoy Hochstein
It also says that if the Assad regime falls it will make it far harder for Iran to get weapons to Hezbollah as they did it mainly via Syria.
So - I’ll update this as needed but the main thing is there is nothing to be concerned about here more broadly, the Syrians at last are over an oppressive regime that has tortured civilians for so long, and this is surely weakening Russia and Iran’s influence in the Middle East which may make it easier for them to find solutions to their problems.
Israel sent its soldiers into the internationally policed neutral zone between Israel and Syria*n to protect Israel - it says it respects the Syrian borders and won’t do a land grab - did it out of concerns that the UN alone is not going to be able to keep the border areas secure
This is actually illegal in international law but Israel does seem to have good reason for it. Some UN peacekeepers came under fire and their base was looted.
Israel decided to send military soldiers into the neutral zone between Israel and Syria. They say this is only temporary to hold it until the new government of Syria is established, to protect Israel.
Israel has also targeted sites in Syria where it believes there are chemical weapons stored and advanced missiles that could be targeted at Israel. —
On a visit Sunday to a Golan Heights hilltop overlooking Syria, Netanyahu said that because Syrian troops had abandoned their positions, Israel’s move into the buffer zone was necessary as a “temporary defensive position.”
“The peacekeepers at (the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, or UNDOF) informed the Israeli counterparts that these actions would constitute a violation of the 1974 disengagement agreement, that there should be no military forces or activities in the area of separation,” said U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric. He added that the buffer zone was calm and UNDOF peacekeepers remained in their position. The Security Council is scheduled to meet for special consultations called by Russia to discuss the buffer zone issue.
Israel has sent both ground and air troops into the buffer zone, including on the Syrian side of snow-dusted Mount Hermon, which is divided between the Golan Heights, Lebanon, and Syria. Only the United States recognizes Israel’s control of the Golan Heights.
...
Israeli political and military leaders have stressed that the seizure of the buffer zone is temporary and not a prelude to entering other parts of Syrian territory.
“The plan at the moment is that this is a temporary step to make sure stability is kept in the border, making sure the buffer zone is kept, and the U.N. forces can stay,” said a military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military guidelines.
The official noted that in 2014, U.N. peacekeepers fled the buffer zone after al-Qaida-linked Syrian rebels attacked their encampments. After armed men attacked U.N. forces over the weekend, Israel wanted to ensure the situation did not repeat itself, the official said.
Israel isn’t currently trying to change the border or prepare for an invasion into Syria, said Carmit Valensi, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, a Tel Aviv think-tank.
“Right now, it’s a tactical operation, not a long-term strategy, in response to the dynamic situation in Syria,” she said. With the collapse of the Syrian army, Israel wants to protect its borders until the situation stabilizes, she said.
...
srael says its immediate goal is to prevent the instability in Syria from spreading into the border region.
Defense Minister Israel Katz on Monday laid out Israel’s plans for the border area. He said that after completing the takeover of the buffer zone, Israel would create a “security zone” beyond it by destroying heavy artillery across Syria and preventing Iran from smuggling weapons through Syria into Lebanon.
Foreign Minister Saar said Monday that Israel has struck multiple sites holding chemical weapons and long-range missiles to prevent them from falling into the hands of hostile actors. Saar did not say when the strikes occurred. Analysts said Israel is likely to continue carrying out strikes against targets across Syria.
Israel is planning outreach to Syria’s Druze population, a close-knit religious minority that also lives in Israel, Jordan and Lebanon and has maintained some ties across borders.
Israel is also trying to open lines of communication with Syrian rebel groups, to help ensure Iranian-backed factions don’t reclaim any territory, according to Valensi.
For many years, Israel quietly provided food, medicine, clothing and other assistance to war-ravaged southern Syria through “Operation Good Neighbor,” which ended in 2018. More than 4,000 wounded and sick Syrians received medical treatment in Israel or in Israeli field hospitals, and those non-diplomatic connections could now prove crucial.
. As Israel advances on a Syrian buffer zone, it sees peril and opportunity
US hit ISIS targets only to prevent them taking over the new government - Biden supports transition to a new government for the Syrian people
Biden says the US hit a dozen targets of ISIS camps and ISIS training grounds. These are NOT the rebels that liberated Syria from Assad.
Biden is calling on all the opposition groups to support the rule of law and ethnic and religious minorities. He says the rebel leaders have a background connection with terrorism but are now giving the right messages in Syria. He says they will assess their actions not their words as they take on more opportunity and says this is "the best opportunity in generations for Syrians to forge their own future." He also says "It's also an opportunity, though far from certain for a more secure and prosperous Middle East."
TRANSCRIPT STARTS
“We now see new opportunities opening up for the people of Syria and for the entire region. Looking ahead, the United States will do the following.
First, we’ll support Syria’s neighbors, including Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Israel. Should any threat arise from Syria during this period of transition.
I will speak with leaders of the region in the coming days. Had long discussions with all of our people earlier this morning. And I will send senior officials from my administration to the region as well.
“Second, we will help ensure stability in eastern Syria, protecting our personnel against any threats and our mission against ISIS will be maintained, including security of detention facilities where ISIS fighters are being held as prisoners.
We’re clear eyed about the fact that ISIS will try to take advantage of any vacuum to re-establish its capability and to create a safe haven. We will not let that happen.
In fact, just today, US forces conducted a dozen precision air strikes within Syria targeting ISIS camps and ISIS operatives.
Third, we will engage with all Syrian groups, including within the process led by the United Nations to establish a transition away from the Assad regime toward an independent, sovereign Syria with a new constitution, a new government that serves all Syrians.
And this process to be determined by the Syrian people themselves, the United States will do whatever we can to support them, including through humanitarian relief, to help restore Syria after more than a decade of war and generations of brutality by the Assad family
And finally, we will remain vigilant. Make no mistake, some of the rebel groups that took down Assad have their own grim record of terrorism and human rights abuses.
We’ve taken note of statements by the leaders of these rebel groups in recent days, and they’re saying the right things now, but as they take on greater responsibility, we will assess not just their words but their actions.
And we are mindful that there are Americans in Syria, including those who reside there, as well as Austin Tice, who was taken captive more than 12 years ago. We remain committed to returning him to his family.
As I've said, this is a moment of considerable risk and uncertainty.
But I also believe this is the best opportunity in generations for Syrians to forge their own future.
Free of opposition.
It's also an opportunity, though far from certain for a more secure and prosperous Middle East.
Where our friends are safe. Where our enemies are contained.
And it would be a waste of this historic opportunity. if one tyrant to be toppled, only to see a new one rise up in his place.
So, it's now incumbent upon all the opposition groups to seek a role in governing Syria. To demonstrate their commitment to the rights of all Syrians, the rule of law, and the protection of religious and ethnic minorities.
These past few days have been historic. And it's in the days ahead that we'll determine the future of this country.
And we intend to approach them with strength, wisdom and resolve.
on ABC here:
More details, the US did over 75 strikes on ISIS targets in Central Syria. To make sure they don't take advantage of the situation to reconstitute in central Syria.
QUOTE STARTS
TAMPA, Fla. – U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted dozens of precision airstrikes targeting known ISIS camps and operatives in central Syria, Dec. 8.
The strikes against the ISIS leaders, operatives, and camps were conducted as part of the ongoing mission to disrupt, degrade, and defeat ISIS, in order to prevent the terrorist group from conducting external operations and to ensure that ISIS does not seek to take advantage of the current situation to reconstitute in central Syria.
The operation struck over 75 targets using multiple U.S. Air Force assets, including B-52s, F-15s, and A-10s.
Battle damage assessments are underway, and there are no indications of civilian casualties.
CENTCOM, together with allies and partners in the region, will continue to carry out operations to degrade ISIS operational capabilities even during this dynamic period in Syria.
"There should be no doubt - we will not allow ISIS to reconstitute and take advantage of the current situation in Syria," said General Michael Erik Kurilla, "All organizations in Syria should know that we will hold them accountable if they partner with or support ISIS in any way."
. U.S. Central Command conducts dozens of airstrikes to eliminate ISIS camps in central Syria
The true idea of jihad is to do with overcoming destructive tendencies in oneself to achieve peace
The Dalai Lama commenting on 9/11:
QUOTE
You can't blame or generalize the whole of Islam. Islam like any other religion, the essence is a message of love, forgiveness. The very word Jihad. Ji is struggle, or combat your own destructive emotion. Not harming others.
That's the genuine Islam practitioner. If any Muslim create bloodshed, actually no longer Islam practitioner, sincere practitioner. I've heard that. So therefore this is wrong, I think, to generalize Islam, Muslim.
In context:
=============
This is where the Dalai Lama says it His Holiness the Dalai Lama's Address to Muslim Co-ordination Committee
Terrorist act carried by Muslim. But because of this incident should not generalize whole Muslim is something negative. This totally wrong, unfair. Some mischievous people among all followers of different traditions. Amongst Hindus some mischievous people there. Amongst Jews. Amongst the Christian. Among the Buddhist. Yes there are mischievous people there. Those few mischievous people, use that then generalize the tradition - that's totally wrong.
So since then every occasion some interfaith meeting. I'm Buddhist. I'm non believer about Allah. But I can to forward to different Islam tradition. As you rightly mentioned. According to many of my friends they say. Genuine practitioner of Islam they should not harm other people. Genuine practitioner of Islam must extend love to entire creatures of Allah. And then any person who claim themselves as Muslim but create bloodshed, actually no longer Islam practitioner. And then one time the former chief minister of state he told me, very meaning of Jihad is not harming other, but combat with your own destructive emotion. So all major tradition teach us practice of love, tolerance. So then when follower of different tradition, when destructive emotion of anger, hatred, and all to harming other - then that moment jihad, combat that destructive emotion. So then all major religion, who really practice self discipline. Sometimes not easy. Sometimes destructive intent comes, then must control that. So that's the meaning of Jihad. So I think people, including many media people, wrong interpretation about Jihad.
So, I genuinely respect, admire your tradition. So then that religious harmony, I think India, this country, India is a living example where all major world religion live together. This is not modern India but I think over thousand years. Beside home grown religion. That's sanksim Jainism, Buddhism, then later Sikhism. Then, very early period Zoroastrianism from ancient Persia, then Christian, Muslim, Jews, all settle here. I always admire in Bombay, Parsee, very small community. Now less than 100,000. But no fear. Millions of Hindus and some Christians, Muslims, very small community [of Parsees] very safe, very peaceful. That's India
===============
So as properly understood what global Jihand should really mean is a global effort to eliminate destructive tendencies in oneself to reach peace.
QUOTE STARTS
Jihad: Striving for Peace
Jihad is a beautiful, yet greatly misunderstood, Islamic concept. The Arabic word “Jihad” is derived from the root word “Jahada” which means, “to strive” — to struggle, to strain, to exert, to endeavor, to persevere and to defend — all different terms used to describe Jihad.
God states in the Muslim holy book, the Qur’an:
“O you who believe! Shall I show you a trade that will save you from a great punishment? You should believe in God and His messenger, and you should strive (to the best of your ability) in the way of God, with your possessions and yourself. That is better for you, if only you knew.” (Qur’an 61:10-11)
Is Jihad Holy War?
No. Definitely not. Jihad should never be confused with Holy War — an idea that has no place in Islam. The concept of Holy War does not exist anywhere in the Qur’an, nor is it found in classical Islamic teaching. It is a foreign concept introduced by the Crusaders who waged “Holy War” against the Muslim “infidels” in the Holy Land. Contrary to popular opinion, Jihad is not a means of forcing Islam on others. It should never be viewed as an expansionist, proselytizing movement. However, historically, and even in today’s times, some Muslims have taken it as such. This distortion of the virtuous concept of Jihad is in total contradiction to authentic Islamic teachings.
Jihad is the noble effort of improving oneself, one’s family and community, one’s nation and the world at large. Jihad is the struggle that a mother undergoes during pregnancy, childbirth, and the raising of her child; it is years of hard work that a student puts towards a good education; it is the sacrifice that a firefighter makes when risking his own life to save another; and it is the courage that a soldier has on the battlefield in the defense of his life, his country, his freedom and his beliefs.
https://www.discoverislam.com/jihad-striving-for-peace-reader-details
More detail here:
Islam and Jihad: the Quest for Peace and Tolerance
Abstract
The topic of the writing is Islam and Jihad. The main focuses of this writing is how the concept of “Jihad” understood by the West, which is labeled as “Radical Islamist” on the base of the action of the radical Islamic groups, while Islam undermines tolerance and peace? The methodology of this writing is descriptive analyzes of the concept of Islam and jihad. It found that the idea of jihad has multiple meanings in Islam which is not confined to holy war. It is lesser jihad which is considered as holy war. However, holy war in Islam does not refer to military aggression as understood within the Christian tradition. The values of peace and tolerance are emphasized as Islam is very concerned with the sanctity of human life, justice and humanity. In addition, the history of Islam has shown that in the classical era Muslims could coexist with non-Muslims in harmony and peace. It is clear that Islam is deeply concerned with peace and tolerance such as Silm, assalamu alaikum etc. Jihad has been misunderstood and distorted in the west and among Muslim radicals as it tends to be associated with Muslim aggression, holy war, violence, and terrorism.
Another good summary D8A701D0A5C0ABD0BED9C8D5C6524863.pdf
Jihad-To struggle for Allah
Greater Jihad-the most important jihad is the greater jihad – the struggle against internal
influences which might affect one’s soul. For example, the struggle to say your early morning
prayers, to avoid gossip, feelings of anger or hatred etc.
Greater Jihad is your struggle to control your desires and behaviours and live a life that is pleasing to Allah.
Muhammad said the supreme Jihad is against oneself. It is about avoiding greed, selfishness and laziness and showing kindness and generosity. It demands sacrifice e.g. of one's time, skill, money etc. But Jihad should also be about making the world a better place too. It is so important that some Muslims regard it as the Sixth Pillar of Islam.
Lesser Jihad-the lesser jihad is the external, physical effort, often implying fighting.
For Shi’a Muslims Jihad is one of the 10 Obligatory Acts. Although Muslims should promote peace there may be times when they have to go to war- However, a Jihad in war must only be in self-defence and only to bring about good.
It's primarily about bringing peace to ones own destructive desires / tendencies and in war it has to be to be only in self defence and to bring about good so definitely not terrorism.
CONTACT ME VIA PM OR ON FACEBOOK OR EMAIL
If you need to talk to me about something it is often far better to do so via private / direct messaging because Quora often fails to notify me of comment replies.
You can Direct Message my profile (then More >> messages). Or better, email me at support@robertinventor.com
Or best of all Direct Message me on Facebook if you are okay joining Facebook. My Facebook profile is here:. Robert Walker I usually get Facebook messages much faster than on the other platforms as I spend most of my day there.
FOR MORE HELP
To find a debunk see: List of articles in my Debunking Doomsday blog to date See also my Short debunks
Scared and want a story debunked? Post to our Facebook group. Please look over the group rules before posting or commenting as they help the group to run smoothly
Facebook group Doomsday Debunked
Also do join our facebook group if you can help with fact checking or to help scared people who are panicking.
SEARCH LIST OF DEBUNKS
You can search by title and there’s also an option to search the content of the blog using a google search.
CLICK HERE TO SEARCH: List of articles in my Debunking Doomsday blog to date
NEW SHORT DEBUNKS
I do many more fact checks and debunks on our facebook group than I could ever write up as blog posts. They are shorter and less polished but there is a good chance you may find a short debunk for some recent concern.
See Latest short debunks for new short debunks
I also do tweets about them. I also tweet the debunks and short debunks to my Blue Sky page here:
Then on the Doomsday Debunked wiki, see my Short Debunks page which is a single page of all the earlier short debunks in one page.
I do the short debunks more often but they are less polished - they are copies of my longer replies to scared people in the Facebook group.
I'm so happy for the Syrian people. For 13 years they've suffered war and destruction and now they fought off a 57 year dictatorship. Putin has no foothold in the middle east now and I can't help but wonder if this is a preclude to him being toppled in his own country 🤔.
Whatever government that comes out of this, I just hope it gives the Syrian people the chance to live in freedom and to have a say in their government.
https://theconversation.com/syrias-new-government-is-already-oppressing-women-posing-a-dire-threat-to-their-future-246753
Yo Robert, a little hiccup there