Orientul Mijlociu

The civil uprising against the longtime rule of the Assads deteriorated into protracted civil war. Here’s a look at the elements that have deepened Syria’s tragedy.

Twelve years after protesters in Syria first demonstrated against the four-decade rule of the Assad family, hundreds of thousands of Syrians have been killed and nearly thirteen million people—more than half the country’s prewar population—have been displaced. Today, the country is fractured by actors with apparently irreconcilable interests: in areas beyond the regime’s control, extremists promoting a Sunni Muslim theocracy have eclipsed opposition forces fighting for a democratic and pluralistic Syria, while regional powers have backed various local forces to advance their geopolitical interests on Syria’s battlefields.

The Pentagon chief, the top US military general, and the top US diplomat all spoke to their Turkish counterparts this week

Shortly after the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, the US military conducted one of its largest attacks on ISIS in years. Part of the reason for the timing and ability to strike over 75 ISIS targets with B-52 bombers, F-15s and A-10s was because Russia’s military – invited to Syria to prop up the now-deposed Bashar al-Assad – was sent packing. Israel and Turkey, both with strategic interests in Syria, also took swift military action.

Il est désormais très probable que le pays se désagrège. Les acteurs extérieurs et intérieurs tenteront de s’emparer et/ou de contrôler autant de parties du cadavre qu’ils le pourront.

Il s’ensuivra des années de chaos et de conflits.

Syria has long been regarded as one of the most geostrategically significant nations in the Middle East. Its importance extends far beyond its borders, influencing regional power dynamics, global geopolitics, and the strategies of major international players. Understanding Syria’s prominence requires a deep dive into its geographic location, historical role as a crossroads of civilizations, and its place in contemporary strategic theories.

As far as Hamas leaders are concerned, the involvement of Iran’s other proxies in the Jihad against Israel has been insufficient. Hamas leaders were hoping to see Arab and Muslim armies march on Israel and fulfill their dream of replacing it with a jihadist terror state.

President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that the U.S. military should stay out of the escalating conflict in Syria as a shock opposition offensive closes in on the capital, declaring in a social media post, “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT.”

With world leaders watching the rapid rebel advance against Syria’s Russian- and Iranian-backed president, Bashar Assad, President Joe Biden’s national security adviser separately stressed that the Biden administration had no intention of intervening.

Former Syrian President Basher al-Assad and his family arrived in Moscow following the Kremlin’s offer of asylum, Tass reported on December 8.

Al-Assad and his family departed by private jet from Damascus and arrived in Abu Dhabi on late December 7, as rebels were closing in on Damascus. It is unclear when he left the capital of the United Arab Emirates to transfer to Moscow.