Syria Today – Jolani Tours Aleppo; Fierce Battles Near Hama; Centcom Destroys Threatening Weapons Systems – The Syrian Observer

Today’s news round on Syria highlights the rapid escalation of conflict and its far-reaching implications. Rebel forces, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and Turkish-backed factions, have seized Aleppo in a major offensive, marking the most significant challenge to President Bashar al-Assad in years. The fighting has spread to key areas like Hama, with intense clashes between government troops and insurgents, supported by foreign powers on both sides. The United States and Russia are also actively engaged, with Centcom destroying weapons threatening U.S. forces in eastern Syria, while Moscow accuses “external forces” of fueling violence. Analysts warn of broader geopolitical repercussions as Syria’s civil war shifts from stalemate to intensified proxy battles, underscoring the need for a strategic international response to address the deepening crisis.

Arabs No Longer Buying the Lies of Hamas, Hezbollah

“Where is the victory? How much did it cost? What defeat is more terrible than such losses? How can one claim victory in the face of a massacre that has destroyed all the logic of resistance? It’s not too late to ask Hezbollah to explain its unilateral and deadly decision to open the confrontation [with Israel] under Iran’s cover.” — Nabil Bou Monsef, prominent Lebanese journalist, kataeb.org, November 27, 2024.

Remember Pearl Harbor

This December 7th marks the 83rd anniversary of the Japanese attack on the American fleet berthed at Pearl Harbor on a quiet Sunday morning.

It devastated our naval fleet, killing 2,403 Americans, and left a nation in shock.

Experts warn Trump’s plan to deregulate crypto will help terrorists and domestic extremists

President-elect Trump campaigned on being a “crpyto president,” promising to open up the floodgates on cryptocurrency by undoing regulations imposed by President Joe Biden’s Securities and Exchange Commission.

But according to a Wednesday report in the Guardian, crypto deregulation could provide a significant benefit to extremist groups and foreign terrorist organizations that use crypto to finance their activity. The outlet noted that neo-Nazi group The Base – which has been under FBI investigation for years — used the new development of an incoming pro-crypto administration to solicit donations via cryptocurrency on Election Day.

The Gentle Art of Negotiating with Terrorists

Offering to negotiate with Islamic terrorists is a statement of weakness. Jihadists only offer to negotiate out of fear, weakness or to entrap us, and they assume we do the same thing. Nothing would ever convince them that we genuinely want to live in peace with them, or that we prefer alternatives to violence. So any time we offer to negotiate, they see it as weakness or a trick.

Trump warns BRICS nations against replacing US dollar

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday demanded that BRICS member countries commit to not creating a new currency or supporting another currency that would replace the United States dollar or face 100% tariffs, Reuters reported.

“We require a commitment from these Countries that they will neither create a new BRICS Currency, nor back any other Currency to replace the mighty U.S. Dollar or, they will face 100% Tariffs, and should expect to say goodbye to selling into the wonderful U.S. Economy,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social.

Putin signs off record Russian defense spending as top EU officials visit Kyiv

Russian President Vladimir Putin approved budget plans, raising 2025 military spending to record levels as Moscow seeks to prevail in the war in Ukraine.

Around 32.5% of the budget posted on a government website Sunday has been allocated for national defense, amounting to over $145 billion, up from a reported 28.3% this year.

Peace talks with Sahelian jihadists? It’s worth a shot

After years of failed military efforts, the path forward has to include some kind of accommodation with the militants.

Since at least 2017, when Mali’s government organised a peace forum called the Conference of National Understanding, prominent voices in the country and the wider Sahel region have explored the possibility of dialogue with jihadists.