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Business Recorder
6 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
The throne atop a thousand fault lines
Old timers in the Levantine press are not surprised at all that Israel chose this time to strike deep inside Syria. They warned – while the rest of the world was still digesting Assad's sudden exit – that Ahmad al Sharaa and his throat-cutting, suicide-bombing jihadist buddies from al Qaeda and ISIS would waste no time in going after Syria's many minorities. Also that nobody would blink when they massacre Alawis across the Mediterranean coastline around Latakia, the Assad family's home town – indeed there were hundreds of summary executions, also by 'men wearing shalwar qameez', according to surviving witnesses. But Israel would step in when the Druze come under attack because unlike Latakia, their base Sweida hugs the Golan Heights – exactly the area Israel has been looking to envelop and fortify for more than 50 years. Yet they are wondering if Erdogan is surprised. It's out in the open now that he was equal partners with Israel and the US in the project to throw out Assad; Turkey provided the hardware and Israel gave intelligence like only Mossad can, and together with Uncle Sam's blessings they were able to install an uneducated Salafi jihadi extremist, who's openly called for war with west, ethnic cleansing of Muslim minorities, and the imposition of medieval law, as head of one of the most secular countries in the world. It seems the half-century of Assad family rule made the world forget how quickly careers, and often lives, of Syrian sovereigns can come to an end. Hafez al Assad was the longest serving ruler of Syria since the Ummayad caliph Muawiya, after all. And Bashar's time at the top is second only to his. For a throne that has sat upon a thousand fault lines for millennia, such stats matter. Apparently al Sharaa fled to Idlib, where the Turks have built him a fortress, when the Israelis hit the outer wall of the presidential palace, a minute after bombing substantial portions of the main defence ministry building. But what if he had been killed? Or, what if he's assassinated – a likelihood closer to the norm than the exception in thousands of years of Syrian history. Who'd his jihadi deputies call for the line of succession? Ankara, Tel Aviv, or Washington? Deep in Robert Fisk's earliest works you'll find references to 'old man Hafez' predicting that Syria would never fall to an invader, it would implode. And while Hafez was an ice veined master of the merciless, zero-sum politics that alone ensures regime, and self, survival in Damascus, his son Bashar was not cut from the same cloth. So Hafez crushed all rebellion, negotiated with all stakeholders, and positioned Syria as such a critical power broker in the Middle East that US presidents from Richard Nixon to Bill Clinton indulged him. But his son did not have the same instincts and, when push came to shove and outside help was not coming, he could no longer keep a lid on the implosion. In a way the dynasty's fate was sealed when Bashar's elder brother Basil, Hafez's original heir apparent, died in a car crash in 1994. They say when Hafez was told he quietly withdrew from a big meeting room and howled so loudly that it echoed across Damascus. Years later, when Sharaa's men celebrated victory by desecrating his grave, they only proved him right. Syria had imploded. Now, with a mullah regime whose existence is so antithetical to the secular DNA of Syria counting on some countries keeping other countries and their influences from destroying it, how far is Syria from another implosion? If Sharaa is killed, or destabilised (as he is already), how long before Iranian, Iraqi and Lebanese influences, suddenly deprived of their own leverage, fuel more fires? Whatever happens, Israel's creeping ingress into Syria will increase, and the Jewish state will be the only clear winner in all this, even though its big plan, so masterfully implemented with the destruction of Hamas, wholesale eradication of Hezbollah's command structure, and the historic fall of Damascus, couldn't quite come full circle when it went for the jugular of the ayatollahs in Tehran. Israel did want the regime in Iran to fall — that was the final piece, of course. And it might have, if not for Iran's shocking resistance in the war, which stalled the advance and forced a recalibration. How that particular endgame plays out remains to be seen. But it is clear that what remains of Syrian statehood is held together by a militia in borrowed robes, propped up by foreign actors who have neither roots nor memory in this land. And as usual, when the foreign calculus shifts, so will the sands under their feet. The throne of Damascus has always been a temporary seat – sometimes for kings, sometimes for clerics, sometimes for soldiers. Never for long. Because this land has never tolerated stillness. It lies at the edge of too many fault lines, pulls at too many empires, and sometimes collapses too easily under its own weight. So once again Syria sleepwalks into implosion; and it won't be the last time. Just another turn in a cycle that's older than the countries now playing their moves on its board. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Scoop
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Syria: UN Commission Hails Recent Action To Address Past Violations
Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro highlighted the establishment of the National Transitional Authority and the National Authority for Missing Persons which are expected to help reveal the fate of the more than 100,000 Syrians estimated to have been forcibly disappeared or gone missing. They are also expected to expose the truth about systematic violations like arbitrary detention, torture and ill-treatment, and about widespread attacks which killed hundreds of thousands of civilians and maimed millions during hostilities. Syria continues along the path to transition following the overthrow of the Assad regime last December. Wave of retaliatory attacks Mr. Pinheiro said the security vacuum left after the dismissal of the armed forces and security services, together with a lack of clarity on the new framework for justice, contributed to an atmosphere where victims of past crimes and violations attempted to take the law into their own hands and settle scores. Retaliatory attacks that took place in coastal areas in March, and on a smaller scale in other parts of the country, were 'in part a response to five decades of systematic crimes perpetrated by security forces with impunity which affected all Syrians,' he said. 'More recently, sectarian fault lines have also been fuelled by widespread hate speech and incitement against Alawis, off and online, including posts with false information reportedly often originating from abroad.' Eyewitness accounts The Commission conducted its latest visit to Syria last week and travelled to several locations on the coast where killings and looting had occurred. The team met with several civil and security authorities, as well as eyewitnesses and victims' families. 'First-hand accounts by survivors of these events…revealed in detail how residential areas were raided by large groups of armed men, many of them members of factions now affiliated with the State. They told us how the assailants detained, ill-treated and executed Alawis,' he said. He acknowledged the interim authorities' establishment of a National Inquiry to investigate the violations as well as an additional High-Level Committee to Maintain Civil Peace. Furthermore, dozens of alleged perpetrators have been arrested. "Protection of civilians is essential to prevent further violations and crimes,' he said. "We welcome the commitment of President (Ahmed) al-Sharaa to hold those responsible accountable to restore confidence for State institutions amongst the affected communities.' He also pointed to a deadly attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Damascus last Sunday, saying the authorities must ensure the protection of places of worship and threatened communities, and perpetrators and enablers must be held accountable. Foreign intervention Mr. Pinheiro told the Council that 'the Syrian conflict has had no shortage of internal challenges and grievances, many of which were made worse by foreign interventions.' In recent weeks, Israel has carried out a wave of airstrikes in and around Damascus, including near the presidential palace. Military bases and weapons depots in Daraa, Hama, Tartous and Latakia have also been targeted as part of its sustained military campaign in Syria. Several civilians were killed. Civilian casualties were also reported in the context of Israeli operations in the buffer zone in Quneitra and southwestern Daraa monitored by the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) 'These actions raise serious concerns of violations of international human rights and humanitarian law as UN Secretary-General (António) Guterres further stated recently,' he said. Millions in need Mr. Pinheiro reported that more than two million Syrians have returned home since December, including nearly 600,000 from neighbouring countries and just under 1.5 million internally displaced persons (IDPs). 'For many of the over seven million Syrians who remain displaced, massive property-related challenges will need to be tackled in the wake of industrial-scale destruction, pillage and confiscation of homes and lands,' he said. Moreover, he noted that 'despite the recent encouraging steps towards lifting of sectoral sanctions and opening the country to new investments, nearly 16.5 million Syrians remain in need of humanitarian assistance.' Among them are nearly three million people facing severe food insecurity. Mr. Pinheiro concluded his remarks, saying 'the interim authorities' repeated commitments to protect the rights of everyone and all communities in Syria without discrimination of any kind are encouraging' and 'should be met with the necessary support from the international community.' About the Commission The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic was by the Human Rights Council in August 2011 with a mandate to investigate all alleged violations of international human rights law since March 2011. The members are Mr. Pinheiro and Commissioners Hanny Megally and Lynn Welchman.
Middle East Eye
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
US not ruling out reopening embassy in Syria
The US's top diplomat indicated on Tuesday that the reopening of the US embassy in Damascus is possible if interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa can quell security concerns stemming from armed factions not aligned with his government. "We don't have an embassy in Syria. It's operating out of Turkey, but we need to help them," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday. He said US embassy staff in Turkey would assist the new Syrian officials in determining what type of assistance they will need to move forward in rebuilding the country. In a surprise move, President Donald Trump announced the lifting of all sanctions on Syria during a trip to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, last week. Syria had been consistently under some measure of US sanctions for more than 40 years. Trump also met with Sharaa in Riyadh and said he was impressed by the leader, a former al-Qaeda fighter who fought against US forces in Iraq. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "It's entirely driven by security concerns," Rubio said of the continued suspension of embassy operations. He added, "It's not the transitional authorities. We don't think they would harm us, but there are other elements on the ground in Syria." Those elements could be referencing Alawis whose loyalty in some cases remains to former President Bashar al-Assad, who fled Syria in December 2024 as rebels advanced on Damascus, as well as holdouts from anti-Assad and Islamic State-aligned militant groups who have refused to join the ranks of the new unified Syrian army. "We have all kinds of requirements that are there for a reason. If someone is hurt, do you have a medical evacuation plan? Can you secure a facility from an attack from an armed group, many of whom are still running loose in the country? Unfortunately, it's one of the fundamental challenges the transitional authority is facing," Rubio told lawmakers. While Sharaa's government is not currently assessed as a threat to US interests, "the transitional authority figures, they didn't pass their background check with the FBI", Rubio said. "They've got a tough history... But on the flip side of it, if we engage them, it may work out [or] it may not work out. If we did not engage them, it is guaranteed to not work out." Syria on the brink Rubio met with Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in talks hosted by Turkey last week. Three weeks ago, Shaibani was also given a visa to come to the United Nations headquarters in New York and raise the new Syrian flag there. Rubio said if the Trump administration had not engaged with Sharaa's government and pushed for sanctions relief, Syria would have been "maybe weeks, not many months, away from potential collapse and a full-scale civil war of epic proportions. Basically, the country splitting up," Rubio explained. "The good news is that there is a Syrian national identity," he said. "It is one of the places in the Middle East where Alawites and Druze and Christians and Sunni and Shia and Kurds have lived alongside each other, underneath the banner of a Syrian identity, until it was broken by a butcher, Assad." The lifting of the sanctions, Rubio said, is primarily designed to allow neighbouring countries to assist Sharaa's team, and "to build governance mechanisms that allow them to actually establish a government [and] unify the armed forces". That, however, will not be enough, he said. 'Show us something special': Trump announces lifting Syria sanctions Read More » To attract much-needed foreign investment in Syria, the US will begin by issuing waivers under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, which was signed into law during Trump's first term in 2019. However, waivers have expiry dates, and until further progress is made by the interim government, that seems to be the extent to which the US will issue relief. "I don't think the issue with them right now is a matter of willingness or lack of willingness. It's a lack of capability," Rubio said of Sharaa's efforts to rein in armed factions. For Washington, there's also the crucial matter of its primary partner in the region, Israel. "We've had conversations with them about this, what we view as an opportunity for Israel, if, in fact, Syria is stable and has in it a government that has no interest... in fighting a war," Rubio told lawmakers. He said there have been some assurances from Damascus. "Obviously, you have to prove it, but they have said this is a nationalist project. They are seeking to build a nation. They're not viewing themselves as a launch pad for revolution. They're not viewing themselves as a launch pad for attacks against Israel." Israel occupied Syria's Golan Heights, where Sharaa's family comes from, in 1967, and today, Trump recognises it as Israeli territory despite the UN asserting its illegality. When Assad's reign collapsed, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered troops into the Golan Heights buffer zone "to ensure that no hostile force embeds itself right next to the border of Israel". He also ordered the bombing of dozens of sites across Syria that he maintained were weapons caches for Hezbollah, an ally of the deposed Assad.
Middle East Eye
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Foreign-run accounts on X spread fake news about Syria, report finds
Foreign-based social media accounts on X have promoted misinformation about the situation in Syria since December, including by inciting sectarianism, according to a new BBC investigation. BBC Arabic's fact-checking team reported this week the findings of its probe into social media misinformation since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government on 8 December. It analysed more than 400,000 posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, linked to disinformation and hate speech in connection with Syria's new administration led by Ahmad al-Sharaa. Of those posts, at least 50,000 spread false or unreliable information about the new administration. Sixty percent of those posts originated from accounts outside of Syria, including in Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon and Iran. One of the false narratives was peddled on 9 March, when multiple accounts posted on X claiming that the priest of the Greek Orthodox Mar Elias Church near Damascus had been executed by 'Jolani gangs' - using Sharaa's nom de guerre. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Identical posts with the same wording and images circulated on X. The church later denied that any such execution had taken place. Elsewhere, in December a viral video claimed to show a man belonging to 'Jolani's gangs' destroying a statue of the Virgin Mary. The video was mostly circulated by accounts in Iraq. The BBC found that the video actually dated back to 2013. The investigation found several signs of coordinated activity, including use of bots and accounts posting simultaneous content with the same talking points. Posts fed sectarian violence The report also found online campaigns in support of Sharaa, including 80,000 posts from accounts mostly in Turkey and Saudi Arabia. It said those posts also showed clear signs of coordinated online manipulation. During a violent escalation in which hundreds of Alawis civilians were killed in March, misinformation was similarly spread online. The Syrian Network for Human Rights said 1,334 civilians, mostly Alawis, lost their lives in the violence, including 889 killed by armed forces involved in the security crackdowns in Syria's coastal region. At least 446 people were killed by non-state armed groups linked to Assad, the group added. The BBC report found over 100,000 posts spreading hate speech and incitement against Alawis in recent months. Many of these were identified as Saudi Arabian and Turkish-based accounts too. Disinformation stokes Alawi unease as Assad loyalists pursued in Syria Read More » Some of the posts referred to Alawis as 'infidels' and 'criminals'. Another example of coordinated sectarian posts centred around a fake recording claiming to show a Druze religious leader, Sheikh Marwan Kiwan, insulting the Prophet Muhammad. Both Kiwan and Syria's defence ministry said the recording was faked and intended to sow discord in Syrian society. Deadly clashes broke out between pro-government fighters and local Druze gunmen, resulting in the killing of dozens of people south of Damascus following the release of the debunked clip. During the violence, the BBC probe found calls for murder and hate speech initially posted in Syria, but then later promoted by accounts abroad, including in Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Ruslan Trad, a researcher at the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab, told the BBC that there had been evidence of coordinated sectarian disinformation related to Syria, serving Iranian and Israeli agendas. Israeli officials have regularly threatened Syria's new rulers, claiming they pose a threat to the Druze minority. Syrians across the country, including Druze in the south, have firmly rejected Israel's statements and claimed that it was an attempt to stir sectarian tensions.
Middle East Eye
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
One month on, killings persist in Syria's Alawi heartlands
In the weeks following the worst sectarian violence since the fall of Bashar al-Assad - unrest the government has said it is trying to contain - locals of Syria's northwestern coast continue to report killings, abductions, and raids targeting the Alawi community. What began as an attack on government security forces by Assad loyalists - many from the former president's Alawite sect - on 6 March had quickly spiralled into revenge attacks on civilians. The Syrian Network for Human Rights said 1,334 civilians, mostly Alawis, lost their lives in the violence in March, including 889 killed by armed forces involved in the security crackdowns in the region. At least 446 people were killed by non-state armed groups linked to Assad, the report added. Days later, authorities said they had regained control of the situation and have vowed accountability and safety measures, but residents say the calm never came. Speaking to Middle East Eye, 20 eyewitnesses and relatives of victims confirmed that military raids are also still ongoing, often under the pretext of searching for looters or Assad loyalists. All witness accounts were given to MEE on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Residents and local observers said the violence appears to be both random and systematic, carried out by armed factions with minimal interference from state authorities. In Sqoubin, a village in Latakia's countryside, the son of a prominent Alawi cleric was gunned down while returning from work on 5 April. He was riding a motorcycle with two relatives when their path was reportedly blocked by armed men. Middle East Eye has approached the Latakia governor's office for comment. The following day, in al-Mawrid village near Baniyas, assailants launched an attack from a neighbouring village. A young man was shot, and a disabled child was beaten. Both remain in critical condition. Despite pleas for help, residents said General Security forces failed to intervene. On 3 April, three young men from Tartous went missing while travelling out of town. That same week, two other young men were abducted in the Safita countryside and later found dead near a farm in Tallet al-Khodr. Witnesses said the pair had been forced into a black Honda Accord by armed men in civilian clothing who claimed to be from General Security. 'It depends on their mood' Residents describe a pattern of state-linked violence and non-state militia raids merging into one another. In al-Mahfoura, Homs, unidentified gunmen on motorcycles entered the village, fired several shots into the air, and then assassinated a local water well guard with six bullets. The attackers exited through roads flanked by government checkpoints, raising questions about how they moved undetected. A weekend from hell in coastal Syria Read More » Meanwhile, in Wadi al-Dahab, Homs, a 19-year-old barber trainee was gunned down outside his barbershop on 7 April. The attackers escaped before General Security arrived, though the incident prompted a significant security presence. A day later, three men, including two brothers, were shot by security forces around 3pm in the al-Azhari square in Latakia, according to witnesses. The men were on foot when General Security officers asked if they were Alawis before shooting them in the head. The incident triggered panic, with a bus driver abandoning his vehicle and passengers fleeing on foot. Lines between state-backed forces, rebel factions, and opportunistic militias have increasingly blurred, fuelling a pervasive sense of lawlessness. 'Each time a new group comes,' said one man from Jableh. 'Some shout religious slogans, some don't speak. You never know what you're dealing with.' Religious profiling has also become routine at checkpoints dotting the coastal mountain roads. Travellers are reportedly interrogated about their sect, and those who identify as Alawi often face beatings, insults, or detention. 'It depends on the mood of the guy at the checkpoint,' a local resident said. 'Everything is good, don't worry' In the village of al-Sanobar, located between Latakia city and Jableh, six masked gunmen stormed two neighbouring homes on 6 April, leaving one woman hospitalised and several families displaced. The assailants, dressed in matching uniforms, entered the area in the afternoon and initially reassured locals. 'They said everything is good, don't worry,' one resident told MEE about the fighters who had raided their house. 'But then they started asking for gold, money, phones.' 'Each time a new group comes. Some shout religious slogans, some don't speak. You never know what you're dealing with' - Resident, Jableh One of the targeted houses belonged to a school principal in her mid-40s. Witnesses said she was struck in the head and had her golden earrings torn off. 'She was still bleeding before fleeing to another village,' an eyewitness said. In the neighbouring home, a physics teacher managed to flee through the back gate into the garden. His wife and adult children stayed behind as the attackers looted everything they could find, including old Syrian lira coins, mobile phones, and laptops. Residents say these were not isolated incidents. Many have already fled the village, and those who remain live in fear. 'Only five houses are still occupied,' said another local. 'People have left after seeing what happened.' Even civilians trying to restore a sense of normalcy have come under attack. On the morning of 7 April, a group of teachers attempting to reopen the local school in al-Sanobar were met with gunfire. 'Four unidentified people on two motorbikes fired into the air,' said a witness. 'They saw the teachers returning and wanted to scare them away.' The incident was not investigated by the General Security, which arrived later that evening to arrest 25 people while searching for a family allegedly involved in a December attack on its troops. All the men were released after one night. The school remains closed, as do the citrus groves that once sustained the village. The psychological toll on children has also been severe. 'My children don't talk about it,' one parent said. 'But they wake up crying. One of them screams in her sleep.' 'We're on our own' The recent raids near al-Sanobar followed a now familiar pattern seen across Latakia, Tartous, Baniyas, and parts of Homs, where armed men arrive in vehicles nearly identical to official military convoys and pass through checkpoints without resistance. Although the mass killings of early March have tapered off, smaller-scale attacks are becoming more frequent. In recent days, multiple Alawi civilians have been found dead across the coastal region, many bearing signs of execution-style killings. On Monday, the Observatory said 12 civilians, mostly Alawis, were killed in incidents of apparent sectarian violence. 'The killings haven't stopped. They've simply become more calculated' - Resident, al-Sanobar 'The killings haven't stopped' one resident in al-Sanobar said. 'They've simply become more calculated.' In one of the latest incidents, the body of a young man kidnapped days earlier in Homs was found dumped near the rocky corniche in Tartous, shot in the head, locals said. On the same day, two other men were discovered dead in separate locations in Tartous and Latakia, residents said, heightening fears that targeted abductions and executions are becoming routine in Syria's coastal provinces. Attempts by Alawi community leaders to form a local council have repeatedly faltered amid fear and fragmentation. The response by the state has been largely absent. Calls to local police stations have gone unanswered or redirected. 'They told us, 'It's another group. We can't help,'' said one woman in Latakia, reflecting a broader sense of abandonment amongst residents. While many Alawis remained loyal to President Bashar al-Assad throughout the civil war, frustration had grown in recent years within Alawi-dominated areas. 'He was still a child': Grief and fear at Latakia hospital Read More » By 2023, public criticism of the Assad government intensified, with many citing corruption, economic collapse, and a lack of civil liberties. Despite the recent violence, the government has moved ahead with formal reconciliation efforts. On 8 April, authorities announced that the demobilisation centre in Latakia had resumed operations after a temporary pause due to attacks in the region. Officials reported that approximately 27,000 former government soldiers had completed settlement procedures. Yet as violence persists in provinces once considered stable, the prospect of meaningful stabilisation seems increasingly distant. With each passing week, trust in both state and non-state actors continues to erode. 'No one is protecting us,' said a resident displaced from Al-Sanobar. 'We're on our own.'
