Latest news with #BaathParty
Rudaw Net
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iraq arrests 40 over alleged baathist plots, sectarian incitement
Also in Iraq Iraq cannot control militias attacking Kurdistan Region, says MP Iraq records 16 new cases of Crimean-Congo fever Iraqi parliament to convene on Kurdistan Region drone attacks PM Barzani says Baghdad added new condition to finance agreement A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Forty people suspected of spreading Ba'athist ideologies of former dictator Saddam Hussein's regime and planning sabotage attacks have been arrested, Iraqi security forces announced on Sunday. 'Security detachments carried out qualitative operations that resulted in the arrest of 40 suspects involved in managing and financing sectarian content and seeking to carry out sabotage operations,' the Iraqi National Security Agency (INSS) said in a statement. The law criminalizing the promotion of the Baath Party in Iraq was activated on July 30, 2016. It criminalized membership in, and promotion of, the dissolved Ba'ath party in Iraq, as well as any similar groups or ideologies 'These misguided elements resorted to false rhetoric that promoted the banned Ba'athist regime as a cover for marketing their dead dreams and inciting against the state,' the security agency added. A clandestine cyber group called 'Brigade 66' which is managed from outside the country and spreads Ba'athist ideologies was also monitored. 'Some of them [the suspects] confessed to receiving guidance and support from fugitive elements outside the country,' the INSS said. The Arab Socialist Baath Party ruled Iraq from 1968 until it was toppled in 2003 by a United States-led invasion that removed its leader, Hussein. The party has since been banned under Article 7 of the Iraqi constitution, which outlaws adopting, glorifying, or promoting the symbols and propaganda of the former regime. Hussein's oppressive regime was responsible for numerous crimes against humanity, including the Anfal genocide against the Kurds. The campaign reached its deadliest point in 1988 with the Halabja chemical attack, which killed around 5,000 people and injured 10,000 more. The dictator was executed in 2006 after being sentenced to death in a separate case for the killing of 148 Shiites. His trial on charges related to the Anfal genocide was still ongoing at the time of his execution.
Saudi Gazette
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Clashes continue in Suwayda despite Syria ceasefire implementation
DAMASCUS — Armed clashes continued Saturday between Bedouin tribal fighters and local armed groups in Syria's southern province of Suwayda, despite the launch of a nationwide ceasefire and the deployment of internal security forces. According to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), security units have begun moving into Suwayda and surrounding areas to enforce the ceasefire agreement and restore stability. However, heavy fighting was still reported in multiple parts of the province, underscoring the fragile nature of the truce. The presidency in Damascus announced the ceasefire earlier Saturday following days of violent unrest that erupted on July 13 between Bedouin Arab tribes and armed Druze factions. The violence escalated sharply when Israel launched airstrikes on Syrian military positions, including targets in the capital, Damascus. Tel Aviv claimed its actions were aimed at protecting Druze communities near the border. The flare-up is the latest challenge for Syria's new transitional government, which took power in January after longtime leader Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia in December, effectively ending more than six decades of Baath Party rule. President Ahmad al-Sharaa now leads the interim administration, tasked with restoring order and rebuilding state institutions. Saturday's deployment of internal security units is part of that effort. However, continued clashes in Suwayda highlight deep divisions and the complex tribal and sectarian dynamics that remain unresolved, even amid broader political transition and attempts at stabilization. — Agencies
Saudi Gazette
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Syria declares nationwide ceasefire after Suwayda unrest, U.S. confirms Israel-Syria truce
DAMASCUS — The Syrian presidency announced a comprehensive and immediate nationwide ceasefire on Saturday, following a week of intense clashes between Bedouin Arab tribes and Druze armed groups in the southern province of Suwayda, and subsequent Israeli airstrikes on Syrian territory. In an official statement, the presidency called on all parties to 'fully comply with this decision, immediately halt all combat operations, ensure the protection of civilians, and guarantee unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid.' The government warned that any violation of the ceasefire would be treated as a "blatant breach of national sovereignty" and responded to under constitutional law. The statement urged all sides to give Syrian state institutions and forces the space to implement the ceasefire effectively, 'ensuring stability and an end to the bloodshed.' The move comes after violence erupted on July 13 between Bedouin fighters and Druze militias in Suwayda. The clashes triggered Israeli airstrikes, including on military infrastructure in Damascus. Israel claimed the attacks were carried out to "protect Druze communities." In a significant diplomatic development, U.S. Ambassador to Ankara Tom Barrack, who also serves as Washington's special envoy for Syria, announced late Friday on social media that Israel and Syria had agreed to a truce. 'Israeli Prime Minister @Netanyahu and Syrian President @SyPresidency, supported by the U.S.A. @SecRubio, have agreed to a ceasefire embraced by Türkiye, Jordan, and neighboring countries,' Barrack posted on X. He also called on Druze, Bedouins, Sunnis, and other minorities to "put down their weapons" and work together to build a new and united Syrian identity, urging national reconciliation and coexistence. The ceasefire also marks a major political shift in Syria. President Bashar al-Assad, who led the country for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia in December, bringing an end to the decades-long rule of the Baath Party. A transitional administration led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa was formed in January. The truce, if upheld, could signal a new phase in Syria's post-conflict transition and offer a window of hope for stability in the war-torn nation.
RTÉ News
16-07-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Syria's sectarian mix a dilemma for new rulers
Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa's hopes of stitching Syria back together under the rule of his Islamist-led government are complicated by the country's mix of sectarian and ethnic groups. Syria is majority Sunni Muslim, and its religious minorities include Alawites, Christians, Druze and Shi'ite and Ismaili Muslims. While most Syrians are Arab, the country also has a sizeable ethnic Kurdish minority. Here's an overview of the Syrian ethno-sectarian mosaic: Sunni muslims Sunni Muslims make up the majority of Syria's population of more than 20 million. Syria was for centuries part of the Sunni-ruled Ottoman Empire until it collapsed a century ago, and the country became a French mandate. The group had historically dominated Syria's most powerful cities - Damascus, Aleppo, Hama and Homs. Under Assad family rule, Sunni Muslims still held some prominent roles, and President Bashar al-Assad's wife, Asma, was from a Sunni family that gained influence until he was ousted in December. But patronage was largely skewed towards the Assads' Alawite minority after Bashar's father, Hafez al-Assad, seized power in 1970. In 1982, the Syrian branch of the Sunni Islamist Muslim Brotherhood launched a revolt in Hama against Hafez al-Assad. His forces crushed the rebellion, killing more than 10,000 people. Some of the most prominent factions in the insurgency against the Assads identified as Sunni Islamist, including Sharaa's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which was an al Qaeda affiliate until cutting ties in 2016. Alawites Alawites account for around 10% of the population and follow an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam and revere Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of Islam's Prophet Mohammad. They were a historically poor, rural community from Syria's mountainous coastal region. In 1920, French colonial rulers created an Alawite state along the coast, in what was seen as a divide and rule strategy. It was incorporated into the rest of Syria in 1936, before independence a decade later. Hailing from the Alawite village of Qardaha, Hafez al-Assad seized power after climbing the ranks in the military and the Baath Party. While espousing the Baath's secular Arab nationalism, the Assads recruited heavily from the Alawites for the security apparatus. Sunni fighters killed 1,500 Alawites in the coastal region in March, after a rebellion by Assad loyalists. Druze Syria's Druze community follows a religion derived from Islam and is part of a minority group that also has members in Lebanon, Israel, and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. In Syria, the community is concentrated in the Sweida region bordering Jordan, in areas adjoining the Israeli-occupied Golan, and in Damascus' Jaramana suburb. Echoing arrangements for the Alawites, French colonial authorities established a state called Jabal al-Druze centred on Sweida until 1936. After Syria's civil war erupted in 2011, Druze held protests against Assad but were spared most of the mass violence that unfolded elsewhere in the country. They faced periodic attacks from other groups, including from Sharaa's HTS and other Sunni Islamist militants who regard their sect as heretical. The Druze maintain a degree of secrecy about the practice of their faith that emerged in the 11th century and incorporates elements from Islam and other philosophies, emphasising monotheism, reincarnation and the pursuit of truth. Friction between Druze and Syria's new authorities has broken out into fighting several times this year - notably in Jaramana and Suweida. Israel has intervened with airstrikes against Syrian government forces during the clashes with the stated aim of protecting the Druze. Kurds Kurds are Syria's largest non-Arab ethnic group at around 10% of the population and are concentrated near the border with Turkey and Iraq. They are part of a stateless ethnic group spread between Syria, Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Armenia. Syria's Kurds faced systematic persecution under the Arab nationalist Baathist rule. While the Kurds are mostly Sunni Muslims, their dominant faction - the Democratic Union Party (PYD) - follows a political doctrine emphasising secular leftism and feminism and is heavily influenced by Abdullah Ocalan's Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). After the eruption of the Syrian conflict in 2011, a PYD-affiliated armed group, the People's Protection Units (YPG), established control of Kurdish-majority areas in northern Syria. Under the banner of the Syrian Democratic Forces, the YPG partnered with the United States against the Islamic State. SDF-held Syria today accounts for about 25% of the country, including some Arab-majority regions. Leading Kurdish groups want to preserve regional autonomy, at odds with Sharaa's ambition of reunifying the country under central rule. Christians While some prominent Syrian Christians joined the opposition against Assad, most Christian communities stuck by him, fearing that Sunnis would trample on minority rights if they took power. The Christians are split into a number of denominations -some of them tiny communities with ancient roots in pre-Islamic Syria. Groups include the Greek Orthodox, Maronites, Syriac Orthodox and Catholics, Chaldeans, Assyrians, and Armenian Orthodox and Catholics. There also are a few Protestants.
Roya News
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Roya News
Remains of 15 Assad-era victims found in mass grave in Hama, Syria
The Public Prosecution Office in Hama Governorate announced Tuesday the discovery of a mass grave containing the remains of 15 people, including a woman and a child, believed to be victims of a 2013 massacre carried out by forces loyal to former president Bashar al-Assad. According to a statement published by Syria's state news agency SANA, the remains were found inside a well in the town of Ma'an, located northeast of Hama. Authorities believe the site is linked to one of several atrocities committed against civilians during the early years of the Syrian uprising. Hama's chief prosecutor, Ayman Al-Othman, said the discovery followed a report that prompted authorities, accompanied by teams from internal security, forensic medicine, and civil defense, to immediately inspect the site. The remains were recovered and transferred to the forensic medical center for identification and legal processing. "Initial evidence and available indicators confirm that these remains belong to victims of a crime committed by the former regime, as part of widespread and grave violations against innocent civilians in 2013," Al-Othman stated. He emphasized the prosecution's commitment to pursuing those responsible and bringing them to justice, calling the massacre 'one of the most horrific violations witnessed in the region.' Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, mass graves and evidence of atrocities committed over 11 years of conflict have continued to surface across Syria. The uprising, which began in 2011, left hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced. On December 8, 2024, opposition factions took control of the capital Damascus, ending 61 years of Baath Party rule and more than five decades of the Assad family's grip on power.
