Afghanistan’s internal insecurity, border tensions, and the potentially Pakistani-backed US military factor are combining to create yet another storm in the New Cold War that threatens to destabilize the region.
Russia’s ongoingspecialmilitaryoperation in Ukraine and the US-led West’s unprecedented response to it have distracted the international community from Afghanistan, which is once again becoming an issue of regional concern. The foreign occupiers’ chaoticevacuation from that country last August and the Taliban’s return to power in the aftermath haven’t stabilized the situation all that much. The group is still designated as terrorists by most of the world and their leadership remains unrecognized despite all stakeholders – includingRussia — still interacting with them for pragmatism’s sake.
Afghanistan somehow avoided the full-scale humanitarian crisis that many were worried about but its people’s most basic needs still aren’t being adequately met. Observers also feel very uncomfortable about the Taliban returning to its old ways by once again banning women from showing their uncovered faces in public. The comparatively more secular and ethnically cosmopolitan northern part of the country that’s majority inhabited by Tajiks and other Central Asian people might not take too kindly to this decree, which could fuel anti-government movements there.
In fact, it was reported just this weekend that the “National Resistance Front” (NRF) has returned to fighting against the Taliban in the Panjshir Valley. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was asked about this on Friday following the CIS Foreign Ministers Council meeting in Dushanbe where he reiterated Moscow’s stance that the only sustainable political solution is to form an ethno-regionally inclusive government. He also expressed optimism that “our allies in Tajikistan with serious influence in Afghanistan, primarily the country’s north, will also keep helping us achieve our common goals.”
That former Soviet Republic is a key stakeholder in Afghanistan since it exerts influence over its co-ethnics across the border and was previously suspected of supporting anti-Taliban forces there. President Putin also spoke to his Tajik counterpart Rahmon on Friday, during which time the two discussed Afghanistan and confirmed that they’ll “continue to cooperate to ensure security on the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border.” This is especially important following reports that ISIS-K terrorists from Afghanistan recently claimed credit for a cross-border attack that Tajik officials nonetheless denied.
On the topic of cross-border terrorism emanating from Afghanistan, neighboring Pakistan reportedly carried out several strikes there in the middle of last month against TPP terrorists who martyred several of their soldiers days prior. Islamabad also reportedly just handed over two top TPP commanders to the Afghan Taliban, who’ve been mediating peace talks between them. Amidst all of this, Pakistan remains mired in political uncertainty following its scandalous change of government in early April that former Prime Minister Khan claims was orchestrated by the US as punishment for his independent policies.
While its internal security situation is expected to remain stable considering the world-class professionalism of its military and intelligence services, speculation abounds about the trajectory of its foreign policy. Newly inaugurated Foreign Minister Bhutto’s upcoming trip to the US is inconveniently occurring at the exact moment that its political, economic, and international uncertainties are converging. The relevance of this to Afghanistan is the US’ recent reaffirmation that it retains the capabilities to strike terrorists in Afghanistan if it so chooses, perhaps with speculative Pakistani support.
Former Prime Minister Khan claimed that the alleged US-orchestrated regime change plot against him first started when he publicly said that his country will “absolutely not” host any American bases in the wake of the US’ withdrawal from neighboring Afghanistan. Critics of the new authorities who replaced him suspect that they might be secretly negotiating some sort of military arrangement with the US to facilitate American anti-terrorist strikes there, which could possibly target ISIS-K but also the TTP that Washington also officially regards as terrorists just like Islamabad does.
While there’s nothing of tangible substance to base this speculation on, it’s still a matter of public record that the US said on multiple occasions that it’s actively seeking out regional bases to facilitate its so-called “over-the-horizon” strikes in Afghanistan. Russia was concerned that its American rival might poach one of the Central Asian Republics from its informal “sphere influence” into this scheme, though that hasn’t materialized, at least not yet. Even so, Moscow must be watching Washington’s reported $20 million unarmed Puma drone deal with Dushanbe with suspicion to see where it might lead.
On the topic of cross-border attacks, it also deserves mentioning that reports came in a few weeks back alleging that tensions were boiling along the Afghan-Iranian border. Tehran denied that any clashes took place but most observers still consider ties between it and the Taliban to be very complicated, to say the least. Taking stock of the overall situation, Afghanistan’s domestic stability has been rocked by ISIS-K suicide bombings and the latest reported “NRF” offensive while international tensions are dangerously growing between the Taliban and its Iranian, Pakistani, and Tajik neighbors.
Against the backdrop of the Taliban imposing its strict socio-religious standards onto the rest of the population in spite of the risk that this will only worsen resentment from some minorities against it, as well as the country’s humanitarian crisis being far from resolved even though it hasn’t yet exploded, it can be concluded that everything risks spiraling out of control if all these counterproductive trends aren’t soon reversed. Pakistan’s crossing of the Rubicon by kinetically defending its objective national security interests through reported anti-TTP strikes also adds an unpredictable dimension to this too.
The same can be said for the pivot towards the US that the new authorities’ critics suspect is unfolding and which might manifest itself through those two unofficially teaming up to occasionally fight terrorism in Afghanistan. The US is still actively searching for a regional base, which can only realistically be in Pakistan if it ever comes to pass since its new Tajik partner can’t legally host one without Russia’s approval due to its legal commitments through the CSTO mutual defense pact. Any enhanced Pakistani-American anti-terrorist and/or military cooperation could greatly reshape regional dynamics.
All the while, there’s also some positive news too even though it pales in comparison to the negative. Foreign Minister Lavrov spoke at the beginning of the month about the need for mutually beneficial economic engagement with Afghanistan, which he repeated on Friday after the CIS meeting that was hyperlinked to earlier in this analysis. New Taliban-appointed Afghan charge d’affairs to Russia Jamal Nasir Garwal, who also reportedly attended the Victory Day parade in Moscow, publicly reciprocated this interest by emphasizing how much his country needs Russian energy resources right now.
These signals prompted speculation that a Taliban delegation might soon travel to Moscow to discuss such deals, though Russian Special Presidential Envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov denied that anything of the sort was in the cards at this moment. Still, that would represent a positive development if it comes to pass and would complement the Taliban’s planned economic cooperation with China. The larger trend seems to be that while Afghanistan’s ties with Iran, Pakistan, and Tajikistan become more complicated, its ties with Russia and China are becoming more comprehensive.
To be absolutely clear, correlation doesn’t mean causation so nobody should think that regional stakeholders are dividing into pro- and anti-Taliban blocs, but it’s still an important trend to pay attention to since it suggests that Russia and China might soon be able to exert more influence over the Taliban than previously expected. In the event that Pakistan strikes some sort of anti-terrorist or military deal with the US as part of its speculative plans to repair ties with it through such arrangements that critics might describe as concessions, then those two might become more suspicious of its intentions.
After all, Pakistan has unofficially frozen talks with Russia over what former Prime Minister Khan insists were his previously active negotiations to purchase fuel from Moscow, including at a 30% discount, but which the new Energy Minister claimed had never happened. The latter said this in spite of there being documented evidence from credible sources confirming that his statement was factually incorrect, including Foreign Minister Lavrov revealing while in Islamabad on 7 April 2021 that there was “mutual interest” in this, “appropriate proposals have been put forward”, and Russia is “waiting for a response”.
The scandal over Russian-Pakistani energy talks concerns much more than just those two countries since all interested observers can now see that the new authorities are publicly distancing themselves from their predecessors’ negotiations with the Kremlin for whatever reason, even going as far as to share factually incorrect information with the public about this. The impression that they’re probably left with is that this might be done under American pressure, which in turn adds credence to former Prime Minister Khan’s narrative about the US being behind his ouster and now influencing his replacements.
This insight is pertinent for Afghanistan since it also adds credence to suspicions that Pakistan and the US might be secretly negotiating some anti-terrorist or military deals focused on that war-torn country, with Islamabad possibly even conceding on some issues that its prior government never would have in pursuit of clinching such an agreement in the hopes of repairing its troubled ties with Washington. The reintroduction of US forces to the region, even clandestine ones such as CIA drone teams, could be very destabilizing and thus contribute to even more uncertainty about Afghanistan’s overall situation.
The scenario of Pakistan’s new authorities, who rose to power through scandalous circumstances that the ousted premier attributed to a US-orchestrated conspiracy, facilitating the American military’s and/or intelligence’s return to the region would certainly be frowned upon by all regional stakeholders. No matter what’s said between their diplomats, it’s doubtful that they place much trust in that country’s new leadership after its Energy Minister passionately insisted that former Prime Minister Khan was lying about his energy negotiations with Russia in spite of the official facts contradicting him.
The uncertainty about Pakistan’s grand strategic trajectory after its recent change of government and the credible concerns that its new leadership is preparing to decisively pivot towards the US contribute to the larger uncertainty about everything associated with Afghanistan right now. The overall situation is negative and there’s too much “fog of (hybrid) war” to confidently predict where everything is headed. Afghanistan’s internal insecurity, border tensions, and the potentially Pakistani-backed US military factor are combining to create yet another storm in the NewColdWar that threatens to destabilize the region.
If winning a military battle is defined by the accomplishment of one’s military objectives, then Hamas won the current round of violence with its very first ballistic barrage on Jerusalem ten days ago. Israel, on the other hand, won’t win, can’t win and doesn’t even dream of winning. Like in recent ‘rounds’, all Israel hopes to achieve is an ‘image of victory.’ Despite its military might and destructive enthusiasm, Israel can’t prevail militarily because it doesn’t even remember what military objectives are or what they look like.
In the last seven decades Israel has worked relentlessly to divide the Palestinians in an attempt to dismantle their ability to resist as one people. This project had been so successful in the eyes of the Israelis that many of them started to believe that the Palestinian cause had evaporated into thin air. But then, completely out of the blue (as far as the Israelis are concerned), Hamas managed to unite the Palestinians into a unified fist of resistance: on Tuesday every Palestinian between the River and the Sea joined a strike called by Hamas. Such a collective, multi-sectorial strike didn’t happen in Palestine since 1936.
Military victory is not measured by the carnage you inflict on your foe. It isn’t measured by the number of casualties or the residential towers one reduces into dust. Admittedly, there is no room for comparison between Israeli military capabilities and Hamas’ firepower. Israel is one of the most technologically advanced military forces in the world. Hamas is decades behind, yet it wins over Israel in every round of violence.
The reason is simple. Hamas’ military objectives are simple and modest. Hamas has vowed to keep the resistance alive. It fulfills its promise. By achieving this goal Hamas has positioned itself as the Palestinian unifier. Israel, on the other hand, can’t decide its military goals. We hear Israel’s Defence Minister vowing to bring security to the Israelis but Hamas proves him wrong, continuing to rain Israel with rockets at a growing rate. Israel brags about its precision bombing of Hamas’ tunnels, yet rather cynically, Hamas keep operating from tunnels that seem intact and operational.
It doesn’t take a military genius to grasp that in order to stop Hamas, Israel needs to deploy ground forces and to engage in a fierce battle in the streets of Gaza. But this is exactly the one thing the IDF refuses to do and for a manifold of very good reasons. Firstly, the Israelis are fearful of a house-to-house battle. Second, Israel doesn’t want to control 2.5 million Gazans. Third, not one Israeli military leader is willing to face the relentless Israeli mothers brigade. In the region, however, Israel’s reluctance to send foot soldiers to Gaza is understood as cowardice and weakness.
For Israel, Gaza in particular and Palestine in general is a no-win situation.
But there is a deeper reasoning behind Israel’s hopeless situation. Israeli decision makers (both within the political realm and in the military) subscribe to the power of deterrence. For Israelis, the power of deterrence means punishing the Arabs so heavily that their will to fight would practically stop existing. For one reason or another, the Israelis manage to clumsily zigzag through their troubling history in the region in an attempt to validate this doctrine. For instance, Israel works hard to convince themselves that despite their military fiasco in Lebanon in 2006, Hezbollah has been reluctant to enter a new round of violence with Israel because it is intimidated by the consequences.
Examination of Israeli history actually defies the Israeli doctrine. When Arabs are defeated and humiliated in the battlefield they keep fighting until they win. When Arabs win, they often lose their motivation to keep fighting. They occasionally seek peace and harmony in accordance with the Islamic teaching.
In 1967 Israel defeated 3 Arab armies in just 6 days. Israel performed a perfect Blitzkrieg operation. The Israeli air force surprised and destroyed the Egyptian, Jordanian and Syrian air forces on the ground in less than four hours. Simultaneously, Israeli Panzers raided into Sinai, within hours the Egyptian forces collapsed. The humiliation of the Egyptian army was unprecedented in military terms.
If the Israeli doctrine carried any validity, Egypt wouldn’t consider any military confrontation with Israel. But the reality on the ground proved the opposite. Just a few months after their June 1967 defeat, the Egyptian Army launched a war of attrition against Israel, one which exhausted the Israeli forces (including the air force). In the War of Attrition (1967-70) Egypt displayed new capabilities, relying on new Soviet ground-to-air missiles that obliterated Israeli air superiority. Yet Israel refused to draw the necessary conclusions. It was suffocated by hubris that prevented it from reading its neighbors and their intentions.
On 6 October 1973 (Yom Kippur) at 2 PM, Egypt and Syria launched a coordinated attack on Israeli forces in the Suez Canal and in the Golan Heights. Within hours the two Arab armies managed to obliterate the Israeli defence lines. A few days later and thanks to a close American airlift Israel recovered. It gained its lost land in the occupied Golan heights and even managed to conquer some new territory in Syria. In the South, Israel managed to establish bridgehead over the Suez Canal. It encircled the Egyptian 3rd army and cut its supply lines. But Israel failed to push the Egyptian 3rd and 2nd armies back. The Egyptian army ended the war, claiming a narrow strip of Sinai back. It was this victory that empowered Anwar Sadat to launch a peace initiative four years later (1977).
Hafez al-Assad, the Syrian leader at the time, didn’t manage to claim a victory. Syria remained a defiant enemy of Israel. It is reasonable to speculate that if Assad was allowed to cling to some of his territorial gains in October ‘73, Israel and Syria could have proceeded into further reconciliatory talks.
The same logic can be applied to Hezbollah. The Lebanese Shia resistance movement is reluctant to fight Israel not because it is afraid of the consequences, as Israelis delude themselves, but because it already won significantly over the IDF. A war with Israel is dangerous for Hezbollah not because Israel will do its best once again to destroy Lebanese infrastructure and flatten half of Beirut, but because the outcome of such a war is unknown. Hezbollah is in a much better position retaining its status as the Arab military force that made the IDF run home with its tail between its legs (2006).
One may wonder whether Israeli strategists are so thick as not to grasp the most obvious facts about their neighbors and what fuels their motivation to fight. It may of course be possible that Israel’s decision makers aren’t as excited by tranquility as some of us want to believe. Gaza is where Israel tests its new weaponry and tactics. Gaza rockets are a necessary ingredient in the Iron Dome’s public relations. Most importantly, the Gaza crisis emerged when Netanyahu’s political options were running out. It was the Gaza current conflict that made the political powers in Israel subside and then crystalize lucidly within the realm of the hard right. This war made both Netanyahu and Hamas stronger.
It would be fair to argue that Hamas is operating within the modernist perception of conflicts as devised by Carl von Clausewitz. For the German military philosopher “war is the continuation of politics by other means.” In ‘postmodernist’ Israel, it seems war is one of the means that keeps some politicians out of prison.
Palestinian Muslims performing prayers and reading Quran in the Great Al-Omari Mosque in the early days of the holy month of Ramadan. (Photo: Fawzi Mahmoud, The Palestine Chronicle)
COVID-19 cases in Palestine, especially in Gaza, have reached record highs, largely due to the arrival of a greatly contagious coronavirus variant which was first identified in Britain.
Gaza has always been vulnerable to the deadly pandemic. Under a hermetic Israeli blockade since 2006, the densely populated Gaza Strip lacks basic services like clean water, electricity, or minimally-equipped hospitals. Therefore, long before COVID-19 ravaged many parts of the world, Palestinians in Gaza were dying as a result of easily treatable diseases such as diarrhea, salmonella and typhoid fever.
Needless to say, Gaza’s cancer patients have little fighting chance, as the besieged Strip is left without many life-saving medications. Many Palestinian cancer patients continue to cling to the hope that Israel’s military authorities will allow them access to the better equipped Palestinian West Bank hospitals. Alas, quite often, death arrives before the long-awaited Israeli permit does.
The tragedy in Gaza – in fact in all of occupied Palestine – is long and painful. Still, it ought not to be classified as another sad occasion that invokes much despair but little action.
In fact, the struggle of the Palestinians is integral to a larger struggle for fundamental human rights that can be witnessed throughout the Middle East which, according to a recent Carnegie Corporation report, is one of the most economically unequal regions in the world.
From war-torn Libya to war-torn Syria, to Yemen, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Afghanistan and many parts of the Arab and Muslim world, the dual tragedy of war and want is a scathing reminder of the price ordinary people pay for frivolous power struggles that yield nothing but more uncertainty and achieve nothing but more hatred.
Once more, the holy month of Ramadan visits the Muslim Ummah while its tragedies are still festering – new conflicts, unfinished wars, an ever-expanding death toll and a never-ending stream of refugees. Sadly, not even Ramadan, a month associated with peace, mercy and unity, is enough to bring about however fleeting moments of tranquility, or a respite from hunger and war for numerous Muslim communities around the world.
In Palestine, the Israeli occupation often takes even more sinister turns during this month, as if to intentionally compound the suffering felt by Palestinians. On April 14, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque called on Arabs and Muslims to intervene so that Israel may cease its harassment of Palestinians at the holy shrines of Al Quds – occupied East Jerusalem.
Aside from the increased attacks by Jewish extremists, who are now storming Al-Aqsa Mosque at a significantly higher rate than ever before, the Israeli occupation authorities have “removed the doors of the Mosque’s minarets, cut the electrical wires of loudspeakers to prevent the Adhan (call to prayer) and seized (Ramadan) iftar meals, in addition to threatening to storm the Mosque on the final days of the holy month of Ramadan,” Sheikh Hussein said in a statement.
Israel fully comprehends the spiritual connection that Palestinians, whether Muslims or Christians, have to their religious symbols. For Muslims, this rapport is further accentuated during the holy month of Ramadan. Severing this connection is equal to breaking the collective spirit of the Palestinian people.
These are only a few examples of a multifaceted and deeply rooted tragedy felt by most Palestinians. Numerous similar stories, though of different political and spatial contexts, are communicated every day throughout the Muslim world. Yet, there is no meaningful discussion of a collective remedy, of a strategy, of a thoughtful answer.
Ramadan is intended to be a time when Muslims are united on the basis of a wholly different criterion: where political and ideological differences disappear in favor of spiritual unity which is expressed in fasting, prayer, charity and kindness. Unfortunately, what we are witnessing is not Ramadan as it was intended to be, but different manifestations of the holy month, each catering to a different class – a painful but true expression of the disunity and inequality that have afflicted the Muslim Ummah.
There is the Ramadan of boundless wealth, finely catered iftar meals, coupled with endless, cheap entertainment. In this Ramadan, platitudes are often offered about charity and the poor, but little is delivered.
There is also the Ramadan of Palestine, Sudan and Yemen, of the Syrian refugee camps and of little dinghies dotting the Mediterranean, carrying thousands of desperate families, holding little but their hope of a better future beyond some horizon. For them, Ramadan is a stream of prayers that the world, especially their Muslim brethren, may come to their rescue. For them, there is little entertainment because there is no electricity and there are no massive iftar feasts because there is no money.
“Dua” is Arabic for supplication. For the oppressed, dua is the last resort; at times, even a weapon against oppression in all of its forms. This is why we often see bereaved Muslims raising their open palms to the sky whenever tragedy has befallen them. Ramadan is the month where the poor, destitute and oppressed raise their hands to Heaven, beseeching God in various accents and languages to hear their prayers.
They are reassured by such hadiths – sayings of Prophet Mohammed – as this: “The supplications of three persons are never turned away: a fasting person until he breaks his fast, a just ruler and the supplication of the oppressed which is raised by Allah above the clouds, the gates of Heaven are opened for it, and the Lord says: By my might, I will help you in due time.”
There has never been a more critical time for the Ummah to work together, to heal its collective wound, to uplift its down-trodden, to care for its poor, to embrace its refugees and to fight for its oppressed. Many Muslim communities around the world are aching and their pain is unbearable. Perhaps this Ramadan can serve as the opportunity for social justice to be finally enacted and for the oppressed to be heard so that their hymn of torment and hope may rise above the clouds.
– Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of five books. His latest is “These Chains Will Be Broken: Palestinian Stories of Struggle and Defiance in Israeli Prisons” (Clarity Press). Dr. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA) and also at the Afro-Middle East Center (AMEC). His website is www.ramzybaroud.net
Israeli leaders, Christian fundamentalists, and hawkish Washington neocons are doing everything in their power to block a peaceful US return to the JCPOA.
WASHINGTON (Jacobin) — Just as talks between the United States and Iran were taking place last week in Vienna, a cyberattack was carried out on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility. Reports are that the Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency, was behind the attack that blacked out the facility just one day after Tehran launched new advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges, and as US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was in Israel speaking about the United States’ “enduring and ironclad” commitment to the Jewish state.
This is the latest in a series of Israeli attacks on Iran designed to scuttle negotiations. Last summer, a number of explosions attributed to Israel broke out across Iran, including a fire at the Natanz site. These took place while US elections were in full swing and Biden was promising that if elected, he would return the United States to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA) that Trump withdrew from in 2018. In November 2020, Israeli operatives assassinated Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Iran’s top nuclear scientist in the city of Absard outside Tehran. Had Iran responded, the United States might have been dragged into an all-out war.
Israeli officials have also directly lobbied the US Congress to quash the deal. In 2015, Netanyahu traveled to Washington, DC in 2015 to address a joint session of Congress in an attempt to uncut Obama’s original negotiations. This time, Mossad chief Yossi Cohen will be traveling to Washington to meet with top White House and US intelligence officials, and he hopes with Biden directly, to convince the administration that Iran has been concealing details about its nuclear program and therefore can’t be trusted. This is indeed ironic coming from a country that, unlike Iran, actually has nuclear weapons and refuses to disclose any information about its program.
Like Israel, the powerful US lobby American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is trying to convince Biden not to go back into the JCPOA. Last month, they organized bipartisan letters in the House and Senate, urging the Biden administration to insist on an expanded deal that included missiles, human rights, and Iran’s activities in the region. Since Tehran has been clear that an expanded or amended deal is a nonstarter, such “advice” was an attempt to quash talks.
The neoconservative think tank Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD), which worked inside the Trump administration during and after Trump pulled out of the JCPOA, has been relentlessly pushing for war with Iran. After the United States recklessly assassinated Iran’s top general, Qassem Soleimani, FDD CEO Mark Dubowitz gloated, tweeting that the death of Soleimani was “more consequential than the killing of [Osama] #BinLaden”; and on April 11, the same day as the Natanz blackout, former CIA officer and FDD fellow Reuel Marc Gerecht, speaking on CNN, voiced disappointment that Trump hadn’t taken the United States and Iran into an all-out war.
Another group against a deal with Iran is Christians United for Israel (CUFI), one of the most powerful pro-Israel voices in the United States. In March 2021, CUFI urged the Senate not to confirm Colin Kahl for a top policy position at the Pentagon, claiming, “Kahl is a serial Iran appeaser” who “helped advance the disastrous Iran nuclear accord.” In response to the blackout at Natanz, they cheered Netanyahu, tweeting “‘Battling Iran is a colossal mission,’ Netanyahu says following blackout at Iranian nuclear plant.”
The People’s Mujahedin of Iran, or MEK, which the United States had previously designated as a terrorist organization and is known for assassinations and bombings it has carried out, is virulently opposed to US-Iran diplomacy. In March 2021, a number of US Senators attended a virtual event organized by the MEK-aligned Organization of Iranian American Communities (OIAC) calling for continued US sanctions and “bringing down the regime.” Senator Bob Menendez, the powerful chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was among several Democrats in attendance.
The opponents of the Iran deal are trying to keep in place the draconian wall of sanctions that the Trump administration imposed precisely to make it more difficult for a future US administration to rejoin the JCPOA. But these sanctions are causing immense suffering for ordinary Iranians, including runaway inflation and skyrocketing food and medicine prices. According to the UN, they contributed to the government’s “inadequate and opaque” response to the COVID-19 pandemic that has hit Iran particularly hard.
While “successful” in inflicting harm on the Iranian people, the sanctions have failed to broaden the terms of the talks, led the nation to increase its uranium enrichment, negatively impacted the human rights situation, and put the United States and Iran on the brink of an all-out war on multiple occasions.
That’s why so many people in Iran, and those who care about them, have been encouraged by this new round of diplomatic engagement. But Israel, AIPAC, CUFI, FDD, MEK, Menendez, and the like are probably instead hoping that Iran carries out the revenge that Iranian officials have called for in response to the Natanz blackout. But as the saboteurs of diplomacy hope for a violent escalation, let’s keep in mind — and hope Iran agrees — that the best revenge would be a revived JCPOA.
منذ أن عشنا أيام تلك الحرب المجيدة في حياة لبنان والأمّة قبل 38 عاماً، والتي استمرت حوالي 90 يوماً، وأنا أتساءل كلّ عام عن سبب “تهميش” تلك الحرب والنقص في الاهتمام بها شعبياً وثقافياً وإعلامياً وتوثيقياً، حتى بتنا نسمّيها “اجتياحاً” فيما هي في الحقيقة الحرب العربية – الإسرائيلية الأطول في تاريخ الصراع العربي – الصهيوني، والتي خسر فيها جيش الصهاينة المئات من جنوده وكبار ضباطه، فيما قدّم اللبنانيّون والفلسطينيون والجيش العربي السوري والمتطوّعون العرب، آلاف الشهداء من مدنيين ومقاتلين، وكنت أتساءل عن سبب عدم إقامة المهرجانات والندوات والتحقيقات الإعلامية والمؤتمرات البحثية إلاّ نادراً عن حرب غنية بكلّ المعاني.. بل كنت أشعر أنّ وراء محاولات تجاهل هذا الحدث التاريخي في الماضي رغبة بمحاولات لرسم حاضرنا وإعادة ترتيب مستقبلنا بأشكال معينة…
فهل ظُلمت هذه الحرب، لأنها كانت حرباً عربية بالمعنى الكامل للكلمة، شارك فيها وطنيون لبنانيون، ومقاومون فلسطينيون، وعسكريون سوريون ومتطوّعون عرب، فجسّدوا وحدة النضال القومي وعروبة المعركة التي لا يخشى أعداؤنا شيئاً كما يخشونها، بل يسعون بكلّ وسائلهم إلى تفتيت مجتمعنا العربي وتشجيع كلّ قطر أو مكون من مكوناته على الانسلاخ عن الجسد الأكبر الذي هو الأمّة.
بل هل ظُلمت هذه الحرب، لأنها حرب شعبية بكلّ ما في كلمة شعبية من معنى، حيث ارتسمت في أتونها معادلة ما زالت ترتعد منها فرائص الأعداء وهي معادلة مقاومة لبنانية وفلسطينية تواجه جحافل العدو من أقصى الجنوب إلى قلب العاصمة، وجيش سوري يوقف تقدّم العدو على أكثر من محور في الجبل (بحمدون، عين دارة)، والبقاع (السلطان يعقوب، وبيادر العدس) في محاولة مستميتة منه قطع الطريق بين بيروت ودمشق، وهو هدف استراتيجي لهذا العدو ما زال يسعى إليه حتى اليوم، وما قانون “قيصر” هذه الأيام إلاّ أحد عناوين هذا الاستهداف.
وهل ظُلمت هذه الحرب لأنه في رحمها ولدت مقاومة لبنانية وطنية وقومية وإسلامية، نجحت بدعم حلفائها العرب والمسلمين في دحر الاحتلال عن عاصمتها وأرضها وصولاً إلى ردع عدوانه عام 2006، فقبل هذه الحرب كان الدخول إلى أيّ منطقة لبنانية نزهة، وكانت كلّ حرب إسرائيلية في لبنان اجتياحاً (عام 1972، 1978)، ولكن بعدها بات الأمر مختلفاً..
ثم هل ظُلمت هذه الحرب لأنها كانت بداية تحوّل حقيقي في موازين القوى في المنطقة، وربما في العالم، فباتت للحق قوة، بعد أن كانت القوة هي “صاحبة” الحق أينما كانت..
هل ظُلمت هذه الحرب، لأنها كشفت عجز وفشل أصحابها في تحقيق أهدافهم الرئيسية منها، وهي إخراج المقاومة من لبنان، وفرض اتفاقية صلح عليه ليكون البلد الثاني بعد مصر يوقع مثل هذه المعاهدة..
صحيح أنّ تلك الحرب أخرجت قوات المقاومة الفلسطينية من جنوب لبنان وعاصمته، ولكنها في المقابل لم تنجح في إخراج روح المقاومة من لبنان، بل إنها زادتها توهّجاً واشتعالاً وقدرات وحوّلت حركتها إلى رقم صعب في معادلة المنطقة..
وصحيح أنّ ذلك الاحتلال، وبرعاية أميركية نجح في أن يفرض اتفاقية إذعان في 17 أيار 1983، لكنه بعد أقلّ من عام شهد ذلك الاتفاق المشؤوم سقوطه المدوي بعد حرب الجبل (آب 1983)، وانتفاضة (6 شباط 1983).
وقد يقول البعض إنّ من أسباب “الظلم” و “التهميش” الذي لحق بتلك الحرب المجيدة، هو أنّ إنجازاتها كانت صنع شعب رافض للغزو بكل مكوناته، وأمّة رافضة للعدوان بكلّ أقطارها، وبالتالي لا يمكن استخدامها للإيقاع بين لبناني ولبناني، وبين عربي وعربي، بين مسلم ومسلم..
ففي تلك الحرب، كما قاتل متطوّعون من سورية واليمن والعراق ومصر وأقطار المغرب العربي، قاتل أيضاً فلسطينيون من كل الفصائل، ولبنانيون من كلّ المشارب الفكرية والسياسية والاجتماعية، حتى يمكن القول إنّ ما شهدته العقود الأربعة التي تلت تلك الحرب لم تكن إلاّ محاولات لخلق شروخ وتعميق الانقسامات في ما بين أقطار الأمّة، وداخل كلّ قطر..
لقد جاءت معاهدة سايكس – بيكو في أوائل القرن الفائت لتجزئة المنطقة جغرافياً وأفقياً، ثم جاء المشروع الصهيوني – الأميركي، الحرب المظلومة في لبنان أحد تجلياته، من أجل تفتيت بلدان المنطقة ومجتمعاتها اجتماعياً وعمودياً.
وحين ندعو إلى إخراج تلك الحرب إلى الأضواء وتكريم شهدائها من خلال تخليد أسمائهم في شوارع وساحات مدنهم وقراهم كحدّ أدنى، والبحث الجاد في دروسها وعبرها ونتائجها، وتعميق معانيها ودلالاتها، فلأننا نعتقد أن انتصارات الأمم لا تتمّ إلاّ بتراكم إنجازاتها، وتكامل طاقاتها والبناء على ما جرى تحقيقه، وأن أبرز أسباب انتكاسات حركة تحرّرنا القومي في العقود السابقة هي أنّ كلّ جيل كان يريد إلغاء من سبقه من أجيال..
I get asked that a lot by Syrians who are genuinely curious or surprised by support of Syria by a non-Syrian.
And it’s sometimes hard to give a good reply, or at least a concise one, because the reasons are manifold.
Yesterday, I posed the question to followers on Facebook. The replies were fantastic:
Kamel El-Cheikh well I can tell you my personal experience with Syria. I was born in Lebanon of Shia Muslim decent, immigrated to Canada at 7 years old, became a proud Canadian Lebanese. The reason why we immigrated is that Lebanon was attacked by Israel and was already in a civil war because of Israel. We went to Syria to seek refuge many times and my experiences there were very pleasant.
Now, the tables have turned as Israel wants a puppet government in Syria so the Syrians fled to Lebanon for the same reasons. Both the Syrians and Lebanese helped each other in these imperialistic cases of the zionist agenda. So what you say from someone who hasn’t visited in over 30 years is not only your well learned opinion but is a fact for all the middle east. Your words as the proxy went on from 2011 until now echo the experience of my mom and dad telling me to look the other way at 5 years old because a few of our neighbours were killed by war planes as we either flee to Beirut or Syria and eventually Canada. This is why I have become a humanitarian supporting the oppressed or speaking for the voiceless or making good friends who are real journalist like you Eva.
Hendrick Smit Because the country is populated by kind people who do not deserve the atrocities of a proxy war?
Chris Edwards Could start from just being against Israel/US wars and then you get attached to the country and its people. Cause they are brave and baring the brunt of the enemy and its proxies.
Valentina Capurri Because Western countries had no right to invade it and destroy it as they did. As someone living in one of these countries, it is my responsibility to make clear I do not support the crimes committed by my own government.
Eros Zagaglia I’d support any country enduring what Syria is enduring, terrorism, US empire plans. Plus, I discovered very friendly people and a great tradition. A gem in the Arab world
Donal Taaffe Because it has been unfairly and illegally attacked by international criminals like the US, UK, Israel etc. who then lied about a non existent civil war
Patrick Corbett For all the good reasons above (or below). And because Syria for me is a beacon on a dark night showing the way to the victory of a people’s fight for sovereignity, peace and solidarity in the face of brutal imperialism. They fight for us as well; we need to acknowledge their sacrifice for all.
Esteban El Suizo Because beautiful Syria with its intelligent and kind-hearted people is a main cradle of human civilization, some of the most valuable monuments in the world, including six Unesco World Heritage Sites, are located in Syria. True culture and civilization is found all over in Syria, not in junk countries without past & future like Saudi-Arabia. I LOVE this. Because Syria is an undefeated stronghold against Zionist & colonial NWO-arrogancy. I LOVE this, too.
Cecilia Nunez Because as MLK rightly said: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
Branka Furi Trogrlic Syrian people have the right for self determination. Any foreign country which object that, forcing them to change, can not call themselves democratic countries. Those are imperialists.
Chris Vlaar I support it like I support Libya and Iraq, countries that have been obliterated, raped and murdered because of money (resources) and power. And not many seem to care.
Kari Angelique Jaquesson Westphalian sovereignty
It is a matter of principle for me. Syria is a sovereign country with inviolable borders, and every Syrian has the unquestionable right to self-determination over their country and leadership without foreign intervention or meddling.
Then, also, I have fallen very fond of Syria and Syrians and I regard president Assad as a very competent and loyal leader, however affection, admiration or like/approval/ or not of leadership is not relevant when it comes to principle.
Either one believes in sovereignty or not, simple as that. I do. Rima Najm Because I’m a human being with a functioning brain.
Rima Bidan Its the best country in the world enjoying a sublime cuture and a decent past Its origin is respected, its climate is amazing…moderate and of four seasons… which means healthy food and nice weather, the land is generous, the people are good “if left alone” in the past religion was not a problem ,now if you are not aware and highly educated and open minded you would fall in the conflict… I believe and love the mentality of the leader and his wife but I hate the corruption and favouratism all aroundSo sad I left it in 2017 but promise to be back and enjoy my life thereAll can be fixed and done better in the coming years due to people like you Eva… inside and out
Bjarni Thomas I support Syria because it is the right thing to do. Because if my country was being attacked from all sides, I would want the international community to support my country too.
O’Leathlobhair Keith I will never stand by silently and watch the bully of the playground terrorize an innocent kid.
Jean Sievers I support Syria because they are a sovereign country in their own right. All countries supposedly under International Law have the right to be autonomous. This isn’t how it works, in reality, the US Empire has a long history of invading countries that say no to their Imperial demands.
Ketil Øynes I hate imperialism and especially the role the US has taken upon themselves as the world police, when anyone with 2 braincells can see, that they are warmongers with no care for peoples life or international law.
Suzanne Sanders Because Syria isn’t trying to invade and colonize where I live. I don’t respect bullies! yes, I don’t respect my govt!
Michael Darr Because it’s where my grandparents were born and my ancestors are buried and it is me and I am it. Carrie Lavender Because you, Eva, taught me the truth about Syria ever since I found you & Vanessa Beeley in 2016 h/t Caity Johnstone. Ever since then, I became fascinated with Syria and fell in love with it b/c of the kind-heartedness, steadfastness and unbending will of its ppl to defeat evil and stand in truth against all odds—against the Satanic empire of the military industrial complex with its lies, arming of terrorists & draconian sanctions.
George Makhlouf Makhlouf As first hand eye witness who went to Syria with a group of fact finders, I found that the propaganda machine in the US and the whole West beside the collaborator reactionary regimes in the gulf and the blood suckers ottomans all are behind the global conspiracy against Syria. Syria is the victim number one of dirty Zionists.
Judith Tanner Because some of the people I most highly regard in the world live there showing the rest of us what resilience and courage and kindness and inclusion looks like, even in the midst of war.
Zach Fresa Because I am a human being
Tiger Osullivan Eva I have followed your work in here since you have started it, me and lots of fellow Syrians see in you a very dedicated journalist with a big portion of dignity, integrity, honesty, morality wrapped with warm emotions and compassion…. you knew since the beginning what was going on in our beloved Syria, and you stood by us even when 99% of the world media was spreading fake news to deteriorate the image of our country and it’s regime….
I can talk for hours about how we appreciate your efforts standing by the oppressed side, but I will summon all that with one phrase: “Syria loves you EVA.”
ماهر أبوعسله الأسد You are Syrian my dear Eva more than a lot of Syrians
Babsi Schie I supported Syria as I started to see the play in place here in my home, Egypt.I realized they were victims of endless propaganda and that the reality presented in media doesn’t reflect the reality in the ground. Having gone through “Arab Spring” and the following counter revolution to dispose of the MB ruling in 2013, which I fully supported after Morsi called for a no-fly zone over Syria in April 2013, totally was w Syria and followed closely (daily) since 2012. Eid Wahda!
Ingunn No Gun Walsøe Because e I want the people to be able to chose how they want to live. I do not support the western founded religious extremists who want to implement sharia laws in Syria
Caro Ball Support for the Palestinians, and standing up against the Zio and Western Imperialist agendas, not to mention the unity of the Syrian people and love and respect for their President and army, just a few of the reasons why I love Syria.
Ramon Carrera Because no sovereign nation should be used as fodder for other more powerful nations to extract their sovereign wealth. Also to used to extend its geo political policies.
Richard Langlois Because I consider all the evidence with an open mind and its clear to me that the Western narrative is a lie. I have no reason to distrust the Syrians but every reason to distrust the West.
Bridget Thomas Whitehead Because I have never believed the media and political lies by Western governments.
Kirill Kalinin Because unlike other countries its legitimate government has a chance to restore constitutional order and become a success story against colour revolutions
Birgit Lenderink I support any sovereign nation to choose its’ own leadership. Syria is a sovereign nation. The people of Syria have chosen their leadership. Period.
Bambang Ardayanto Because of this: ” We are born to love , love is our mother ” ~ ( Rumi said). But the Deep State and Devil Alliances of warmonger and the greedy of arm industry and bloody oil want to occupy Syria and destroy it like they do in Iraq & Libya also Yemen through other hands . Then if success , they will do the same with Iran.
Todd Deatherage Because they are good and kind people, accepting of others, fantastic musicians and artists, who are under a good administration that doesn’t discriminate against anyone or any group, as long as they respect others.
Genaro Efrain Martinez Oropeza Because of the love of her people , their self determination and their strength for not kneeling to Evil Empire’s interest , I’m Venezuelan I feel first hand what they are fighting for, Natura Guide and Protect Syria
Riahi Youssef We support Syria because both the government and the people are fighting a just cause
David Webster Syrians have just as much right to life, liberty and the pursuit of tail as anybody else.
Arthur Illner To defend Syria’s national independence is to defend the national independence of all countries
Michael Keefer Because I value justice and the search for truth, and I know that Syria has been the victim of a filthy proxy war–engineered by Western powers and their Middle Eastern satrapies, and carried out by those powers and the merciless fanatics who have been their tools.
It has been a war as well of smears, slander, deliberate inversions of actuality, and vicious lies–and the corporatist media and Western opposition parties, as well as many supposedly oppositional intellectuals, have been fully complicit in disseminating that propaganda.
I honour the courage of the Syrian people in resisting multiple attacks upon their country, and I honour the integrity of those journalists, academics, activists and whistleblowers who have laboured to expose falsehoods and tell the truth.
Riaz Malik Because the alternate is disastrous.
Earl Cheffield I support the truth because there is no democracy without truth and the war on Syria like the war on Libya and the war on Iraq and the war on Aghanistan before it, is a war based on lies, therefor it is a war on truth itself and a war on democracy.
Colin Brace Because Syria is a key link in the Axis of Resistance.
Miguel Reis Cause i love the history of Civilization, i believe in secularism, in int.law, in solidarity and above all Righteousness.
Ahmad Hayek Syria is your second home you just have to visit to see that
Emmanuel R. Sabater Supporting Syria is supporting the truth.
Ostarra Langridge Because Syria was wickedly and insidiously attacked by the very evil and insidious Empire
Guy Crittenden Syria today is what Spain was in the 1930s — a rallying point for progressives opposed to the spread of fascism. So far, Syria has held the line, which is impressive since it the leading industrialized nations have tried to destroy it for eight years. Understanding what was attempted on Syria reveals the true nature of the American empire and its vassal states.
Don Harder I support Syria for the exact opposite reason I don’t support the country of my birth. Syria is a non aggressor state. It and its people are victims just like Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, Serbia and sadly, many dozens of others. They deserve their right to exist peacefully as all humans do.
Stella Emm Because it is the first time my eyes were open to the blatant corruption and lies of war, ‘organisations’ and government corruption. Because I’ve never seen more dignified people dealing with criminality that ‘my government’ imposed on them.
Because I never knew how everyday people can close their eyes to their own crimes against Syria. Because they taught me what ‘proxy war’ looks like. Because I never knew the true meaning of ‘hero’ and ‘martyr’ until I met Syria. Because Syria inspires me to be a better ‘me’. Because Syrians inspire strength as well as faith. Because Syria showed me its far better to stand and speak than sit and cover my ears. Because Syria is a rare jewel of the world and worth fighting for. Because I respect their President, their people and their sovereignty Because Syria fights for me, so I will fight for Syria
Sam Novid Before the war, I visited Syria. People were extremely kind and helpful to me. As soon as they found I was “ajnabi” (meaning foreginer), they paid for my taxi fare or gave me extra help (I.e. going out of their way to make sure i found my destenation, even holding my arms which is a sign of friendship, etc.)…I was so impressed that I made a promise to myself to help Syrians if I see them in Iran. For years I was looking out to help a Syrian until the war broke out, and after learning what’s really going on (thanks to Eva’s eye opening talk at UN), I became an advocate for Syria thinking that’s the way I can finally repay their hospitability and kindness. __________ Funny story regarding the word “ajnabi”: We also use the Arabic word “ajnabi” in Iran too, but unlike the original Arabic meaning, this word has a very negative connotation and a very specific usage in Persian. It is exlcusvily used in political context of Western imperialism (mostly British or American governments or their agents, like CIA or MI6.) The first time a security guard (casually) asked me if I was an “ajnabi”, I almost screamed saying “NO, NO, NO, I am Iranian, I am not an ajnabi”, thinking he might arrest me as a spy or something, which is doubly funny since back then I was barely an adult, and looked much younger (I think Iooked 15)….The guard must have thought I was crazy. lol….when I was called ajnabi again, I realized it just means foreigner, and not an imperialist agent .
Peggy Howells Initially Syria was just a name to me. I knew very little about the country, although, I knew enough about our wars to be skeptical of mainstream reports. A link to the preview of Tim Anderson’s ‘Dirty War on Syria’ was shared on a WikiLeaks thread. From there I because interested to learn more of the country and its people, and began to make Syrian friends. The more I learned, the more I came to love the country and its brave and clever people. And its champions in the West, such as yourself Eva. I will visit one day and I expect it will be like going home. In fact, my own country is becoming less and less recognizable. Syria to me represents hope. Its struggle is a struggle of light against darkness. I look forward to day when every inch has been liberated. We need our victories. There have been too many countries destroyed.
Pye Ian Aside from core sovereignty issues, it’s a bulwark of defense against “Syrian War Lies and the Greater Israel Project”
Linda S. Heard Syria has been unfairly treated by the West ever since Assad blasted Blair over the Iraq War. Since reporting on Syria has been not only angled but peppered with outright lies. Assad did not open the door to foreign terrorists, the US despatched most of them and the U.K. ramped up the anti-government propaganda with its funding of the White Helmets and Syrian Observatory. The idea that Syria would deploy chemical weapons on the very day UN inspectors came to Damascus was absolutely bonkers. This entire tragic episode was triggered by the usual Arab Spring crowd but was hijacked by big powers out for regime change on behalf of Israel. Thanks to Putin they have failed but still will not give up trying.
Malu Ribeiro After the history of NATO and US interference, yes, with Israel in the background, maybe as the boss (this part I admit, of IS in LA, I’ve only been learning in recent years), people have to be wilfully blind not to see how the Empire works! over 59 interventions in LA, I don’t even know how many in the ME, always fomenting fake Cold War and destabilisation of Europe, … we’ve to see who’s the problem!! Plus, … hhhh … I lived my childhood in BR and Syrians brought delicious food to Sao Paulo and are very productive members of the community … I’ve never met a dumb or lazy syrian, as stereotypes go … if anyone thinks a little, we’re all a little syrian ..
Brian Gray As an anti-imperialist and in understanding myself as a neo-Platonic Humanist, importantly because of my affiliation with the LaRouche political movement, actively involved as a fulltime activist from 1976 to 1981 and continueing as an advocate of LaRouche policies… I support and have supported the sovereign nation of Syria going back to Hafez al Assad’s administration with the understanding that the attacks on the Assad leadership is typical of the dying desperate British/US/NATO axis’ strategy against any all sovereign nations that don’t abide by the dictates of the so-called “rules-based” western neo-liberal “democracies” and importantly are sanely aligning with the opportunities for global peace thru global development and reconstruction offered by China’s BRI and Russia’s EAEU. When Vladimir Putin finally had had enough of the British/US/NATO deployment and protection of their terrroist proxies so-called “civil war” which was gaining momentum in threatening the Assad government and deployed Russian military into Syria on September 30th 2015… the world profoundly changed.
William Nolan Syria is a beautiful country with ancient roots. Its people are warm and generous. Various Christian and Muslim sects live side by side in harmony. The majority love their elected president. The U.S. and its allies tried to do to Syria what they did to Libya so they could install a puppet government. The Syrian people united against the Salafist terrorists who attacked them and, with the help of allies, beat back the barbarian hoards. My heart and soul are with the Syrian people. May they once again live in peace, harmony and prosperity.
Carlos Tierra Because Syria deserves the right to self-determine – without the genocidal U.S and Zionist Israel interfering with that.
Peter Karig It was around 2015 or 2016 I think when I became informed about Syria and the false flag gas attacks. It was you, Vanessa, and Catlin Johnstone who really got my attention first, and then for some reason I became obsessed. Syria is obviously nothing like what western media says it is, and Assad, his wife, the Syrian army, they are in reality greatly loved. Syria is also a beautiful country that doesn’t need to be destroyed and turned into a terrorist jihadist hell hole.
Michael Robertson No written statement from me can describe fully or adequately express the monumental RESPECT I hold for both the Syrian and Palestinian people..Their unbelievable sacrifice and bravery astounds and humbles me every day compounding the absolute shame I feel as a UK citizen for the evil actions of my own country
Ahmed Amado Asgher Because Syrians are generally good people and educated. They respect their women and they have an ancient history. They are also made up of various ethnic groups with diverse religeous beliefs, who have lived together in peace for many generations. Sadly Saudis with tacist American and Israeli approval wrecked Syria by causing chaos in that land. It is a known fact that most of these thugs were Al-Qaeda recruits paid for by the Saudis. They had no regard for life nor for the ancient historical sites in Syria. I am 72 years, travelled the world and read/write 3 languages fluently, including Arabic.
Roula Alhassan *Because Syria is a country in itself, with its strength and steadfastness in the face of all challenges, even if these challenges were against any other country, it would have completely collapsed…. *Because its leadership, its people and its army are the same in opinion and wisdom. *Because its people grew up loving the homeland and other people. * Because it is my home.
Kef Elmassih For the same reason I support Palestine…“…Because it is a just cause, a noble ideal, a moral quest for equality and human rights.” – Edward Said
Peter Bagwasi Any normal person would stand with the innocent against the devil.
Stewart Ollett The list of countries that oppose apartheid Israel is getting shorter. Russia and Iran (in this instance) take a bow….. Shame on the West…
Hector Williams A secular Christian, I support the govt which protects them. As someone who loathes neocons, globalists, wahhabis, banderites and Zionist s, I also support the people who fight against them!!!
Rina Paki because it is the true and correct thing to do!
Huss Sureh Because Syria is with the truth and the truth is with Syria!!!
John Thatcher Because they are fighting against US/Israeli tyranny.Plus disgraceful regimes like S Arabia.
Greg Schnürle Because I am fed up with the Anglo-American lies since they created and supported the `Mudshahedin´ in Afgahnistan to kill Soviets and gave money, weappons and training to the modern islamistic Terrorists the whole world is now suffering from.*And from here:
Antony Moore How Syria has survived the onslaught of Western backed terrorists is staggering and only by the grace of god with a little help from Russia, Iran etc. I’m disgusted at UK government involvement and will wholeheartedly support the Syrian people in their fight even if I can only supply morale support, plus a few letters to my local MP.
John Eichman After researching the conflict in Syria via numerous independent sources and mainstream media it is clear that Syria is the latest victim/target in western imperialism and as such deserves my support.
Dmitry Drozdov Because they’re being bullied
Nigel Hanrahan 1. The whole structure of international relations, even with the presence of the US Empire, rests upon the sovereignty of states, etc.. If one state can be attacked, then any state can be attacked. This isn’t even particularly radical. It’s simply advocacy for law-governed international relations instead of the current fake law-governed international relations.
2. anti-imperialist solidarity, natch. And if you don’t know what imperialism is, or don’t think it’s a problem, then you are part of the problem.
3. Because Syria has a great an ancient culture that I don’t want to see harmed. “In their rich variety and diversity, and in the reciprocal influences they exert on one another, all cultures form part of the common heritage of humanity”. [UNESCO]
Poppy Sage You and Vanessa Beeley doing great job being there while other so called journalists are just following the regime plan change by the Pentagon. Gen Wesley Clark made it clear it was a long time plan to get Assad out along with other Mideast leaders. White Helmets also obvious, real criminals.
Kevin Tang I call out what’s wrong is wrong. What’s being done to Syria since 2011 is simply wrong.
Thomas P. Ross On June 22, 2006 my wife’s granddaughter (my step granddaughter) was killed by a single act of violence by a baby sitter in Virginia Beach. She was 15 months old. That death left a permanent void in our lives.
In 2012 Syrian Girl, (Mimi al Laham) began posting news articles including videos published by al Qaeda of Iraq and Jabhat al Nusra, (al Qaeda of Syria). The videos would be uploaded to You Tube and would remain there for about 7 or 8 hours and then be taken down by You Tube as they violated their content policy. I noticed that these videos were of ordinary citizens or police officers or Al Assad’s forces (SAA) being put to death in the most inhumane ways imaginable and I started to understand that it made no sense that our media was claiming Assad was killing his own people, when the video’s shown on You Tube were of his own army members being killed by what appeared to be religious zealots. I didn’t know anything about Wahhabism at the time, but Mimi al Laham provided an education of what was really going on in Syria and it all began to make sense. I followed the battles from any alternative media I could find. I grew a greater distrust for our media. I knew what was being reported by our media was a vast lie promulgated by all the major networks.
Having experienced the great loss we suffered losing our Kristen, I recognized that my country was causing that same loss for untold numbers of people living in Syria and in Libya. Except the loss might even be considered as being greater because the loss was just not a mother or father but in many cases, the bread winner and/or the nurturer. I wondered how many children were orphaned and were required forage on their own.
I could not comprehend that my government could be responsible for any of this but I knew it was true. And by my government’s actions, that made EVERYONE in my country complicit in these crimes. I spoke out every chance I had to anyone and everyone who would listen. I posted every article I could find relating to the crimes that were being committed in Syria and our country’s involvement. I convinced some. I irritated many. And I caused many to think I was a little crazy retelling what I believed to be true when it was in absolute conflict with what our media was reporting.
But I believed it was more important to convince people as to the truth even if it meant people lost respect for me. Knowing the loss we suffered losing our grandchild to a single act of violence, I knew the grief was felt no less to those experiencing death in Syria. That is the problem with many people throughout the world including many people in the United States. Many of us have a tendency to believe that some lives matter more than others. The adoption by many idiots in my country that we should make America great again plays into this illusion that we are or should be superior to the other people of this world. I am ashamed of my country. It is not the country I grew up knowing and loving as a child.
But the job of bringing attention to the plight of the Syrian people is not over. They are still under U.S. sanctions and those sanctions should be removed. And our forces are still in Syria. We are stealing the oil of the Syrian people and we are still supporting terrorists. I can not ever, in any capacity, undo the harm my country has caused the Syrian people. But I can still bring attention to their plight in my country and offer my own apology, insignificant as it is.
Here is the story of my granddaughter. Her death was worthy enough to report. But to be honest, in a perfect world, every person who lost their lives to our proxy terrorists in Syria deserve to have their names immortalized forever, here in the United States, on a vast memorial, names etched in granite near the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington D.C. so that we all understand our crime and deter us from ever repeating it. Donna Nassor I support Syria because it is the right thing to do. My country and its collaborators are responsible for so much suffering there. It is my duty to speak out, share the truth and work toward an end to the proxy war. During my visits to Syria I am uplifted and welcomed by Syrians. I am grateful they understand the difference between my government and individuals who support Syria. I will not stop my advocacy until Syrians achieve 100% victory and all of interlopers are gone.
Dimitri Kiriakidis I have that strange feeling that Syria is my country…. I see myself in the face of every Syrian soldier or citizen
Porgi Amor many reasons… 1) your previous speaking engagements with Canadian Peace Congress, which of course debunked what Canadians were being fed (by the biased CBC news coverage) 2) your in depth account of the fake white helmets 3) your description of humanitarian corridors, allowing the Syrian people to escape from terrorism & also allowing the terrorists to walk away 4) your unwavering consistency in reporting 5) your believability 6) your humanity in acknowledging others, like Mark Taliano, Vanessa Beeley, Cory Morningstar, etc. 7) Donald Lafleur’s brief trip to Syria 8) your previous coverage of Palestine
Areti Spiropoulos Because it has stood the test of time. Because it is a beautiful and ancient culture. Because it has been done wrong too many times by the imperialists west. Because Assad.
Verena Eiwen At some point what we are spoonfed through the MSM did not make sense anymore – so I researched, found your and Vanessas writing, found Janices writing, as well as the writing of a German law student with Syrian roots. The Syrian people must be exceptional in every way- and what the US led coalition is doing to them is abhorrent. They deserve any help they can get. I have deepest respect for all these men and women and children for fighting a truly unfair and „for all the wrong reasons“ war. Thank you for going there and writing about the truth.
Bonnie Hamilton Syria is a sovereign country with a democratically elected president voted for by I believe 80% of voters. Regime change and pinning fake false flag attacks on Assad in order to carry out this agenda is evil and nothing more than resource and land grabbing by those who feel they have the power to do this to any country that has something they want or stands in their way. Let’s ask the Syrians what THEY want. Get all troops out including white helmets. I don’t buy for one minute that Assad ever carried out attacks on his people. On insurgents fighting against his army, probably. Against his own people? I will never believe that. There’s zero proof.
Kev Har Because the Syrians and their leader have been brutally and visciously attacked by a cowardly playground bully.
Briannette Zatapatique Because over the years Assad’s narrative and the Syrian narrative – provided by you and others has remained a constant time line, logical and never changing or reverse engineered. The Western narrative is constantly changing – as soon as lies are told, more lies are needed to cover them up. As simple as that.*I applaud and agree with these comments, and after coming here 14 times now, many of those for months-long visits (2016), I would also add: because of the people of Syria.
Here are some additional reasons [more on my Syria playlist]:
Here are some additional reasons [more on my Syria playlist]:
Former US congresswoman Cynthia McKinney has said that it might be better for the position of the national security adviser to remain vacant, hoping that President Donald Trump is about to begin to keep his campaign promises about the folly of the US fighting wars for Israel.
In a statement to the Syria times e-newspaper on the effect of the defenestration of John Bolton as President Trump’s third national security adviser, McKinney said: “Given the President’s poor staffing choices, it might be better for the position to remain vacant. Any appointment from the swamp will continue the same pro-Israel, warmongering, swamp policies.”
She believes that peace has a chance only with a peace leader in that position or no one at all in it.
“Even then, the Lobby for war spans both sides of the aisles, both Republicans and Democrats. I have repeatedly made suggestions for Trump of individuals who understand the swamp and are repulsed by what it is today,” she added.
Asked about the reason behind the defenestration of Bolton, McKinney replied:
“Bolton blew the President’s peace initiatives with North Korea, Syria, and Afghanistan. Let’s hope that the President is about to begin to keep his campaign promises about the folly of the US fighting wars for Israel.”
Yesterday, President Trump pushed out John R. Bolton, his third national security adviser.
Cynthia McKinney is an international peace and human rights activist, noted for her inconvenient truth-telling about the U.S. war machine. She was held for seven days in an Israeli prison after attempting to enter Gaza by sea and traveled to Libya during U.S. bombing and witnessed the crimes against humanity committed against that country’s people. In addition to Libya, she has traveled to Cuba, Syria, Russia, Iran, Pakistan, and as she puts it:
“Wherever U.S. Bombs are dropping or U.S. sanctions are biting.”
She is the author or editor of three Clarity Press books: she has written one book Ain’t Nothing Like Freedom and edited The Illegal War On Libya and the 2018 book, How the U.S. Creates Sh*thole Countries.
In 1992, McKinney won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. She was the first African-American woman from Georgia in the U.S. Congress. She was the first Member of Congress to demand an investigation of the events of 9/11/2001. McKinney was criticized and as a result, she was defeated in 2002; however, she ran again and was re-elected in 2004.
In December 2008, Cynthia made international headlines when her boat was rammed by the Israeli military as she was attempting to deliver medical supplies to Gaza. In 2009, Cynthia attempted to reach Gaza again, this time armed with crayons, coloring books, and school supplies. Her boat was overtaken in international waters by the Israeli military and she was kidnapped to Israel where she spent 7 days in an Ramleh Prison. Finally, Cynthia entered Gaza by land in July 2009 with George Galloway’s Viva Palestina USA.
She has over 100,000 followers on FaceBook and more than 30,000 followers on Twitter who live in countries all over the world—from Argentina to Zimbabwe, according to Tweetsmap as of January 2019.
Yesterday Netanyahu claimed he’d identified a third secret nuclear site in Iran where Iran allegedly “conducted experiments to develop nuclear weapons.” Yet, despite the hyperbole no one seemed to take Netanyahu seriously: the Israeli press was amused by the desperate election stunt. His political rivals mocked the Israeli PM and a few hours after Netanyahu’s press conference his best ally, President Trump, expressed his wish to meet President Hassan Rouhani. Somehow, world leaders were entertained by seeing the Israeli PM, who threatens the entire region with his country’s nuclear arsenal, performing his victim spiel over Iran’s nuclear enthusiasms.
One week before the Israeli elections, Netanyahu is in a state of despair. He knows that as things stand he can’t form a right wing coalition and without such a coalition he is destined to be indicted for a number of criminal activities and will probably end up behind bars like his predecessor, former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert.
How does Netanyahu deal with this looming threat? He presents himself as the nation’s saviour. For the last few weeks Mr Benjamin Securityahu has launched attacks against Syria, Lebanon, Gaza and, allegedly, Iraq. He seeks an engagement with Iran that could easily escalate into a regional, if not a global, war.
It is easy to grasp the Israeli PM’s likely reasoning. If Netanyahu’s foreseeable future includes imprisonment and humiliation, a global war might provide a way out of his personal and political dilemma. A war would postpone the election indefinitely. If Israel survives such a war, Netanyahu could well emerge as a heroic figure of bible proportions. And if Israel loses such a conflict, there won’t be much left of the Zionist project anyway. According to Israeli military analysts, in the next war Israel’s cities will be targeted by thousands of rockets. Devastation is inevitable and in such a scenario, they predict that little will be left of Israel’s power of deterrence.
This is a dark and scary scenario, but we have to bear in mind that Netanyahu is not an unfamiliar figure in Middle East politics. Arab and Iranian leaders know that while Bibi likes to brag about Israel’s capabilities, he is reluctant to test its strength. Netanyahu doesn’t start wars. He isn’t as confident and assertive as he pretends. Like his friend Trump, who regularly threatens the universe with American military aggression but is repeatedly caught backpedaling, looking for an exit from situations he himself created, Netanyahu is not sanguine about Israel’s military force. He is likely scared of the war he seems to push for and this is not necessarily a bad thing.
My battle for truth and freedom involves some expensive legal and security services. I hope that you will consider committing to a monthly donation in whatever amount you can give. Regular contributions will enable me to avoid being pushed against a wall and to stay on top of the endless harassment by Zionist operators attempting to silence me and others.
التداعيات السياسية للمعارك العسكرية الضخمة التي اندلعت منذ ايام عدة في مدينة عدن في جنوبي اليمن، كشفت عن تراجع كبير للنفوذ السعودي وهزيمة بنيوية لتركيا المختبئة خلف حزب التجمع اليمني التابع للأخوان المسلمين.
تبدأ أهمية هذه المعارك باندلاعها في عدن عاصمة الجنوب اليمني، وأهمّ مدينة ساحلية فيه، تشرف على الملاحة جيئة وذهاباً بين مضيق هرمز وبحر عدن المتفرع نحو باب المندب من جهة والمحيط الهندي من جهة أخرى، لذلك فإنّ السيطرة عليها لها أبعاد يمنية ودولية في آن معاً. ولا يمكن لها أن تكون مستقلة عن النفوذ الأميركي لأنّ دولة الإمارات لا تدخل في نزاعات في وجه النفوذ السعودي إلا في حالتين: إما بتواطؤ معه ضدّ طرف ثالث أو بإيحاء أميركي أو بالاثنين معاً، لكن التأييد الأميركي من الضروريات في كلّ الاحتمالات، خصوصاً لمعارك تنشب على خط التجارة العالمي والممر البحري لـ 18 مليون برميل نفط يومياً.
لذلك فإنّ حرب عدن هي حرب التحالفات الأميركية في اليمن، وبإشرافها لأسباب تحتاج الى التعمق في التفسير وبشكل تدريجي.
أولاً، نجح أنصار الله مع حلفائهم في التحصن في الشمال وجزء من الوسط والجنوب والساحل الغربي، انطلاقاً من بقعة عصية تاريخياً لبسالة أهلها وجغرافيتها الجبلية، وسرعان ما انتقلوا الى اختراق حدود السعودية في جيزان وعسير ومجمل المناطق اليمنية المحتلة من الطرفين السعودي والإماراتي بهجمات برية وطائرات مسيرة وصواريخ مدمرة، بدلت من توازنات القوة وثبتت أنصار الله معادلة يمنية أساسية للزوم مجابهة المستعمر الأميركي والسعودي والاماراتي وليس للقتال مع أطراف داخلية يمنية.
ثانياً: استولد هذا التفوق اليمني في المناطق الشمالية صراعاً بين مكونات الجنوب اليمني على خلفية سعي المحتلين السعودي الإماراتي الاستئثار بالنفوذ، فأمسك ولي العهد السعودي بفريق عبد ربه منصور هادي واعلنوه رئيساً مستمراً لليمن، لكنه بدا ضعيفاً غير وازن، وغافل عن مجريات الصراع الداخلي، حتى ان نائبه علي محسن الأحمر بدا أقوى منه على مستوى التفاعلات الداخلية ويمتلك قوى عسكرية مقبولة.
بالمقابل اسست الإمارات فريقاً يمنياً مواليا لها في الجنوب وأغدقت عليه المساعدات واستغلت بعض النزاعات الانفصالية لقواه فبنت عليها، وطورتها ليصبح مجلساً انتقالياً بقيادة شخصيتين طموحتين وانفصاليتين هما عيدروس الزبيدي وبن بريك أما بن سلمان فاستمرّ بمراهناته على شخصيات تحمل ألقاباً إنما من دون وزن فاعل على الأرض.. ممسكاً بمنصور هادي أسير قصر في الرياض لا يظهر فيه الا عند الحاجة السعودية لاستعماله بإصدار بيان يؤيد فيه حامي الحرمين الشريفين المزعوم وابنه وليّ العهد بمعنى أنه رئيس مجرد من كل أنواع الصلاحيات.
هذا ما دفع بإبن سلمان للبحث عن تدعيم وزن السعودي الضعيف شعبياً في اليمن مكتشفاً أن الإمارات أمسكت بالتيارات الانفصالية ولم يبق الا التيارات الجنوبية المعادية للتقسيم أو حب التجمع اليمني للاصلاح المنتمي للأخوان المسلمين.
إزاء الانسداد الذي جابه السعوديون في الجنوب عكفت المخابرات السعودية على دراسة تحالف فعلي مع أخوان مسلمي اليمن لتعديل موازين القوى الشعبية. وكانت تريد قطع العلاقة بين إصلاح اليمن وأخوان تركيا في حزب العدالة لأن السعودية تناصب الاخوان المسلمين العداء الكامل في العالمين العربي والإسلامي لأسباب أيديولوجية. فالاخوان يرفضون التوريث في الحكم ويريدونه في إطار الشورى. وهذا ما يرفضه آل سعود. لذلك تناصب السعودية تركيا العداء في كل سياساتها باستثناء إدلب فتحرضها هناك للاستمرار في احتلالها لأنها تعتبر الدولة السورية أكثر خطراً عليها من الأخوان.
لقد جذب السعوديون الاصلاح اليمني لاستعمالهم في وجه المجلس الانتقالي الجنوبي كقوة يمنية شعبية، معتقدين بإمكانية التخلص منهم في مراحل لاحقة. وبالفعل ازدادت فعالية «الاصلاح» في الجنوب اليمني حتى بات منافساً «للانتقالي» ومتطوراً في العديد من المناطق على خلفية رفضه للتفتيت. أي أنه يسعى الى يمن موحد يشكل الاخوان فيه قوة وازنة. ولتمرير مشروعه، بالغ في تأييد عبد ربه منصور هادي لكسب رضا السعودية من دون اقتراف اي خطأ سياسي أي يبيع ولاءاته في الاعلام مثلهما نفوذاً متزايداً في الشارع اليمني. حتى أصبحت رئاسة هادي فارغة معدومة الحيل والقوة، لا يجري استعمالها الا لالتقاط صور لرئيس وهمي، يريد «تشريع» الاحتلال السعودي لليمن، وتغطيته في تحويل اليمن بكامله مستعمرة سعودية.
لقد تواكبت هذه المنافسات السعودية الاماراتية مع مرحلة وصول حربهما مع أنصار الله الى مرحلة التراجع.. فالانسداد المشرف على بدء الهزائم. وكان طبيعياً أن تفكر الامارات بالانسحاب منها خصوصاً بعد نشوب اعتراضات من بعض الأمراء فيها على الاستمرار حتى أن الأمير بن مكتوم منهم قال إن صاروخاً يمنياً واحداً يعطل الاستقرار في دبي وأبو ظبي.
لذلك وضعت الامارات خطة لسحب تدريجي لقواتها من اليمن، إنما على اساس التمسك بمشاريعها السياسية فيه عبر وكلائها المحليين.. ولأن لا يصدف، أن يحدث تحرك عسكري إماراتي من دون الاستئذان المسبق من المعلم الأميركي فيكتشف المراقب بسهولة أن غمزة أميركية خفيفة كانت كافية لبدء حرب عدن التي استفاد منها الأميركيون بإنهاء حزب الإصلاح ببعده التركي الاخواني وانتفع الاماراتيون بتمتين نفوذهم في اليمن الجنوبي دافعين الامور الى مفاوضات جديدة، بدأت بالاعتراف السعودي بتغيّر موازين القوى اليمني وذلك في اللقاء الذي جمع في قصر مِنى السعودي بين آل سعود وآل زايد. إلا ان تقاسم المناطق اليمنية مرجأ الى لقاء جديد في قصر جدة السعودي بين الفريقين السعودي الاماراتي بحضور هادي إذا كان صاحياً والمجلس الانتقالي المستعجل لإعلان دولة اليمن الجنوبي قبل حدوث تبديلات في موازين القوى.
وللمزيد من السخرية، يعلن الزبيدي ولاءه الكامل لهادي مثنياً على الدور السعودي ومنتظراً إعلانه رئيساً لليمن الجنوبي بقرار أميركي. وبذلك تكون تركيا خاسراً كبيراً في معارك اليمن مع منافستها السعودية التي تكتفي بتعويض معنوي لغوي يحفظ لها ملكها في شبه جزيرة العرب. وكيف تنجح في حماية هذا الملك فيما يواصل محمد بن سلمان عروضه الهزلية مع محاولة الاحتماء بالأميركيين والعدو الاسرائيلي وبنحو ستين دولة دعاها للمشاركة في حماية أمن الملاحة في البحار العربية كتغطية لصون عرشه المتداعي في مملكة آل سعود.
A year or two ago, I would have never imagined that I would be writing an article with this title, at least not this soon; but things change.
If anything, my previous articles about ISIS which I wrote back between 2014 and 2017 were very alarming and predicted the worst, but again, things change, and back then there were many reasons to feel alarmed.
I have reiterated in that era of the past that the ISIS ideology had deep roots in fundamentalist Islam, and I still have this view. I have professed many times that this fundamentalist doctrine had been in place long before Christopher Columbus set a foot on American soil and that we cannot blame the CIA, Israel, the UK, or the West in general for the creation of this ideology, and I am not retracting. I have also said that those fundamentalist views do not represent real Islam, and there is no change in heart on this aspect either. So what has changed?
In this context, we are talking about the ideological rise and fall of ISIS. We are not talking about the political aspects and the horde of players who helped create, manipulate and employ ISIS for different reasons and agendas. With all of those players however, ISIS needed the support base, and that support base was the Muslim youth who are disenchanted by world events and the manner the world views Islam. Furthermore, they are disgruntled by the governments of the Muslims World and their links to the West: links they consider as treasonous and shameful. It was this mindset that was the recruitment base for ISIS; not the Pentagon.
So for the benefit of clarification, I must herein emphasize that there has always been a perverted version of Islam that founded itself on violence; in total contradiction to the Quranic teachings that clearly forbid coercion and oppression. This version was finally committed to a written doctrine, written by Ibn Taymiyyah; the founding doctrine of the Wahhabi Saudi sect.
When the West “discovered” this doctrine, it tried to employ it to its advantage, and this was how Al-Qaeda and ISIS were created, with Al-Qaeda’s role to hurt the USSR in Afghanistan, and ISIS to topple the legitimate and secular Syrian Government.
The not so funny thing about ISIS was that when the proclamation of creating the Islamist state back in mid-2014, the Caliphate passion became something easy to grow and self-nurture in the hearts and minds of many Sunni Muslims across the globe; including moderate ones.
Harking back at what happened back then; one honestly cannot blame them much. After all, many of the then Iraqi ISIS commanders and fighters were former Saddam-era Iraqi Army personnel. Many of them have even actually walked away from the “dictator” in the hope that the “regime change” was going to be for the better, only to soon realize the state of mess and mayhem that the American invasion created.
Before ISIS “had the chance” to show its ugly face, may moderate Muslims thought that this new force emerging out of Mesopotamia, one that does not recognize the border lines that Western colonialists have drawn between Sham (Syria) and Iraq, one that wants to unite Muslims, is perhaps “the one” to go for and support.
Ironically, most of those Muslims today look back at those days and either forget or wish to forget that at one stage, at some level, deep down in their hearts they supported ISIS, albeit not fully knowing what it stood for.
It was this subtle and covert support for ISIS by some elements of the global Sunni rank-and-file that gave ISIS a fertile ground for luring in recruits and that was the major cause for concern.
If anyone looks for evidence that supports this statement, then he/she need not go further than looking at the recent history of terror attacks in the EU (especially France) and the UK.
After the horrendous Bastille Day attack in Nice in the summer of 2016, a new direction for terror was established, and the perpetrator proved that one does not need a weapon to kill. His weapon was a truck, and he didn’t even need to buy it. He rented it.
After this infamous attack and what followed it, I among many others, predicted more of such events, and they continued for a while, and then suddenly they stopped. Why? This is the question.
For ISIS to be have been able to keep its momentum and growing support base, it needed to gain the hearts and minds of Muslims. But to do so, it needed to score victories and be able to revive Muslim nostalgia. Both are equally important.
In the beginning, it boasted its victories and the biggest of which was the takeover of Mosul; Iraq’s second largest city. This was how the ears of many Muslims worldwide pricked up and poised themselves to hear more. Some jumped on the band wagon straight away, but the majority braced and waited for more evidence that ISIS in general, and Baghdadi in specific, are the right ones to trust and follow.
What followed the capture of Mosul by ISIS however was nothing short of disgrace for ISIS; one that exposed its true inner ugliness. And instead of being able to capitalize on its initial momentum and promising to achieve more of it by adopting at least some of the virtues of Islam, ISIS turned its inability to achieve further military victories into a blood bath, looting and a sex slave market.
Before too long, even some of the most ardent Muslim supporters of ISIS turned away from it, and then against it, to the degree that they now even forget or deny that they once supported its baby steps.
What is interesting to note is that the move from secularism to Islam has not changed in the Muslim world. An increasing number of Muslim girls are wearing the Hijab with or without ISIS, but ISIS itself has lost its sway with the general Sunni Muslim populace.
What is interesting to see is that the definition of what is a “real Muslim” is changing, and changing quickly. And whilst the move towards Hijab and all what comes with it is still going full steam ahead, there seems to be a growing trend in the Muslim World towards moderation.
The ISIS fundamentals of black and white doctrine seem to be becoming increasingly tolerant of certain shades of grey. Even some personal Facebook friends and friends of friends who have brandished their photos performing Pilgrimage at Mecca don’t seem to be at dis-ease posting other photos brandishing a Heineken. To someone outside the Muslim Faith this may not sound like a big deal, but in reality, it is.
This all sounds good, but what has happened here really?
ISIS has definitely lost the plot. Fortunately for the world, irrespective of who are/were the people “behind” ISIS, its recruitment base had to come from Muslims; especially the youth. Having lost the ability to draw more recruits and enthusiasts who pledge their actions and lives to Baghdadi without even having to be formal ISIS members, ISIS as an organization and a name is now a spent force, and dare I say a figment of the past.
This however does not mean that the Muslim community has “immunized” itself against potential new ISIS-like organizations and agendas.
The initial rise of ISIS could have well been the result of a nostalgic remnant of a certain belief system that many Muslims did not even want to investigate and study properly to see if it really and truly conforms with the Teachings of Islam and all other religions. The fall of ISIS however heralds a new unprecedented era in the Muslim mind, and this calls for great optimism.
Perhaps for the first time in the history of Islam ever since its inception, Muslims are now beginning to examine some teachings they inherited. Even Saudi Arabia and its infamous Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman (MBS) seem to be sick and tired of the old rules and dogmas that allow this and prohibit that; based on no foundation at all. I have never been a fan of MBS, but having lived in Saudi Arabia for a while, I had always thought that this country would never allow women to drive, never ever. The fact that he changed this is a great step in the right direction. This does not take away from MBS’s genocidal activities in Yemen of course, but on the dogmatic side of things, this is a huge step towards reform. In Saudi Arabia there is also a call to have a second take on the Hadith (the spoken word of Prophet Mohamed) in an attempt to identify certain teachings that promote violence and that are incompatible with Islam. The rationale behind this is that they were never the words of the Prophet to begin with and that they might have been injected into the huge discourse by others with political agendas. Such an initiative was totally unfathomable only up till a few years ago.
Does this mean that we are seeing the end of Muslim fundamentalist-based violence? Hopefully we are, but the real answer to this question is for the whole Muslim community to answer.
The truth is that ISIS may be done and dusted, but the ideology behind lives on.
It is hoped for that the actions of ISIS will be remembered for eternity. It is hoped that Muslims realize that if they truly want to pursue the fundamentalist dreams of conquest and world dominion, then they cannot distance themselves from the legacy of ISIS. It is hoped that they look forward to a new world that is open to all religions and doctrines.
I am a firm believer that God created man in His own image, and part of this image is goodness and love of goodness; and Muslims are part of this creation. After all, Muslims, all Muslims believe in the Hadith that says: “The best people are those who most benefit to other people”. Russia and Syria might have won the military war on ISIS, but it is Muslims who have won the spiritual fight. Muslims: 1, ISIS: 0.
ِArabic Translation
By UP
صعود وسقوط داعش
غسان كادي
، لم أكن أتخيل منذ عام أو عامين أبداً أنني سأكتب مقالًا بهذا العنوان؛
في ذلك الوقت كانت هناك أسباب كثيرة للشعور بالقلق، لكن الأمور تتغير.
في مقالاتي السابقة حول داعش التي كتبت في الفترة ما بين 2014 و 2017 كانت مقلقة للغاية وتوقعت الأسوأ ، لكن الأمور تغيرت .
في تلك الحقبة الماضية كررت أن أيديولوجية داعش لها جذور عميقة في الإسلام الأصولي ،وقلت أيضًا أن تلك الآراء الأصولية لا تمثل الإسلام الحقيقي ولا يزال لدي هذا الرأي. فالعقيدة الأصولية كانت موجودة قبل فترة طويلة من اكتشاف الأرض الأمريكية وعليه لا يمكننا اتهام وكالة الاستخبارات المركزية أو إسرائيل أو المملكة المتحدة أو الغرب عمومًا بإنشاء هذه الأيديولوجية، وأنا هنا لا أتراجع. إذن ما الذي تغير؟
في هذا السياق، نتحدث عن الصعود ولسقوط الأيديولوجي لداعش، ولا نتحدث عن الجوانب السياسية واللاعبين الذين ساعدوا في إنشاء وتوظيفها لأسباب وجداول أعمال مختلفة. لأنه مع توفر كل هؤلاء اللاعبين، كانت داعش بحاجه إلى بيئة حاضنة وقاعدة الدعم، وكانت البيئة الحاضنة وقاعدة الدعم هي الشباب المسلم المحبط بالأحداث العالمية والطريقة التي ينظر بها العالم إلى الإسلام والاستياء من حكومات العالم الإسلامي وروابطهم الخائنة والمخزية بالغرب. هذا الاحباط والاستياء مكن البنتاغون من التوظيف السياسي لداعش.
لذلك لا بد أن أشدد هنا على الوجود الدائمً لنسخة منحرفة من الإسلام تأسست على العنف ؛ في تناقض تام مع التعاليم القرآنية التي تمنع بوضوح الإكراه والقمع. نسخة كتبها ابن تيمية ؛ العقيدة المؤسسة للطائفة الوهابية السعودية.
عندما “اكتشف” الغرب هذه العقيدة المنحرفة، حاول أن يوظفها لصالحه ، وهكذا تم إنشاء القاعدة وداعش، القاعدة لإلحاق الأذى بالاتحاد السوفيتي في أفغانستان، وداعش لإسقاط الشرعية والعلمانية الحكومة السورية.
لا شك ان إعلان داعش عن إنشاء الدولة الإسلامية في منتصف عام 2014 ، أيقظ الحنين والأمل بعودة الخلافة في قلوب وعقول العديد من المسلمين السنة في جميع أنحاء العالم ؛ بما في ذلك المعتدلين. وبصراحة لا يمكن إلقاء اللوم عليهم كثيرا. بعد كل شيء ، فإن العديد من قادة ومقاتلي داعش العراقيين كانوا في السابق من أفراد الجيش العراقي في عهد صدام. لقد ابتعد كثير منهم عن “الديكتاتور” على أمل أن يتم “تغيير النظام” للأفضل ، لكنهم انضموا لداعش يسبب حالة الفوضى التي أحدثها الغزو الأمريكي.
قبل أن تظهر داعش وجهها القبيح ، ربما اعتقد المسلمون المعتدلون أن هذه القوة الجديدة الخارجة من بلاد ما بين النهرين ، والتي لا تعترف بالحدود التي رسمها المستعمرون الغربيون بين الشام (سوريا) والعراق ، هي القوة التي تستطيع توحيد المسلمين، والتي يجب دعمها .
ومن المفارقات، أن معظم هؤلاء المسلمين عندما ينظرون اليوم إلى الوراء، إما ينسون أو يودون أن ينسوا أنهم في مرحلة ما، في أعماق قلوبهم، أيدوا داعش ، وإن كانوا لا يعرفون تمامًا معنى ذلك.
هذا الدعم الخفي والسري لداعش من قبل بعض التيار السني العالمي هو الذي أعطى داعش أرضية خصبة لجذب المجندين وكان ذلك هو السبب الرئيسي للقلق.
إذا كان أي شخص يبحث عن أدلة تدعم هذه المقولة، فلن يحتاج الا إلى أبعد النظر في الهجمات الإرهابية في الاتحاد الأوروبي (وخاصة فرنسا) والمملكة المتحدة.
في الهجوم المروع الذي وقع يوم الباستيل في نيس في صيف عام 2016 ، أثبت مرتكب الجريمة أنه لا يحتاج إلى سلاح ليقتل. كان سلاحه شاحنة ، ولم يكن بحاجة لشرائها. فقد استأجرها.
وبعد هذا الهجوم المشين وما تلاه ، توقعت من بين أشياء كثيرة أخرى حدوث المزيد من هذه الأحداث ، التي استمرت لفترة، ثم توقفت فجأة.
لماذا ا؟ هذا هو السؤال.
لتتمكن داعش من الحفاظ على دعم بيئتها الحاضنة المتنامية ، كانت تحتاج إلى كسب قلوب وعقول المسلمين. وللقيام بذلك ، كان من الضروري تسجيل الانتصارات لإحياء حنين المسلمين للخلافة.
في البداية ، تفاخرت داعش بانتصاراتها وكان أكبرها الاستيلاء على الموصل. ثاني أكبر مدن العراق. وهكذا أصبحت آذان العديد من المسلمين في جميع أنحاء العالم تستعد وتهيئ نفسها لسماع المزيد. قفز البعض على عربة داعش مباشرة ، لكن الغالبية استعدت وانتظرت للحصول على مزيد من الأدلة على أن داعش بشكل عام ، والبغدادي على وجه الخصوص ، هما الشخصان المناسبان للثقة والمتابعة.
لكن ما أعقب استيلاء داعش على الموصل لم يكن أقل من وصمة عار كشفت عن قبحها الداخلي الحقيقي. وبدلاً من أن تتمكن داعش من الاستفادة من زخم انتصارها الأولووعدها بتحقيق المزيد من ذلك من خلال ابراز من فضائل الإسلام على الأقل ، حوّلت داعش عجزها عن تحقيق المزيد من الانتصارات العسكرية إلى حمام دم ونهب وسوق للاسعباد الجنسي.
قبل مضي وقت طويل ، حتى ابتعد بعض أكثر المؤيدين الإسلاميين المتحمسين لداعش عنها ، ثم تحولوا ضدها ، لدرجة أنهم الآن نسوا أو أنكروا أنهم أيدوا ذات مرة خطواتها الاولى .
ما يثير الاهتمام هو ان فقدان داعش سيطرتها على عامة المسلمين السنة لم ينعكس على عملية الانتقال من العلمانية إلى الإسلام لم يتغير في العالم الإسلامي. فعدد يرتدي عدد الفتيات المسلمات المحجبات يزداد
وما يثير الاهتمام هو أن تعريف “المسلم الحقيقي” يتغير ويتغير بسرعة. وبينما لا يزال ارتداء الحجاب وكل ما يأتي معه في تزايد ، يبدو أن هناك اتجاهًا متزايدًا في العالم الإسلامي نحو الاعتدال.
يبدو أن أساسيات مذهب داعش الأسود والأبيض أصبحت أكثر تسامحًا مع بعض ظلال الرمادي. حتى بعض الأصدقاء الشخصيين على وأصدقاء الأصدقاء قاموا بتلوين صورهم وهم يؤدون رحلة الحج في مكة المكرمة ،و لا يبدو أنهم لا يرغبون في نشر صور أخرى تحمل علامة هاينكن. بالنسبة لشخص من خارج الديانة الإسلامية ، قد لا يبدو هذا أمرًا كبيرًا ، لكنه في الواقع كذلك.
كل هذا يبدو جيدا ، ولكن ما حدث هنا حقا؟
بالتأكيد فقد فشلت مؤامرة داعش لحسن الحظ بالنسبة للعالم ، وبغض النظر عمن يكون / كان “وراء” تنظيم “داعش” ، كان المسلمين خاصة الشباب قاعدة التجنيد؛ فقدت داعش القدرة على جذب المزيد من المجندين والمتحمسين الذين نذروا أفعالهم وحياتهم للبغدادي دون الحاجة حتى إلى أن يكونوا أعضاء رسميين ، وأصبحت داعش كمنظمة واسم الآن قوة مستهلكة ، وأتجرأ على القول، صورة من الماضي
لكن هذا لا يعني أن المجتمع المسلم “قام بتحصين” نفسه ضد المنظمات وجداول الأعمال المحتملة الجديدةالمشابهة لداعش.
كان من الممكن أن يكون الصعود الأول لداعش هو بقايا حنين لنظام معتقد معين لم يرغب الكثير من المسلمين حتى في دراسته بشكل صحيح لمعرفة ما إذا كان يتوافق حقًا مع تعاليم الإسلام وجميع الأديان الأخرى. لكن سقوط داعش يبشر بعهد جديد لم يسبق له مثيل في العقل الإسلامي ، وهذا يستدعي تفاؤلًا كبيرًا.
ربما لأول مرة في تاريخ الإسلام منذ نشأته ، بدأ المسلمون الآن في دراسة بعض التعاليم التي ورثوها. حتى في المملكة العربية السعودية وولي العهد السعودي الأمير محمد بن سلمان يبدو أنهما سئموا من القواعد والعقائد القديمة التي تسمح بهذا وتحظر ذلك ؛ بدون أي أساس على الإطلاق.
لم أكن من عشاق محمد بن سلمان، ولكني كنت أعيش في المملكة العربية السعودية لفترة من الوقت ، وكنت أظن دائمًا أن هذا البلد لن يسمح أبدًا للنساء بقيادة السيارات، لكن هذا حدث وهو خطوة كبيرة في الاتجاه الصحيح و خطوة كبيرة نحو الإصلاح يجب ان لا تنسينا الإبادة الجماعية التي تقوم بها السعودية في اليمن بالطبع.
في المملكة العربية السعودية ، هناك أيضًا دعوة لإعادة النظر في الحديث (الكلمة المنطوقة للنبي محمد) في محاولة لتحديد التعاليم المنسوبة للنبي التي تروج للعنف والتي تتعارض مع االقرآن واعتبارها احاديث منحولة تم حقنها من قبل الآخرين لتبرير اجندات سياسية. مثل هذه المبادرة لم تكن ممكنة على الإطلاق قبل بضع سنوات.
هل هذا يعني أننا نشهد نهاية للعنف الإسلامي القائم على الأصولية؟ نأمل أن نكون ، لكن الإجابة الحقيقية على هذا السؤال هي برسم المجتمع المسلم بأسره.
والحقيقة هي أن داعش يقد هزمت ولكن الأيديولوجية الكامنة ورائها ما زالت مستمرة.
من المأمول أن يتذكر المسلمون أفعال داعش إلى الأبد وأن يلفظوا إرث تنظيم الدولة الإسلامية وأحلامها الأصولية المتمثلة في الفتح والسيطرة على العالم ، من المأمول أن يتطلعوا إلى عالم جديد مفتوح لجميع الأديان والمذاهب.
أنا من أشد المؤمنين أن الله خلق الإنسان على صورته ، وجزء من هذه الصورة هو الخير ومحبة الخير ؛ والمسلمون جزء من هذا الخلق. بعد كل شيء ، المسلمون ، جميع المسلمين يؤمنون بالحديث الذي يقول: “خير ا النَّاس انفعهم ” للنَّاس
ربما تكون روسيا وسوريا قد ربحت الحرب العسكرية على داعش ، ولكن المسلمين هم الذين فازوا في المعركة الروحية. المسلمون: 1 ، داعش: 0.
Think tanks sprout like weeds in Washington. The latest is the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, which is engaged in a pre-launch launch and is attracting some media coverage all across the political spectrum. The Institute is named after the sixth US President John Quincy Adams, who famously made a speech while Secretary of State in which he cautioned that while the United States of America would always be sympathetic to the attempts of other countries to fight against dominance by the imperial European powers, “she goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy.”
The Quincy Institute self-defines as a foundation dedicated to a responsible and restrained foreign policy with the stated intention of “mov[ing] US foreign policy away from endless war and toward vigorous diplomacy in the pursuit of international peace.” It is seeking to fund an annual budget of $5-6 million, enough to employ twenty or more staffers.
The Quincy Institute claims correctly that many of the other organizations dealing with national security and international affairs inside the Beltway are either agenda driven or neoconservative dominated, often meaning that they in practice support serial interventionism, sometimes including broad tolerance or even encouragement of war as a first option when dealing with adversaries. These are policies that are currently playing out unsuccessfully vis-à-vis Venezuela, Iran, Syria and North Korea.
The Quincies promise to be different in an attempt to change the Washington foreign policy consensus, which some have referred to as the Blob, and they have indeed collected a very respectable group of genuine “realist” experts and thoughtful pundits, including Professor Andrew Bacevich, National Iranian American Council founder Trita Parsi and investigative journalist Jim Lobe. But the truly interesting aspect of their organization is its funding. Its most prominent contributors are left of center George Soros and right of center and libertarian leaning Charles Koch. That is what is attracting the attention coming from media outlets like The Nation on the progressive side and Foreign Policyfrom the conservatives. That donors will demand their pound of flesh is precisely the problem with the Quincy vision as money drives the political process in the United States while also fueling the Establishment’s military-industrial-congressional complex that dominates the national security/foreign policy discussion.
There will be inevitably considerable ideological space between people who are progressive-antiwar and those who call themselves “realists” that will have to be carefully bridged lest the group begin to break down in squabbling over “principles.” Some progressives of the Barack Obama variety will almost certainly push for the inclusion of Samantha Power R2P types who will use abuses in foreign countries to argue for the US continuing to play a “policeman for the world” role on humanitarian grounds. And there will inevitably be major issues that Quincy will be afraid to confront, including the significant role played by Israel and its friends in driving America’s interventionist foreign policy.
Nevertheless, the Quincy Institute is certainly correct in its assessment that there is significant war-weariness among the American public, particularly among returning veterans, and there is considerable sentiment supporting a White House change of course in its national security policy. But it errs in thinking that America’s corrupted legislators will respond at any point prior to their beginning to fail in reelection bids based on that issue, which has to be considered unlikely. Witness the current Democratic Party debates in which Tulsi Gabbard is the only candidate who is even daring to talk about America’s disastrous and endless wars, suggesting that the Blob assessment that the issue is relatively unimportant may be correct.
Money talks. Where else in the developed world but the United States can a multi-billionaire like Sheldon Adelson legally and in the open spend a few tens of millions of dollars, which is for him pocket change, to effectively buy an entire political party on behalf of a foreign nation? What will the Quincies do when George Soros, notorious for his sometimes disastrous support of so-called humanitarian “regime change” intervention to expand “democracy movements” as part his vision of a liberal world order, calls up the Executive Director and suggests that he would like to see a little more pushing of whatever is needed to build democracy in Belarus? Soros, who has doubled his spending for political action in this election cycle, is not doing so for altruistic reasons. And he might reasonably argue that one of the four major projects planned by the Quincy Institute, headed by investigative journalist Eli Clifton, is called “Democratizing Foreign Policy.”
Why are US militarism and interventionism important issues? They are beyond important – and would be better described as potentially life or death both for the United States and for the many nations with which it interacts. And there is also the price to pay by every American domestically, with the terrible and unnecessary waste of national resources as well human capital driving American ever deeper into a hole that it might never be able to emerge from.
As Quincy is the newcomer on K Street, it is important to recognize what the plethora of foundations and institutes in Washington actually do in any given week. To be sure, they produce a steady stream of white papers, press releases, and op-eds that normally only their partisan supporters bother to read or consider. They buttonhole and talk to congressmen or staffers whenever they can, most often the staffers. And the only ones really listening among legislators are the ones who are finding what they hear congenial and useful for establishing a credible framework for policy decisions that have nothing to do with the strengths of the arguments being made or “realism.” The only realism for a congress-critter in the heartland is having a defense plant providing jobs in his district.
And, to be sure, the institutes and foundations also have a more visible public presence. Every day somewhere in Washington there are numerous panel discussions and meetings debating the issues deemed to be of critical importance. The gatherings are attended primarily by the already converted, are rarely reported in any of the mainstream media, and they exist not to explain or resolve issues but rather to make sure their constituents continue to regard the participants as respectable, responsible and effective so as not to interrupt the flow of donor money.
US foreign policy largely operates within narrow limits that are essentially defined by powerful and very well-funded interest groups like the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), American Enterprise Institute (AEI), the Hudson Institute, the Brookings Institute, the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), but the real lobbying of Congress and the White House on those issues takes place out of sight, not in public gatherings, and it is backed up by money. AIPAC, for example, alone spends more than $80 million dollars per year and has 200 employees.
So, the Quincy Institute intention to broaden the discussion of the current foreign policy to include opponents and critics of interventionism should be welcomed with some caveats. It is a wonderful idea already explored by others but nevertheless pretty much yet another shot in the dark that will accomplish little or nothing beyond providing jobs for some college kids and feel good moments for the anointed inner circle. And the shot itself is aimed in the wrong direction. The real issue is not foreign policy per se at all. It is getting the corrupting force of enormous quantities of PAC money completely removed from American politics. America has the best Congress and White House that anyone’s money can buy. The Quincy Institute’s call for restraint in foreign policy, for all its earnestness, will not change that bit of “realism” one bit.
Three senior commanders of the so called Jaysh al-Ahrar were eliminated by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) during the recent battles in northern Hama and southern Idlib, the Turkish-backed group acknowledged on August 11.
The commanders were identified as Tunisian citizen Abu Misab al-Tunisi, the general military commander of Jaysh al-Ahrar, Abu Sutif al-Binishi, the general commander of the group’s special forces and Abu Qutadah al-Homsi, the main coordinator of the group’s operations room.
From right to left: Abu Misab al-Tunisi, Abu Sutif al-Binishi and Abu Qutadah al-Homsi
Formed in 2016 by several groups, which defected from the Ahrar al-Sham Movement, Jaysh al-Ahrar was among the first factions to join Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). In 2017, the faction left the al-Qaeda-affiliated group before joining the so called National Front for Liberation (NFL) a year later.
Jaysh al-Ahrar lost dozens of militants and commander in the last few months while fighting the SAA on behalf of HTS in northern Hama and southern Idlib.
The elimination of these three senior commanders is another major blow to Jaysh al-Ahrar, that may face its end soon.
The Yemeni Interior Ministry on Friday mourned the martyr Ibrahim Badreddine Al-Houthi, who had been assassinated at the treacherous hands of the Saudi-Israeli aggression.
The ministry confirmed in a statement that it would not hesitate to prosecute and capture the puppets of criminal aggression that carried out the assassination.
In Aden, the clashes between the gunmen backed by UAE and those who follow the fugitive president Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi have escalated and reached the presidential palace in Al-Maashiq as reports have indicated that a number of them were either killed or injured.
Yemen has been since March 2015 under brutal aggression by Saudi-led Coalition, in a bid to restore control to fugitive president Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi who is Riyadh’s ally.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed and injured in the strikes launched by the coalition, with the vast majority of them are civilians.
The coalition, which includes in addition to Saudi Arabia and UAE: Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Sudan and Kuwait, has been also imposing a harsh blockade against Yemenis.
– من طبيعة التسويات أنها لا تمنح الأطراف المتنازعة ربحاً كاملاً لجهة وخسارة كاملة لجهة مقابلة. ومن طبيعة التسويات أن يخرج أطرافها بعد بدء مسارها بالاستعداد لكيفية مخاطبة الجمهور الذي تمّت تعبئته تحت سقوف مرتفعة وخطابات تصعيدية لتبرير القبول بالتسوية ونفي اعتبارها تراجعاً أو خسارة، لذلك ينشغل الأطراف المعنيون بتحضير الإجابات عن الأسئلة التي تنتظرهم، فينشغل الحزب الديمقراطي اللبناني بالبحث عن تفسير لقبوله بتسوية لن يكون بموجبها البند الأول على طاولة أول اجتماع حكومي إحالة حادثة قبرشمون إلى المجلس العدلي وطرحها على التصويت. وينشغل الحزب التقدمي الاشتراكي بتحضير الإجابات على أسئلة تطال ما قاله عن حرب انتقام ضده تمّ تحضيرها في دمشق ويقودها حزب الله ويشكل رئيس الجمهورية رأس حربتها، وعما قاله بحق المحكمة العسكرية والعودة لارتضائها مرجعاً مقبولاً، وترك الباب مفتوحاً لفرضية الإحالة إلى المجلس العدلي في ضوء تحقيقات المحكمة العسكرية. وسينشغل التيار الوطني الحر بالبحث عن أجوبة حول إصراره على اعتبار الحادثة كميناً مدبّراً لاغتيال رئيسه، وتفسير غياب رئيسه عن المصالحة، التي قالت إن الأزمة هي بين الحزبين الاشتراكي والديمقراطي.
– بالمقابل سيستطيع الحزب الديمقراطي القول إنه لم يصل إلى المجلس العدلي فوراً، لكنه سيصل لاحقاً، وإنه أثبت ندية موازية مقابل الحزب الاشتراكي بوجه حرب إلغاء كانت قبرشمون إيذاناً بها بينما سيستطيع الحزب الإشتراكي القول إنه نجح بتأكيد اولوية البعد السياسي على البعد القضائي للقضية وتثبيت اعتبار الحوار مدخلاً للحل السياسي في قضايا تخصه وتعنيه وفرض التشاور معه حولها من بوابة التسليم بالمصالحة مدخلاً لإنهاء الأزمة. وسيستطيع التيار الوطني الحر القول إنه ردّ الاعتبار لموقع رئاسة الجمهورية كحكم، وإسقاط الادعاءات الاشتراكية بحق الرئاسة ووزراء التيار والقضاء، بدليل قبول الاشتراكي لموقع الرئاسة حكماً سياسياً وللمحكمة العسكرية إطاراً قضائياً.
– اللبنانيّون وفي طليعتهم الحريصون على السلم الأهلي، والقلقون من التدخلات الخارجية، والمعنيّون برؤية كل تصعيد للعصبيّات الطائفية، خطراً يفتح الباب للفتن التي ينتظرها العدو الإسرائيلي للعبث بالنسيج الوطني والاجتماعي وتحضير المسرح لحرب يراهن على الفوز بها من باب التفتيت الاستباقي، هؤلاء يرون السلم الأهلي رابحاً وحيداً، والأمان الوطني بوجه التدخلات والفتن والمشاريع الأجنبية والإسرائيلية، المنتصر الوحيد، فهؤلاء كانوا يتفادون المشاركة في جوقات التصعيد، ويضعون ثقل مواقفهم مع مساعي رئيس المجلس النيابي نبيه بري الذي شكّل صمام الأمان للتهدئة وصناعة المصالحة وإغلاق الأبواب أمام مشاريع الفتن وهزّ السلم الأهلي.
– إذا كان هناك مشروع خارجي عبّر عنه بيان السفارة الأميركية، وإذا كان هناك مناخ إقليمي لاستعمال لبنان ساحة تحمية ومقايضة عشية الحسم العسكري السوري المتوقع في إدلب، فإن الخروج بتسوية سياسية لأحداث الجبل هو انتصار وطني لبناني، قال إن لا كانتونات ولا مناطق مغلقة ولا آفاق لرهانات على خارج مجرَّب لن يفعل سوى التلاعب بالأطراف المحليّة وتوريطها، وإن ضمانة الجميع هي بالجميع، وإن التسوية القائمة على تثقيل لغة الحوار والتهدئة ليست هزيمة لأحد بل هي انتصار للجميع على أنفسهم أولاً، وعبرهم على مَن يتربّصون بالبلد.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other militant groups in northern Hama are losing ground under pressure from government forces.
On August 8, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies liberated the village of Sakhar and the nearby hilltop. Pro-government activists said that SAA special forces overrun militants’ defense in Sakhar in the early hours of the morning, forcing them to withdraw from the village and its surroundings. At least 10 militants and 4 pieces of military equipment, including a battle tank, were eliminated in the recent offensive operation by the SAA.
The course of the ongoing offensive demonstrates that the SAA is likely seeking to outflank the militant-held town of Kafr Zayta from the northern direction before government troops will start the storm of this strong point. In this case, government forces will need to secure their flank by liberating the settlements of al-Habit and Kafr Ayn.
The SAA offensive is being developed amid an intense bombing campaign carried out by the Syrian Air Force. Airstrikes by Russian warplanes are also reported. The pro-militant Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed on August 8 that Syrian and Russian aircraft had carried out 75 strikes on targets in Idlib and Hama provinces during the last 24 hours.
At least five civilians, including two children, were injured in a new militant rocket attack on the villages of al-Haffah and al-Qardahah in northern Lattakia. Radicals also attempted to target Russia’s Hmeimim airbase, but hit civilian targets 2km northeast of the base. Two civilians were killed and four others were injured. Attacks on the Russian airbase are often conducted by groups deployed in Kbani and its surroundings.
Damascus has denounced the new Turkish-U.S. “peace corridor” agreement on northeastern Syria calling it a “flagrant aggression” against country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Syrian government said that this move “exposed the US-Turkish partnership in the aggression against Syria which serves the interest of the Israeli occupation entity and the Turkish expansionist ambitions”.
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Syrian Army storms jihadist mountain stronghold in Latakia
BEIRUT, LEBANON (11:10 P.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army’s offensive is not slowing down in northern Syria, despite the recent influx of Turkish troops in the northern countryside of Hama.
Backed by heavy artillery and airstrikes, the Syrian Army made their first push to capture the key town of Al-Hobeit in southwestern Idlib this evening.
According to a military source in Hama, the Syrian Army is looking to capitalize on their recent advance in northern Hama by seizing the first strategic town in the Idlib Governorate that is out of their hands.
Tonight’s assault on Al-Hobeit is led by the elite Tiger Forces, who have been main Syrian military unit attacking the militants in northern Hama and southern Idlib.
It was originally believed that the Syrian military was going to capture Kafr Zita and Al-Latamnah first; however, with their recent success at the large hilltop of Tal Sakher, the army chose to make a push to capture Al-Hobeit from the joint forces of Jaysh Al-Izza and Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham.
The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has captured two new villages in Hama’s northern countryside from Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies.
Pro-government sources said that army units stormed Jaysat and Dimon in the late hours of August 8 under the cover of heavy airstrikes. Militants were forced out of the two villages after sustaining heavy loses.
After securing Jaysat and Dimon, the SAA advanced towards HTS’ positions in the nearby town of Hobait, where heavy clashes are reportedly taking place now. The Abkhazian Network News Agency (ANNA) released photos showing army units approaching the key town.
The army will likely impose its control of Hobait in the upcoming few hours. This would be a major blow to HTS and its allies, as the town is one of the “gateways” to the southern Idlib countryside.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) security operation was reported in Shuhayl. The US-backed group continues efforts to hunt ISIS cells on the eastern bank of the Euphrates;
According to the Ministry of Public Health and Population, the continued closure of Sana’a International Airport by the US-Saudi aggression has resulted in the death of more than 42 thousand patients who were unable to travel abroad for treatment. The Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday, on the occasion of three years since the closure of Sana’a International Airport, that more than 350 thousand patients with various cancers and other diseases need to travel to be treated, in addition to the injured people of children, women and men.
The statement pointed out that the closure of Sana’a Airport led to the disappearance of a large number of important life-saving drugs, whether from the stores of the ministry or the commercial market. The Ministry said that the medicines that expired as a result of the closure of Sana’a Airport needed very special conditions for transport in terms of cooling and speed of delivery and has to come through Sana’a Airport.
The Ministry strongly condemned the continued closure of Sana’a Airport, although the airport is ready to receive all civil aircraft, the United Nations organizations’ and international organizations’ aircraft witness to this. The Ministry holds the countries leading the aggression, Saudi Arabia and USA, all the consequences of this siege, whether casualties or material damage.
The Zionist media outlets mentioned that ‘Israel’ is concerned about cracks hitting of the US-Gulf coalition against Iran, citing the Emirati military redeployment in Yemen.
The Zionist analysts considered that the US refrain from striking Iran after the drone downing incident pushed the Gulf countries into appeasing Iran.
The Israeli reports added that the Zionist officials have been seeking to be part of the coalition aimed at securing navigation in the Persian Gulf, noting that the occupation entity has embarked exchanging data intelligence with the coalition’s states.
Hostilities have resumed in the southern part of the so-called Idlib de-escalation zone after the collapse of another attempt to establish a ceasefire in the area.
The SAA repelled militants’ attempt to advance towards Hasarya;
Multiple air and artillery strikes were reported near Kafr Zita and Khan Shaykhun.
On August 5, the Syrian Armed Forces released a warning to militants that, if they continue to violate the ceasefire rgime, the SAA would have to resume miltiary operations. On August 6, violations continued. On August 7, the SAA resumed its advance in northern Hama.
On August 7, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and the Tiger Forces resumed active military operations against Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra) and other militant groups in northwestern Hama.
Since the start of the morning, SAA and Tiger Forces units have liberated the villages of Arbeen and Zakah and are now reportedly advancing towards the town of Kafr Zitah.
BEIRUT, LEBANON (10:10 A.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has scored a major victory in northern Hama today after seizing a key town from the militant forces.
Led by the Tiger Forces, the Syrian Arab Army began their assault on the key town of Zakah last night after seizing nearby Arbaeen from the militants of Jaysh Al-Izza.
Following a night of intense clashes, the Syrian Army was able to push Jaysh Al-Izza outside of Zakah and force them to retreat to the nearby towns of Kafr Zita and Al-Latamnah.
As a result of this operation, the Syrian Army now possesses the high ground over the Jaysh Al-Izza strongholds of Kafr Zita and Al-Latamnah.
A source from the army believes that Al-Latamnah is likely to fall next if the militants do not launch a swift counter-offensive to retake their lost territory.
في صيف العام الماضي وفي غمرة التحضيرات العسكرية السورية الجادّة لإطلاق عملية تحرير إدلب التي باتت إحدى المنطقتين المتبقيتين خارج سلطة الحكومة السورية الشرعية، في تلك الأثناء وخشية ان تنفذ العملية مع ما كان سيصاحبها أو يترتب عليها من تداعيات، سارع الرئيس التركي أردوغان إلى روسيا وعقد مع رئيسها بوتين اتفاقاً حول إدلب اسمي اتفاق سوتشي الذي اعتمد في 17 أيلول 2018، وقبلت به الحكومة السورية لأنها رأت فيه فرصة لتحرير إدلب على مراحل مع خفض الخسائر والتضحيات إلى الحدّ الأدنى، ومع سدّ باب الذرائع للتدخل الأجنبي، إضافة إلى كونه يعطي سورية وقتاً إضافياً لإنجاز مستلزمات التحرير بالوسائل العسكرية إذا اقتضى الأمر ذلك.
لكن تركيا وكعادتها، تملّصت من التنفيذ الصادق وراوغت وأعطت الفرص للإرهابيين لتنظيم أوضاعهم والبقاء في مواقع تعقد العملية العسكرية السورية في حال انطلقت وترفع مستوى الكلفة لها إذا نفذت، فاستفاد الإرهابيون من السلوك التركي ودخلوا في حرب استنزاف ضدّ الجيش السوري أدّت إلى خسائر في صفوفه، كما أنها أدّت إلى توسّع سيطرة الإرهابيين إلى بعض المناطق المحيطة بإدلب باتجاه ريفي حلب وحماة.
وعلى صعيد السلوك التركي الآخر واتصالاً بالمشروع الاستراتيجي التركي في سورية، استفادت تركيا من الاتفاق وعدم تنفيذه حيث أنها كسبت بعضاً من وقت للعمل في خطة تتريك المناطق التي تسيطر عليها في الشمال الغربي السوري لضمّها تدريجياً إليها وكانت وقاحتها العدوانية فاضحة عندما اتجهت إلى فرض مناهجها التعليمية والتربوية على المدراس في المناطق التي تسيطر عليها مع فرض العملة التركية بالتعامل الاقتصادي ورفع الأعلام التركية ومنع رقع العلم السوري.
في مواجهة ذلك، قام الجيش العربي السوري بعملية احتواء وتأديب ميداني فأنزل بالإرهابيين الخسائر الفادحة وأجهض خطتهم لحرب الاستنزاف وانطلق في عمليات احترافية مدروسة لتهيئة البيئة العملانية لإطلاق معركة التحرير الكبرى لإدلب، العملية التي تقود إلى إسقاط المشروع التركي المنتهك لوحدة الأراضي السورية وإلى الإجهاز على الحالة الإرهابية في كامل المنطقة.
في ظلّ هذه الظروف والمشهد انعقدت أستانة 13 بحضور الثلاثي الراعي روسيا وإيران وتركيا والتحاق أطراف جديدة بصفة مراقب، وتمّت مناقشة الوضع في إدلب بشكل خاص والمسألة السورية بشكل عام، مناقشة أخذت في الاعتبار توازنات الميدان التي عززها الجيش السوري في الأيام التي سبقت أستانة بعملية تل ملح والجبين، وساهم الطيران الحربي السوري والروسي في توجيه الرسائل النارية القاسية للمعنيين في الشأن العدواني هناك، كما كان تصريح السفير الأميركي الأخير في سورية فورد وكلامه للإرهابيين ولتركيا معهم وبوضوح: لا تنتظروا شيئاً من واشنطن، فالولايات المتحدة غير مستعدّة للمُخاطرة بحربٍ عالميّة ثالثة ولن تتدخّل لوقف القصف السوري الروسي لمدينة إدلب».
ولأنّ أرجحية الميزان السياسي والميداني في أستانة كانت لصالح سورية، فقد خرج المجتمعون فيها بقرارات ومواقف وصفها رئيس الوفد السوري إلى أستانة الدكتور بشار الجعفري بأنها الأفضل من كلّ ما سبقها حيث أنها انتزعت من تركيا توقيعاً صريحاً وتعهّداً واضحاً باحترام وحدة الأراضي السورية يعني سقوط المشروع الخاص باقتطاع أرض سورية وتتركيها وبالتزام تركي بالعودة إلى اتفاق سوتشي وتنفيذه بصدق وأمانة يعني إقامة المنطقة العازلة المنزوعة من السلاح بتراجع الإرهابيين 20 كلم بعيداً عن خطوط التماس مع الجيش العربي السوري الذي يستمرّ متمسكاً بمواقعه كما ونزع السلاح الثقيل من يد الإرهابيين في المنطقة وإقامة نقاط مراقبة تركية وروسية لضبط وقف إطلاق النار . وإضافة إلى ذلك كان القبول بالموقف السوري حول اللجنة الدستورية والاستجابة له بعد إجراء بعض التعديلات التي لا تغيّر من جوهر امتلاك سورية النسبة الراجحة في اللجنة والأكثرية المطلقة فيها.
هذا النجاح السوري في أستانة 13 أدّى إلى اعتراض الإرهابيين عليه، كما كان محلّ تشكيك من قبل بعض الخبراء والمحللين المشككين بصدقية الالتزام التركي، وجدية تركيا في التنفيذ. ففي موقف فوري رفض المسؤول عن جبهة النصرة الإرهابية في إدلب الجولاني الاتفاق قائلاً لن نسحب جندياً واحداً أو قطعة سلاح واحدة من أيّ موضع، ولن نتموضع في مكان حسب رغبة الأعداء أو الأصدقاء العدو لم يستطع أن يحتلّ الـ 20 كم التي يتحدّث عنها بقوة السلاح، فكيف نعطيه إياها سلمياً». أما من الناحية الموضوعية، فإننا نعتبر وبدون شك انّ قرارات أستانة 13 تستجيب للمصلحة السورية الوطنية العليا، وانّ تركيا ما كانت لتقبل بها لو لم يكن هناك ظروف ميدانية وإقليمية ودولية ملائمة لتلك المصلحة الوطنية السورية ما جعل قبولها من تركيا بعد ان فرضت عليها أمراً لا مفرّ منه.
لكن تركيا في قرارة نفسها تعلم أنها بموافقتها على الجانب الميداني والتزامها بالتنفيذ الأمين له وبموافقتها على الجانب السياسي وقبولها باللجنة الدستورية كما انتهت الأمور اليه، تعلم أنها ستخرج من سورية ويسقط مشروعها الخاص فيها الذي من أجله خاضت هذه الحرب ضدّ سورية فهل ستقبل بصفة المهزوم وتخرج هكذا؟
في الإجابة نقول انّ تركيا اليوم في وضع استراتيجي وسياسي وأمنى غير مريح لها، وانّ عليها ان تختار بين المزيد من المجازفات والرهانات الخاسرة بما في ذلك الرهان الأمني الذي قد يخترق الهدف الاستدراجي المتصل بوحدة الأراضي التركية، وبين اعتماد سياسة الدفاع وحماية المصالح الاستراتيجية والأمنية المشروعة التي يعتبر أمرها ربحاً مشروعاً يحجب الخسائر الاستراتيجية المحتملة. ويكون من مصلحة تركيا اختيار السلوك الثاني لأنه مشروع ومضمون النتائج ويمكنها ان تفسّره لشعبها بانه ربح لا خسارة وإنْ لم يكن ربحاً بالمنظور الأوّلي للأرباح التي سعت اليها.
وعليه نرى انّ من مصلحة تركيا هذه المرة وقف المراوغة والتسويف، ومن مصلحتها التعامل بصدق مع روسيا وإيران لتنفيذ قرارات أستانة 13 والفراغ من مسألة إدلب للتفرّغ للملف الأخير شرقي الفرات، فهل تتعقلن تركيا هذه المرة؟ نتمنّى… لكننا حتى اللحظة نشكّ بذلك ونرى انّ الجيش العربي السوري بحاجة للاستمرار في التحضير لمعركة تحرير إدلب التي ستفرض عليه إذا تراجعت تركيا عن تعهّداتها.
UPROOTED PALESTINIANS: SALAM ALQUDS ALAYKUM 