In a shocking twist, Dictator Bashar al-Assad fled Syria when armed militants stormed into the country with revolution on their minds. This is another watershed moment in a tumultuous region. Hence, what does this mean, and is it a good thing to have Syria in the hands of someone other than Bashar al-Assad?
HISTORICAL CONTEXT: Fallout with Turkey
All one needs to better understand why things unfold the way they do is to look at a map. One glance at Syria, and it’s obvious what’s in play. For context, Syria is about a quarter the size of California, a large land mass when you think about it. The country shares a border with Turkey to its north, Lebanon to its west, as well as Israel, Jordan, and Iraq respectively. Simply put, it’s a coveted piece of real estate for global powerhouses like the United States and Russia.
This is where things get interesting.
Track the region, and what becomes clear is that Turkey is partly behind the fall of Assad. Once allies, Assad’s relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan grew strained over the past decade. When Assad turned down an attempted coup in 2011, millions fled to Turkey. This enraged Erdogan, an isolationist at heart who despite claiming the desire for a democratic Turkey, is transforming the country into an autocracy.
ISRAEL ALREADY HAS BOOTS ON THE GROUND IN SYRIA
Perhaps no surprise to anyone versed in the Middle East, Israeli forces launched a military campaign inside Syria early Tuesday morning. Airstrikes targeting military targets across Syria, as well as Israeli ground troops, were reported by various media outlets. The timing is somewhat ironic; days after a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Hezbollah [stationed in Lebanon], jihadists were let loose from Turkey with their sights on Aleppo, Syria.
25,000 took the country in four days – leaving the world questioning why there was so little pushback by Assad and his army.
WHERE WERE RUSSIA AND IRAN IN HELPING SYRIA?
Why did the Syrian Army effectively stand down, and where were Russia and Iran?
How could a country as large as Syria fall so quickly?
One theory is that enlisted men and women no longer wanted to fight on behalf of Assad. The disparity of wealth between their leader and the rest of the country was too stark to look the other way. When soldiers no longer believe in a cause, the events of the past week are not only plausible but inevitable.
WINNERS AND LOSERS: TURKEY, IRAN AND RUSSIA
Today, Turkey is the clear strategic winner in Syria’s political upheaval. It’s no secret that Erdogan wanted to bring an end to Assad’s dictatorship. In 2016, he ordered troops to invade Syria. Fast forward five years and Turkey established a military presence in northern Syria.
https://www.bitchute.com/video/DU9D4Fcvkm9k
Erdogan will be involved in the reconstruction of Syria in the wake of Assad’s fall. Furthermore, the 3 million displaced Syrians living in Turkey as a result of the 2011 civil war can return home with Assad gone. This is good news for Erdogan, as resentment towards Syrian migrants has become more commonplace due to recent Turkish economic difficulties.
As far as the losers look no further than Russia and Iran. For Russia, its leverage in the Middle East took a tremendous hit when Assad’s regime came to a screeching halt. It’s no secret that NATO and Russia constantly strive for influence not only in the Middle East but in Europe as well. Furthermore, Russian military assets in Syria are now at risk of falling into enemy hands.
https://blog.k-var.com/op-ed/world-war-3-designed-incoming/
In the most basic terms, Syria was The Kremlin’s foothold in the Middle East. Alas, as Frost said: ‘Nothing gold can stay’.
As far as the Iranians, Turkey’s win spells a loss for them. The two Islamic powerhouses in the region constantly strive to yield more influence, and the fall of Assad spells good news for Erdogan and bad news for Tehran.
REST ASSURED, THE NARRATIVE IS CONTROLLED
The euphoria of Syrian reaction to the toppling of Assad isn’t necessarily what it seems.
Citizens are effectively told to support the revolution or suffer the consequences. What options does one have when staring down the barrel of a gun? Comply, and you will live. Exercise free will, and the undertaker beckons.
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), formed from al-Queda, is calling the shots in Syria post-Assad. No need to reach for your medicine cabinet in search of eye drops, you read that correctly. A terrorist organization is being lauded by not only Turkey but the U.S. and Israel.
HTS is led by Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, a man with a checkered past known for holding radical views. At the moment, al-Jolani is saying all the right things, but it doesn’t take a neurosurgeon to figure out his real motives/ agenda; establishing a hard-nosed government with nothing but caliphate on his mind.
THE U.S.
Naturally, it begs the question; where does the U.S. stand in all of this? It’s no secret that the U.S.’s one unconditional ally in the region is Israel.
Those versed in our political system know the influence the Israeli lobby possesses. Israel covets security from its neighbors. It is willing to do anything to attain this — just look at its body of work over the years, particularly since October 7th, 2023.
By taking out Assad, Israel can prevent the flow of arms from Russia through Syria to assist Lebanon. It’s tactically a genius move and another step on the way to World War 3.
President Biden called the fall of Assad “a fundamental act of justice” but was quick to point out that things are risky under al-Jolani. As far as President-Elect Trump, he took to Truth Social and posted the following:
“THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!”
Whether he adheres to his words remains to be seen. One thing’s for certain; read the tea leaves and it appears an all-out war involving global powers seems inevitable.
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