On Tue, Dec 10, 2024 at 1:05 PM Jeremy Scahill and Sharif Abdel Kouddous < [email protected]> wrote:
> Israel’s message is clear: regardless of who governs Syria, Israel will > ensure it does not possess the basic military capacity to defend itself. > ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ > ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ > ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ > ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ > ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ > ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ > ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ > ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ > ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ > ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ > ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ > ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ > ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ > ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ > ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ > ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ > ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ > ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ > ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ > Forwarded this email? Subscribe here > <https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZHJvcHNpdGVuZXdzLmNvbS9zdWJzY3JpYmU_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249ZW1haWwtc3Vic2NyaWJlJnI9MXJ6NDZlJm5leHQ9aHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ3d3cuZHJvcHNpdGVuZXdzLmNvbSUyRnAlMkZpc3JhZWwtZXhwYW5kcy1pbnZhc2lvbi1vZi1zeXJpYS1hc3NhZCIsInAiOjE1MjkyMTYwNCwicyI6MjUxMDM0OCwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6MTA3NDU0MTgyLCJpYXQiOjE3MzM4NTM5MTQsImV4cCI6MTczNjQ0NTkxNCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.vIvU0rLVTusQULsVArY-AZfuMwij6GzI2cftRUmPwvY?> > for more > > <https://substack.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.AdOMLnDm_PwPmzRNfZO-qC56NGNqiXnGXjCqlFaA9CE?> > Israel Expands Invasion of Syria, Launching Massive Airstrikes After > Assad's Fall > <https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=2510348&post_id=152921604&utm_source=post-email-title&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=1rz46e&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxMDc0NTQxODIsInBvc3RfaWQiOjE1MjkyMTYwNCwiaWF0IjoxNzMzODUzOTE0LCJleHAiOjE3MzY0NDU5MTQsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0yNTEwMzQ4Iiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.4snlIPG2Ck-3pjWo-EfNCuRtMmsWmO-yMiFOA2BPzjQ>Israel’s > message is clear: regardless of who governs Syria, Israel will ensure it > does not possess the basic military capacity to defend itself. > > Jeremy Scahill <https://substack.com/@jeremyscahill> and Sharif Abdel > Kouddous <https://substack.com/@sharifabdelkouddous> > Dec 10 > <https://substack.com/@jeremyscahill> > <https://substack.com/@sharifabdelkouddous> > > > <https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=2510348&post_id=152921604&utm_source=substack&isFreemail=true&submitLike=true&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxMDc0NTQxODIsInBvc3RfaWQiOjE1MjkyMTYwNCwicmVhY3Rpb24iOiLinaQiLCJpYXQiOjE3MzM4NTM5MTQsImV4cCI6MTczNjQ0NTkxNCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTI1MTAzNDgiLCJzdWIiOiJyZWFjdGlvbiJ9.Di8zc7sxqXHXB1KAQ42xLe0WWJgp7BQ8EqTPrSIntGk&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=email-reaction&r=1rz46e> > > <https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=2510348&post_id=152921604&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&isFreemail=true&comments=true&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxMDc0NTQxODIsInBvc3RfaWQiOjE1MjkyMTYwNCwiaWF0IjoxNzMzODUzOTE0LCJleHAiOjE3MzY0NDU5MTQsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0yNTEwMzQ4Iiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.4snlIPG2Ck-3pjWo-EfNCuRtMmsWmO-yMiFOA2BPzjQ&r=1rz46e&utm_campaign=email-half-magic-comments&action=post-comment&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email> > > <https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=2510348&post_id=152921604&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&utm_campaign=email-share&action=share&triggerShare=true&isFreemail=true&r=1rz46e&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxMDc0NTQxODIsInBvc3RfaWQiOjE1MjkyMTYwNCwiaWF0IjoxNzMzODUzOTE0LCJleHAiOjE3MzY0NDU5MTQsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0yNTEwMzQ4Iiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.4snlIPG2Ck-3pjWo-EfNCuRtMmsWmO-yMiFOA2BPzjQ> > > <https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9vcGVuLnN1YnN0YWNrLmNvbS9wdWIvZHJvcHNpdGVuZXdzL3AvaXNyYWVsLWV4cGFuZHMtaW52YXNpb24tb2Ytc3lyaWEtYXNzYWQ_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.Qe3bQMAAEPAqvlAjqauykF-33r5TRHrd-KMXpC19dtw?&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email> > > READ IN APP > <https://open.substack.com/pub/dropsitenews/p/israel-expands-invasion-of-syria-assad?utm_source=email&redirect=app-store&utm_campaign=email-read-in-app> > > > <https://substack.com/redirect/52e5aadb-24ba-40d3-a4a9-9165639bc6eb?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > Israeli > airstrikes in Damascus early on December 10, 2024. Photo by Omar HAJ KADOUR > / AFP via Getty Images. > > As armed opposition militias marched into Damascus and overthrew the > government of Bashar al-Assad, Israel wasted no time in unleashing a > massive campaign of airstrikes across Syria. While statues of Assad and his > father, Hafez, were being pulled down from city squares across the country > and thousands of political prisoners were being freed, Israeli tanks > crossed through the occupied Golan Heights and invaded deeper into Syrian > territory, occupying a “buffer zone” created in 1974. By Tuesday, Israeli > forces had penetrated farther into the country, occupying a swath of > territory twice the size of the Gaza Strip. > > While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described the bombing and > invasion as self-defense, many of the military sites destroyed by Israel > were defensive weapons systems and conventional military facilities. > Netanyahu declared that the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel for nearly 60 > years, will remain part of Israel “for eternity,” citing its strategic > importance for Israeli security. On Monday, Netanyahu heralded what he > called “a new and dramatic chapter” in the history of the Middle East. “The > collapse of the Syrian regime is a direct result,” he said, “of the severe > blows with which we have struck Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran.” > > As Netanyahu spoke, the Israeli military was expanding its sweeping > campaign to degrade or eliminate Syrian military deterrence capabilities > standard among nation states. Israel’s message is clear: regardless of who > governs Syria, Israel will ensure it does not possess the basic military > capacity to defend itself. > > Drop Site News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and > support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. > > Upgrade to paid > <https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZHJvcHNpdGVuZXdzLmNvbS9zdWJzY3JpYmU_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.gqQqLdwfp90-Pb0llXO4TxIRwepLKNAo2T6nAK2mFmw?&utm_medium=email&utm_source=subscribe-widget-preamble&utm_content=152921604> > > “It's showing Syrian people straight away, ‘Our problem is with you. It's > with your sovereignty, it's with your existence, it's with your security. > What we're doing now is making sure that you are totally defenseless. We're > exploiting this moment of chaos to completely disarm you and make sure that > you're completely defenseless in the future so that we can do whatever we > like,’” said Robin Yassin-Kassab, a British-Syrian analyst > <https://substack.com/redirect/965a566b-4d85-487d-bb11-5e14b8a90982?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > and co-author of the book *Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War*. > “There's never been such crazy Israeli bombing in Syria. They're arranging > to disarm Syria completely, to make it completely defenseless and to > humiliate it. That's the way that Syrians are understanding it as well. > They are humiliating Syria.” > > The U.N. special envoy for Syria Geir Pederse called Israel’s military > operations in Syria “very troubling” in a briefing in Geneva. “We are > continuing to see Israeli movements and bombardments into Syrian > territory,” he said. “This needs to stop." > > The Biden administration has not called on Israel to halt its military > operations nor condemned its occupation of more Syrian territory. “The > Syrian army abandoned its positions in the area around the negotiated > Israeli-Syrian buffer zone, which potentially creates a vacuum that could > have been filled by terrorist organizations,” State Department spokesperson > Matthew Miller said at a briefing on Monday. “Israel has said that these > actions are temporary to defend its borders. These are not permanent > actions.” British foreign secretary David Lammy likewise defended Israel’s > attacks in Syria, saying “there are legitimate security concerns for > Israel, particularly in the context of a country that has housed ISIS, > Daesh, and Al-Qaeda.” > > Since Assad’s removal, Israel has launched over 300 airstrikes across the > country, according > <https://substack.com/redirect/ca4eee13-d10d-4b47-a7d4-98abcd36eaa6?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, hitting Syrian military > installations, airports, weapons depots, radar and air defense systems, and > aircraft squadrons in Damascus, Homs, Hama, Latakia, and elsewhere, in what > an Israeli security source called “one of the largest attack operations in > the history of its air force,” in comments to Israeli Army radio. The > Israeli navy also carried out a large-scale operation on Monday night to > destroy the Syrian navy fleet. > > “It's with American and British and German weapons that they're bombing > the hell out of Syria,” Yassin-Kassab told Drop Site. “Is that really the > message that the Western world wants to give the Syrians? This is a moment > where every right thinking person in the world should be giving them > solidarity, asking them what they need, how can they help?” he said. > “What's happening is that the most powerful states in the world are > supporting the terror bombing of Syria.” > > Israeli tanks and troops have expanded the Israeli occupation, taking over > former Syrian army positions on the highest point > <https://substack.com/redirect/e45ad8fd-5ca2-4645-ad89-08b073938d2c?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > of Jabal al-Sheikh, which Israel calls Mount Hermon, and spread across a > buffer zone in place since a 1974 armistice agreement that officially ended > the war between Syria and Israel. In the town of Quneitra in the Golan > Heights, reports emerged of Israeli troops invading the town and turning > its justice department building into a military base. Video and photographs > posted > <https://substack.com/redirect/000762c6-04c0-4063-a525-673869766cef?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > by Israeli soldiers show them posing inside local Syrian government offices > and spraying abandoned homes with bullets, as well as Israeli tanks > positioned in the streets. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Monday > said the military would seize the entire buffer zone to protect Israeli > settlements in the Golan Heights, which Israel has illegally occupied since > 1967. The area is home to Israel's only ski resort and some Israelis have > already begun celebrating > <https://substack.com/redirect/d92c98a1-9178-442b-8648-2e39c3527137?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > its potential expansion deeper into Syria. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and > Turkey have all condemned Israel’s advance, while UN spokesperson Stéphane > Dujarric on Monday said > <https://substack.com/redirect/70b34c4b-7a79-493f-b597-fd14495a5ce6?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > the Israeli incursion constitutes a violation of the 1974 Disengagement > Agreement. > > <https://substack.com/redirect/b26c831f-eda5-4286-a9e8-338358a5a48f?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > An > image of an Israeli soldier in Qunietra, southern Syria, as posted by > Younis Tirawi on X. > > “I would like to take this opportunity to thank my friend, President-elect > Donald Trump for acceding to my request to recognize Israel's sovereignty > over the Golan Heights, in 2019,” Netanyahu said. “The importance of this > historic recognition has been underscored today. The Golan Heights will be > an inseparable part of the State of Israel forever.” > > Yassin-Kassab said that the U.S. and other nations’ diehard support for > Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza has empowered Netanyahu to attack and invade > Syria. “It would be much more sensible for Israel to try to come to terms > with the fact that they need to make amends to the people whose country > they've stolen and that they need to get on good respectful relations with > the neighbors,” he said. “But there's no sign of that at all. The message > that they're sending to the Syrians is: ‘We have no respect for you, we > have no respect for you whatsoever.’” > *Assad and Israel* > > Throughout the past year, Israel has repeatedly bombed Syria in strikes > that were overwhelmingly aimed at Iranian and Hezbollah personnel, sites, > and weapons shipments. Assad, however, never once ordered retaliatory > strikes against Israel; the Syrian government generally accepted the > periodic bombing by Tel Aviv as the cost of keeping Iran as one of its most > powerful allies. And Syrian territory remained a key pipeline for Iranian > support to Hezbollah. Israel “used to bomb Iranian and Iranian militia and > Hezbollah targets, any weaponry which could potentially be transferred to > Lebanon and then potentially used against [Israel]. That's what they used > to bomb. But they largely left the Syrian [government] stuff alone,” said > Yassin-Kassab. “They left it alone because they knew very well that that's > not for use against us, that's for use against the Syrian people. And > that's fine. Now they're bombing everything they can all over the country.” > > Under Assad, Syria was officially a part of the Axis of Resistance, the > loose coalition of both nation-states and non-state actors in the Middle > East who pledged to jointly oppose Israel. But unlike the other > members—Hezbollah, Iran, the Houthis in Yemen and the Islamic Resistance in > Iraq—Syria did not launch attacks against Israel in solidarity with the > armed resistance in Gaza despite bordering the Israeli-occupied Golan. > “It's been by far the most peaceful border that Israel has had. It's been > much more peaceful than borders with states with whom they've had peace > agreements,” said Yassin-Kassab. “There's been more trouble on the border > with Egypt and on the border with Jordan than there has been on the border > with the occupied Golan Heights even though the Syrian regime pretended to > still be in a state of war with Israel.” > > Prior to the uprising in 2011, when Syrians took to the streets to demand > major reforms, and the subsequent brutal response from Assad, the longtime > Syrian leader was engaged in secret negotiations brokered by the U.S. to > make a deal with Israel. > > “Assad had acknowledged that peace with Israel would require him to break > military ties with Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas, and he said he was ready to > do so once he had Israel's commitment to return to Syria all territory > seized by Israel during the June 1967 War,” said Ambassador Frederic Hof, > who served as the special coordinator for regional affairs in the US > Department of State’s Office of the Special Envoy for Middle East Peace > where he conducted the backchannel peace mediation between Israel and > Syria. “A one-on-one meeting between Assad and me on February 28, 2011 and > a subsequent meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu and his team a few evenings > later convinced me, at the time, that there was a clear pathway to an > Israel-Syria peace treaty.” > > Hof told Drop Site that Assad had assured him that “Lebanon would follow > Syria into peace with Israel, with Hezbollah becoming what he described as > a normal Lebanese political party. But I still had profound doubts that > Iran and Hezbollah could be handled so easily. The things Assad said he > wanted in exchange for this massive strategic reorientation were the > complete, phased return of Syrian territory and the gradual lifting of > American sanctions. He knew the Israeli withdrawal would take three to five > years. And I told him American sanctions would be lifted in conjunction > with Syria implementing its treaty-related commitments.” Hoff, who is now a > Senior Fellow at Bard College's Center for Civic Engagement, said Assad’s > violent response to the protests in 2011 killed the deal. > > As Syria descended into civil war, Assad’s relationship with Iran, > Hezbollah, and Russia deepened to a point where his very survival depended > on them. Russian forces carried out some of the most deadly attacks of the > more than decade-long war; they led to the recapture of territory seized by > opposition militias and exacted a horrifying toll on Syrian civilians. Both > Hezbollah and Iran deployed forces inside Syria to aid the Assad government > and Hezbollah’s militias played a decisive role in fighting armed opponents > of the Syrian government, allowing Damascus to reclaim and hold lost > territory. Over the past 14 months, as Israel expanded its wars in Gaza and > Lebanon, conducted attacks on Iran, and repeatedly struck Hezbollah and > Iranian militias in Syria, Assad’s grip on power became more fragile. > Russia’s focus on the war in Ukraine meant the unleashing of Moscow’s > massive airpower to defend the Syrian government was in question. > > More than a decade of civil war fueled by multiple nations, combined with > crippling U.S.-led international sanctions, resulted in the loss of > government control of large swaths of Syrian territory to various groups > backed by foreign powers, including the U.S., Turkey, and several Gulf > states. While Syria has historically portrayed itself as a defender of the > fight for Palestinian liberation and resistance against Israel, Assad’s > alliances were strategically rooted in preserving his rule and to prevent > the state of Syria from breaking apart. > > “Syria has not confronted Israel for 42 years, Syria is not an active > agent of resistance. Syria is a passive agent that enables other parties’ > resistance, specifically, Hezbollah. So it's a resistance enabler, it > serves as the lifeline, or a bridge, between Iran and Hezbollah,” said > Bassam Haddad, founding director of the Middle East and Islamic Studies > Program and Associate Professor at the Schar School of Policy and > Government at George Mason University. “Before November 27 the role of > Syria and the Axis of Resistance could only be confirmed counterfactually. > Now we have the counterfactual, and it's a matter of time before we > recognize the weight of this role.” > > In the aftermath of the recent Israeli attacks that wiped out much of the > upper echelon of Hezbollah’s leadership, including its secretary general > Hasan Nasrallah, and the eventual signing of a cessation of hostilities > between Israel and Lebanon in late November, Israel issued a series of > warnings to Assad: If Syria continued to support Hezbollah in Lebanon by > allowing weapons and personnel to pass through Syria, “Not only the convoys > will be attacked, but there will be prices to pay in Syria as well.” > Netanyahu bluntly warned, “Assad must understand that he is playing with > fire.” > > “On the one hand, you cannot underestimate Syria's enabling factor for the > Axis of Resistance. On the other hand, that enabling function has been > diminished over the past year,” Haddad said. “It's not about whether this > regime was playing a role that was extremely effective or not. It’s that > its absence is going to allow for alternatives that will further undermine > the Axis of Resistance.” > *HTS and the West* > > Ahmed al-Sharaa, the head of the powerful militant group Hayat Tahrir > al-Sham (HTS), which led the overthrow of Assad, has said his parents were > forcibly displaced from their home in the Golan Heights in 1967. The > nom-de-guerre he would later take, Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, is a reference > to the region. “We are from a family originally from the now-occupied Golan > Heights. My grandfather, my father’s father, was displaced from the Golan > in 1967, after the Israeli Zionist army entered the area,” Jolani said in a > 2021 interview > <https://substack.com/redirect/521a27da-eb14-472d-bb63-c442adca7dfa?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > on PBS. He also said the second Palestinian intifada in the early 2000s was > a pivotal event that shaped his politics. “I was 17 or 18 years old at the > time and I started thinking about how to fulfill my duties defending a > people who are oppressed by occupiers and invaders,” he said. However, HTS > has not commented on the latest Israeli attacks nor have they explicitly > threatened Israel in the past. > > “For so many years, HTS and groups along the lines of HTS, have actually > been quite reserved in terms of voicing anything regarding resistance to > Israel,” Haddad said. “I have never seen anything of significance that is > an official line of HTS regarding centering Palestine or threatening, > challenging, or confronting Israel.” > > Al-Jolani remains a U.S. government designated terrorist with a $10 > million bounty on his head and HTS is formally considered a terror > organization by the U.S., U.K., and the UN. Though the Turkish government > also classified HTS as a terror organization in 2018, Ankara has served as > the group’s primary nation-state supporter. Politico reported that there is > a “furious debate” in the Biden administration “over what to make of HTS” > in Syria. “There is a huge scramble to see if, and how, and when we can > delist HTS,” a U.S. official said. While some British officials have > indicated that HTS would likely be delisted, Prime Minister Keir Starmer > said it was still “far too early” to remove the terror designation. "We > have all seen in other parts of history where we think there is a turning > point - it turns out not necessarily to be the better future that we hope > for," Starmer said. "We've got to make sure this is different." > > HTS and Jolani have a long track record of brutality, torture, and > extrajudicial executions. Jolani was a member of both Al-Qaeda and later > ISIS and, even in the years since officially renouncing his ties to those > groups, retained a reputation for violent authoritarianism during his time > in charge of Idlib, where he consolidated HTS’s control of the anti-Assad > “Salvation Government.” > > In February, large protests broke out against HTS rule as people demanded > an end to torture and other abuses, the release of political and religious > prisoners and called for political and economic reforms and a return of > land seized from local residents by HTS. Protesters also called for Al > Jolani’s removal as head of the administration in Idlib. The UN documented > <https://substack.com/redirect/584b51c1-31cd-4cbc-a1e7-ea8d2c0ff316?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > beatings of detainees in HTS prisons and security facilities with pipes, > cables and sticks, fingers broken and nails removed, prisoners held in > solitary confinement for months. “HTS detained men, women, and children as > young as seven. They included civilians detained for criticizing HTS and > participating in the demonstrations,” a UN report issued in September > found. “Pregnant women, women with small children, and girls were also > reportedly detained.” Both Christian and Druze minorities faced persecution > and Druze residents were subject to forced conversion to Sunni Islam. > > In a series of interviews > <https://substack.com/redirect/0448577c-8950-4211-97ff-1c5d854d9d01?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > with Western media outlets over the past week, Jolani has sought to portray > himself as a new man who has learned from the past and believes in a legal > framework to ensure protection of minority rights. He made similar claims > in 2021 for a PBS “Frontline” documentary > <https://substack.com/redirect/f891e571-158a-479a-acd5-113f8e357170?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4>, > yet the abuses in areas under his control continued. “Although HTS has cut > formal ties with al-Qaeda, engaged in self-promotional interviews with > international media, and attempted to rebrand itself as a legitimate civic > authority, it remains a potent source of a Salafi-jihadism that restricts > the religious freedom of non-conforming Sunni Muslims and threatens the > property, safety, and existence of religious minority groups such as > Alawites, Christians, and Druze,” a U.S. government report > <https://substack.com/redirect/31d0498c-03d2-4a40-8484-74772a3b2598?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > on religious freedom in Syria concluded in 2022. HTS “continued to > perpetrate some of the same human rights abuses—including torture, forced > disappearance, rape and other sexual violence, and killing in detention.” > > Jolani, who has insisted he now disavows such abuses and believes in > protecting minority rights, has suggested that HTS does not seek to rule > Syria and would dissolve itself as part of a process of rebuilding a > central government. On Tuesday, Mohammed al-Bashir—who administered the > HTS-led Salvation Government in northwest Syria—assumed the role of interim > prime minister to coordinate the creation of a transitional government. The > announcement was made after meetings that included Mohammed Ghazi > al-Jalali, the last prime minister under Assad’s government. Whether HTS > will dominate a new government remains an open question, particularly given > the fractious nature of the armed groups that fought Assad’s rule in Syria, > some of which have also fought one another. Should HTS consolidate its > control of Syrian state institutions, it could represent a dismantling of > the largely secular nature of the Syrian government that existed for > decades under the rule of Assad and his father. > > “HTS as a group generally and Jolani in particular has come to accept the > idea that you can't really operate independently of the existing order of > nation-states and somehow think you're just going to blaze through and > dismantle all nation-states and set up a worldwide caliphate,” said Dr. > Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, a scholar on Islamist groups who has monitored the > evolution of HTS. “A close analogy I would give is Afghanistan's Taliban, > because the Taliban has this Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. But they don't > say, ‘Now we've got to go and push beyond the borders and take Tajikistan, > Uzbekistan, and push into China.’ No, they accept the idea of having ties > with nation-states.” Al-Tamimi told Drop Site that Jolani “has definitely > moved on and developed a more, I think, realistic understanding of, ‘How am > I going to be taken seriously as an actor and how am I going to have a > viable prospect [of] wielding political power?’ Because if you go down the > Al-Qaeda and Islamic State route, ultimately you're just going to have the > entire world against you.” > > Ambassador Hof, the former U.S. envoy, told Drop Site he remains concerned > about Jolani and HTS’s history with Al-Qaeda and ISIS, but believes the > U.S. should engage with them. “Mr. Ahmad al-Sharaa and his colleagues are > saying all the right things about inclusivity, protecting minorities, > reconciliation, and reconstruction. The HTS human rights record in Idlib > Province was not, however, a good one,” Hof said. “The U.S. should, I > think, give him the benefit of the doubt and work closely with Turkey to > influence him in the direction of inclusive, non-sectarian governance.” > > Hof said that once the security situation stabilizes, the U.S. should > dispatch a special envoy to Syria and reopen the U.S. embassy in Damascus. > “There is a lot of uncertainty about how Syria will be governed in the > post-Assad era,” he said. “But one thing is absolutely certain: Assad's > departure permits Syrians to think about a better future, one featuring > lives lived with dignity and freedom. Such thoughts were simply incredible > and impossible with the Assad family and its entourage still on the scene.” > > At the White House, President Joe Biden hailed > <https://substack.com/redirect/1eb752ca-3fd0-4fcb-b6eb-5ee8d4aa872e?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > U.S. policy in the region as having helped bring about Assad’s downfall. > “Our approach has shifted the balance of power in the Middle East,” he > said. “For the first time ever, neither Russia nor Iran nor Hezbollah could > defend this abhorrent regime in Syria. And this is a direct result of the > blows that Ukraine, Israel have delivered upon their own self-defense with > unflagging support of the United States.” > > What went unmentioned in Biden’s celebration of the fall of Assad was the > role the U.S. played in the Syrian civil war. In addition to openly > supporting and arming Kurdish-led forces, the CIA ran a covert program to > arm and train so-called “moderate rebels” from the Free Syrian Army in the > early years of the war at an estimated cost > <https://substack.com/redirect/87d35a33-f89e-4c9f-90c2-c73f97188efa?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > of roughly $1 billion a year. Over the past decade, the U.S. has carried > out airstrikes in Syria, primarily against ISIS forces, and is believed to > have continued its clandestine training and arming of opposition forces. > > In a statement on Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. > would recognize and support a Syrian government that would “respect the > rights of minorities, facilitate the flow of humanitarian assistance to all > in need, prevent Syria from being used as a base for terrorism or posing a > threat to its neighbors, and ensure that any chemical or biological weapons > stockpiles are secured and safely destroyed.” > > On Sunday, the U.S. struck more than 75 targets associated with the > Islamic State, according to U.S. Central Command. Meanwhile, some 900 U.S. > troops remain deployed in Syria, including some working with Kurdish forces > in the northeast of the country. > > When asked if the U.S. was going to have any direct engagement with HTS, a > senior administration official was vague. “On HTS, is there contact? I > think it’s safe to say there’s contact with all Syrian groups as we work to > do whatever we can to support the Syrians through a transition,” the > official said at a background briefing > <https://substack.com/redirect/5f97f09b-cd32-4f1c-be4d-9e64596662ce?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > Monday. “HTS, obviously, will be an important component of that, and I > think we will intend to engage with them appropriately and with U.S. > interests in mind.” > > The U.S., Israel, Turkey and other outside nations will be wrestling to > secure their influence over what comes next in Syria. Immediately after > Assad’s ouster, scenes of elation erupted across the country, as prisoners > were freed from dungeons and reunited with their families, while the roads > from Turkey to Syria were clogged with thousands of Syrians looking to > return home, despite all the uncertainties that lie ahead following more > than half a century of Assad family rule. > > “I try, as much as possible, to center the jubilation of the passing of > somebody who's made the lives of millions of people miserable,” Haddad > said. “But the fact is that as soon as this subsides, these upcoming sober > moments will allow us to see what happened for what it is, and that is the > considerable diminution of any forces that resist the domination and > hegemony of the United States and its allies in the region.” > > Leave a comment > <https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=2510348&post_id=152921604&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&isFreemail=true&comments=true&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxMDc0NTQxODIsInBvc3RfaWQiOjE1MjkyMTYwNCwiaWF0IjoxNzMzODUzOTE0LCJleHAiOjE3MzY0NDU5MTQsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0yNTEwMzQ4Iiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.4snlIPG2Ck-3pjWo-EfNCuRtMmsWmO-yMiFOA2BPzjQ&r=1rz46e&utm_campaign=email-half-magic-comments&action=post-comment> > > Upgrade to paid > <https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZHJvcHNpdGVuZXdzLmNvbS9zdWJzY3JpYmU_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1wb3N0JnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1lbWFpbC1jaGVja291dCZuZXh0PWh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmRyb3BzaXRlbmV3cy5jb20lMkZwJTJGaXNyYWVsLWV4cGFuZHMtaW52YXNpb24tb2Ytc3lyaWEtYXNzYWQmcj0xcno0NmUmdG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpveE1EYzBOVFF4T0RJc0ltbGhkQ0k2TVRjek16ZzFNemt4TkN3aVpYaHdJam94TnpNMk5EUTFPVEUwTENKcGMzTWlPaUp3ZFdJdE1qVXhNRE0wT0NJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1Ob1pXTnJiM1YwSW4wLlUxaXJJVm1qVmd5NlRzN2pjc01zSXV4RnJicHlLVnE0RXJhMkNkSkYyaG8iLCJwIjoxNTI5MjE2MDQsInMiOjI1MTAzNDgsImYiOnRydWUsInUiOjEwNzQ1NDE4MiwiaWF0IjoxNzMzODUzOTE0LCJleHAiOjE3MzY0NDU5MTQsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0wIiwic3ViIjoibGluay1yZWRpcmVjdCJ9.gqQqLdwfp90-Pb0llXO4TxIRwepLKNAo2T6nAK2mFmw?&utm_medium=email&utm_source=subscribe-widget&utm_content=152921604> > * Become a Drop Site News Paid Subscriber * > > Drop Site News is a reader-supported publication. To support our work, > please consider becoming a paid subscriber today. > > Upgrade to paid > <https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZHJvcHNpdGVuZXdzLmNvbS9zdWJzY3JpYmU_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.gqQqLdwfp90-Pb0llXO4TxIRwepLKNAo2T6nAK2mFmw?&utm_medium=email&utm_source=subscribe-widget-preamble&utm_content=152921604> > *A paid subscription gets you:* > > ✔️ Subscriber-only AMAs, chats, and invites to events, both virtual and IRL > > ✔️ Post comments and join the community > > ✔️ The knowledge you are supporting independent media making the lives of > the powerful miserable > > Like > <https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=2510348&post_id=152921604&utm_source=substack&isFreemail=true&submitLike=true&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxMDc0NTQxODIsInBvc3RfaWQiOjE1MjkyMTYwNCwicmVhY3Rpb24iOiLinaQiLCJpYXQiOjE3MzM4NTM5MTQsImV4cCI6MTczNjQ0NTkxNCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTI1MTAzNDgiLCJzdWIiOiJyZWFjdGlvbiJ9.Di8zc7sxqXHXB1KAQ42xLe0WWJgp7BQ8EqTPrSIntGk&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=email-reaction&r=1rz46e> > Comment > <https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=2510348&post_id=152921604&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&isFreemail=true&comments=true&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxMDc0NTQxODIsInBvc3RfaWQiOjE1MjkyMTYwNCwiaWF0IjoxNzMzODUzOTE0LCJleHAiOjE3MzY0NDU5MTQsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0yNTEwMzQ4Iiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.4snlIPG2Ck-3pjWo-EfNCuRtMmsWmO-yMiFOA2BPzjQ&r=1rz46e&utm_campaign=email-half-magic-comments&action=post-comment&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email> > Restack > <https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9vcGVuLnN1YnN0YWNrLmNvbS9wdWIvZHJvcHNpdGVuZXdzL3AvaXNyYWVsLWV4cGFuZHMtaW52YXNpb24tb2Ytc3lyaWEtYXNzYWQ_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.Qe3bQMAAEPAqvlAjqauykF-33r5TRHrd-KMXpC19dtw?&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email> > > > © 2024 Drop Site News, Inc. > Drop Site News Inc., 4315 50th St. NW > Ste 100 Unit #2560, Washington, DC 20016 > Unsubscribe > <https://substack.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.0uyogYchSsndoeY4ss9xt-D1-jOiXpu8EDvkKHfPZQ4?> > > [image: Get the app] > <https://substack.com/redirect/44539984-1c19-4937-8fd3-e8a02591b163?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4>[image: > Start writing] > <https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vc2lnbnVwP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9c3Vic3RhY2smdXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fY29udGVudD1mb290ZXImdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPWF1dG9maWxsZWQtZm9vdGVyJmZyZWVTaWdudXBFbWFpbD1kbW96YXJ0MTc1NkBnbWFpbC5jb20mcj0xcno0NmUiLCJwIjoxNTI5MjE2MDQsInMiOjI1MTAzNDgsImYiOnRydWUsInUiOjEwNzQ1NDE4MiwiaWF0IjoxNzMzODUzOTE0LCJleHAiOjE3MzY0NDU5MTQsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0wIiwic3ViIjoibGluay1yZWRpcmVjdCJ9.-h8j9OZmL91ePqKXFfGLudoUZbJwDLotVnmMOHjGD80?> > -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. 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