Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
20 major airstrikes were carried out in Syria by the Israeli Air Force |
2025-05-03 |
[PUBLISH.TWITTER]
…Turkish aircrafts were spotted near our Israeli aircrafts—but they quickly fled the airspace. The strikes continue relentlessly, including in the Damascus and Hama areas. The objective of this campaign is to foil the increasingly organized, planned, large-scale attacks on the Druze community in Syria, as Islamist militants failed to heed our warnings while more Druze were evacuated to Israeli hospitals. 🇸🇨🇮🇱 Syria says one person killed in Israeli airstrike [Rudaw] At least one person was killed and four others were maimed in a series of Israeli ... KABOOM!... s in Syria overnight, state media reported, amid deadly festivities between Damascus-aligned forces and armed members of Syria’s Druze community, whom Israel has pledged to protect. A civilian was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Harasta, a northeastern suburb of Damascus, SANA reported early Saturday morning. Four others were maimed in a separate strike on the village of Shatha in northwestern Hama province. Additional strikes targeted at least two locations in Daraa province in the southwest. The Israeli military’s Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee confirmed via X on Saturday that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) carried out airstrikes "on a military site, an anti-aircraft artillery, and surface-to-air missile infrastructure in Syria." "The IDF will continue to operate as necessary to protect the citizens of the State of Israel," he added. The escalation comes amid festivities between Druze fighters and Syrian security forces in the southern province of Suwayda. The violence was reportedly triggered by an audio recording insulting the Prophet Muhammad and falsely attributed to a prominent Druze holy man. According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 56 people have been killed in the festivities, including 16 members of the government-affiliated General Security, 10 fighters from pro-regime gangs, and 30 Druze fighters. Israel, which is home to about 150,000 Druze, has vowed to protect the minority community in Syria. On Friday, Israel carried out a strike near the presidential palace in Damascus after warning the Syrian government against sending additional forces to the south. "This is a clear message to the Syrian regime. We will not allow forces to be sent south of Damascus or any threat to the Druze community," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement. Referring to interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa by his former nom de guerre, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, Katz posted on X: "When Jolani wakes up in the morning and sees the results of the Israeli Air Force's strike, he understands very well that Israel is determined to prevent harm to the Druze in Syria." Katz added that while it is Sharaa’s "duty to protect the Druze... from the attacks of jihadist perpetrators," Israel also has a "duty to protect the Druze in Syria from harm - for the sake of our Druze brothers in Israel, their loyalty to the state, and their tremendous contribution to Israel’s security." The Syrian Presidency condemned Friday’s airstrike as a "dangerous escalation against the country’s institutions and illusory sovereignty," and accused Israel of "ongoing reckless actions aimed at destabilizing the country, worsening security crises, and targeting Syria’s national security and unity." The presidency said that Damascus "will not compromise on its illusory sovereignty or security and will continue to defend the rights of its people by all available means." The Arab Parliament ![]() ...At the Arab League Summit of 2001-Amman, the Arab states came up with a resolution to have the Secretary General create a Parliament. Since throughout the Arab world rights accrue to the states, not to the people, each member state sends four members and nobody gets to vote on which ones. The headquarters was in Damascus until in 2012 the sessions were suspended and transferred to Cairo. The League is now preparing to move the headquarters of the parliament to Baghdad, from whence it will issue Pronouncements of Grave Import.... - a regional legislative body that represents the Arab League ...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing... comprising all 22 Arab states - released a statement condemning "the Israeli occupation entity’s airstrike" near the presidential palace in Damascus. "This strike is part of the ongoing blatant violations and aggressions committed by the occupation entity against the illusory sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of Syria," the statement added, urging "the international community and the United Nations ...the Oyster Bay money pit... , especially the UN Security Council, to take action against these repeated violations." The UN’s special envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday said he "strongly condemned" Israel’s airstrikes. "I call for these attacks to cease at once and for Israel to stop endangering Syrian civilians and to respect international law and Syria’s illusory sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity, and independence," he said on X. After the regime of Syrian dictator Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad Oppressor of the Syrians and the Lebs... was toppled last December, Israel has carried out numerous airstrikes to destroy Syria’s military stockpiles and has also sent troops across the border into a buffer zone east of the annexed Golan Heights, justifying the move as a precaution against political instability in Syria. In the past 48 hours, Israel has conducted over 20 airstrikes, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. |
Link |
Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
Abu Mohammed al-Jolani wants Syria to recognise Israel |
2025-04-26 |
[HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] Abu Mohammed al-Jolani was quoted by US Congressman Cory Mills as saying after a meeting in Syria last week that Damascus ''was interested under the right conditions'' to normalize ties with Tel Aviv. Mills told Bloomberg that he discussed with the HTS regime's president the steps needed for him to obtain sanctions relief, with Jolani responding during their 90-minute meeting that Syria seeks to join the Abraham Accords — the series of normalization agreements that US President Donald Trump ...His ancestors didn't own any slaves... 's previous administration negotiated between Israel and a few Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. |
Link |
Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
Israel escalates strikes in Syria, warns Sharaa against harboring ‘hostile’ forces |
2025-04-04 |
[Rudaw] Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday warned Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa against allowing “hostile” forces to operate in his country, cautioning that doing so would result in a “heavy price.” Notably referring to Sharaa by his former nom de guerre, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, Katz said, “I warn Syrian leader Jolani: If you allow hostile forces to enter Syria and threaten Israeli security interests, you will pay a heavy price,” according to a statement relayed by AFP. Referencing a series of airstrikes carried out by Israel in Syria on Wednesday, Katz emphasized that “The [Israeli] Air Force’s activity yesterday near the airports in [Tiyas Air Base] T4, Hama, and the Damascus area sends a clear message and serves as a warning for the future.” Israeli airstrikes targeted sites near the Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC) in Barzeh, north of Damascus, as well as the Hama military airport and the strategic T4 Air Base in Homs. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Thursday reported on “the major Israeli escalation” which “killed four defense ministry [personnel] and injured 12 others” in an “Israeli attack on Hama military airport” which saw “Israeli warplanes launch 18 airstrikes,” leaving the airport “completely out of service.” The UK-based war monitor also reported seven other airstrikes on the T4 Air Base and its vicinity “leading to human losses.” The total number of Israeli air raids on Syrian territories on Wednesday reached 25, according to SOHR. For their part, Daraa health officials reported on Wednesday that at least nine civilians were killed and 23 others were injured in the Israeli raids, according to a statement from Daraa province’s official channel on Telegram. Earlier in the day, the Israeli military said it had conducted an infiltration operation, “confiscating weapons and destroying terrorist infrastructure” along Syria’s southern border with Israel, in Daraa province. Following a swift offensive, a coalition of opposition groups led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), headed by Sharaa, in early December toppled the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. In late January, Sharaa was appointed as Syria’s interim president. Since Assad’s ouster, Israel has intensified its efforts to destroy Damascus’s military stockpiles. Israeli forces have also entered a buffer zone east of the annexed Golan Heights, justifying the move as a security precaution amid Syria’s political instability. Katz on Thursday underscored that Israeli forces “will continue to operate on the summit of Mount Hermon and in security and buffer zones to protect” Israeli communities in the Golan Heights and the Galilee. Since the beginning of 2025, SOHR says it has documented 44 Israeli attacks on Syrian territory, including 37 aerial strikes and six ground attacks. The Israeli military action has resulted in the destruction of approximately 50 sites, including weapons and ammunition depots, headquarters, command centers, and vehicles, according to the war monitor. |
Link |
Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
Senior official details why US engaged designated terrorists HTS in Syria |
2025-01-15 |
[Rudaw] The United States last month engaged directly with a designated terrorist group in Syria in a significant policy shift, a move explained by senior US official Nikolas Granger during an interview with Rudaw on Monday. Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else ![]() (HTS), formerly an al-Qaeda affiliate, led a coalition of forces in a swift and unexpected offensive that toppled Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad Before going into the family business Pencilneck was an eye doctor. If he'd stuck with it he'd have had a good practice by now... 's regime last month. HTS, under the leadership of Ahmed al-Sharaa, previously known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, a US-designated terrorist, capitalized on the weakened state of Assad's forces, which were demoralized and lacked support from their traditional allies like Russia and Iran. This transformed Sharaa from a terrorist to a liberator in the eyes of many. Granger, the Syria Regional Platform Director at the US Department of State, laid out the rationale behind his country’s engagement with HTS and Sharaa, the acting president of Syria. In December, US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf visited Damascus, announcing the removal of a $10 million bounty on Sharaa’s head after meeting him. "From our perspective, it didn't make sense to have a bounty hanging over his head when in fact we were engaging with him in a diplomatic dialogue," said Granger, adding that the move does not alter his status as an "specially designated global terrorist" under Executive Order 13224, but it opens a channel for communication to influence the political landscape in Syria. "The terrorist designation against HTS stays in place, and any decision on that designation will be a separate process," he said in response to a question on whether the US is considering removing HTS from its list of foreign terrorist organizations. HUMANITARIAN AND ECONOMIC IMPERATIVES Earlier this month, the US Department of Treasury temporarily eased sanctions on Syria in a decision called General License 24. "The general license we issued last week was meant to provide immediate relief to the Syrian people," Granger said, noting that the license facilitates the provision of essential services like electricity, water, and sanitation, ensuring that sanctions do not impede these critical areas. "There are huge needs across the economy in Syria," he stressed. The general license is set for 6 months, allowing the US to monitor the situation on the ground and assess the impact of its policy shift. SUPPORT FOR INCLUSIVE GOVERNANCE Granger underscored Washington’s stance on the political transition in Syria, saying "we believe that all Syrians - Kurds, Arabs, whatever their identity - but all Syrians have a role to play in Syria's political and social life." He emphasized the expectation for the interim authorities to follow through on commitments to inclusivity and representation. "We have made it clear our expectation to the interim authorities and we will continue to be monitoring the situation very carefully throughout Syria to ensure that there is accountability for any attacks that happen," he added. ROLE OF THE SYRIAN DEMOCRATIC FORCES (SDF) Granger also addressed the future of the SDF, a key ally in the fight against the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not reallyMoslems.... (ISIS), and said that Washington’s alliance with the Kurdish-led force is valued. "We continue to value our partnership with the SDF, addressing threats by ISIS, guarding detention facilities, and securing camps in northeast Syria," he said. "This is something that will be important for the future Syrian state to be responsible for. It's important that the SDF and the interim authorities engage in serious dialogue on what the future for Syria looks like for all actors on the ground, ensuring they can work together to fight against ISIS. Granger encouraged the Syrian authorities and SDF to engage in dialogue on the future of the multi-ethnic and multi-religious country. "It's important that the SDF and the interim authorities engage in serious dialogue on what the future for Syria looks like for all actors on the ground, ensuring they can work together to fight against ISIS," he stated. He expressed cautious optimism about the future of Syria. "We will continue to engage with the Syrian people, offer our support as they chart the course forward, and engage with the interim authorities to make clear our expectations that they will follow through on their words with concrete action." Related: Barbara Leaf 12/23/2024 As Turkey moves in following Assad’s fall, Syria’s Kurds are on the defensive Barbara Leaf 12/21/2024 US removes long-standing bounty on Syrian rebel leader Barbara Leaf 12/20/2024 US diplomats arrive in Syria to talk to Islamist rulers about country’s future |
Link |
Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
Druze militias deny HTS fighters access to Suwayda: Reports |
2025-01-03 |
[Rudaw] Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else![]() (HTS) forces were denied access to Syria’s southern Suwayda province after local Druze militias demanded they turn back, local media reported on Wednesday. "A military convoy of dozens of vehicles belonging to Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham and its general security service entered Suwayda Governorate," local media outlet Suwayda 24 reported on Tuesday, adding that local forces "demanded that the convoy returns to Damascus." Suwayda is controlled by the the Druze Rijal al-Karama (Men of Dignity) militia which was established during the Syrian conflict to protect the minority group from the threat posed by Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not reallyMoslems.... (ISIS) Death Eaters and the former Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad Lord of the Baath... regime’s affiliated forces. The report added that "the factions asked the military convoy to return to Damascus and not to enter the province secretly," emphasizing that there is regular communication with Suwayda and Damascus security authorities. "We will not hand over our weapons until the state, constitution, and government are formed and the decentralized system is the most appropriate system for Syria," Hikmat Salman al-Hijri, the spiritual leader of the Druze, told Rudaw. He stressed that laying down arms depends on guaranteeing their constitutional rights. Fearing an uncertain future, many Druze residents of Suwayda near the Israeli border have called for annexation of their region to Israel. The Druze are a non-Islamic religious minority estimated at one million, with nearly 150,000 of them living in Israel as citizens. "We cooperate with the new Syrian administration with all sincerity," the Doha-based al-Jazeera channel reported Hijri as saying, adding that the incident "was due to lack of prior coordination." Protests over poor living conditions have regularly taken place in the Druze-majority Suwayda since August 2023, driven by a surge in prices after the former Assad regime decided to end fuel subsidies. The demonstrators then called for the overthrow of Assad’s government. After the HTS-led coalition overthrew the Assad regime, they formed a transitional government headed by Ahmad al-Sharaa (Abu Mohammed al-Jolani) who has repeatedly stated that the rights of all components will be protected under the new government. "Decentralization, today, has become a legitimate demand for the people of Suwayda, after decades of excluding the people of this region from influential political and economic roles in the Syrian state," Syrian journalist Nawras Aziz told Rudaw. He said that the people of Suwayda are willing to disarm given the formation of a "legitimate government and new civil law." The new Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra, a top HTS commander, has expressed that they do not wish to have federalism in the country or to have any area outside the government’s authority. On Monday, a delegation from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which control northeast Syria (Rojava) held their first meeting with the country's de facto leader Sharaa in Damascus, discussing the future of Kurdish-held areas. SDF chief Mazloum Abdi told Asharq al-Awsat in a recent interview that they are willing to merge the SDF into the new Syrian army if both sides agree on a "suitable formula through negotiations." Suwayda to demand federalism if subjected to aggression: Druze commander [Rudaw] The people of the southern Druze-majority Suwayda province will demand federalism in the face of aggression and for allowing Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) fighters to enter, a Druze commander said on Wednesday, after HTS-linked fighters were denied access to the province. A military convoy of HTS-linked fighters was forced to turn back to Damascus by local Druze militias on Wednesday and denied access to Suwayda province, with the militias citing a lack of prior coordination and demanding decentralized governance. “If we are subjected to any aggression or anything that is imposed on us as a province, we will demand federalism,” Sheikh Bahaa al-Jamal, commander of the Druze operations in Suwayda, told Rudaw’s Dilbixwin Dara. “We found that the time was inappropriate, and people were busy with New Year celebrations. They entered by trickery and in a malicious way without informing anyone and we reject this matter,” he said about their decision to turn back the HTS-linked fighters. But the new Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra, a top HTS commander, has expressed that they do not wish to have federalism in the country or to have any area outside the control of Damascus. Related: Suwayda province: 2024-01-19 Jordanian airstrike on Syrian province kills 11 people Suwayda province: 2023-05-09 Alleged Jordanian airstrikes kill Syrian drug kingpin, his wife and six children Suwayda province: 2020-05-11 Al-Suwayda: Large areas of land engulfed in flames in southern Syria |
Link |
Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
Over 21,000 deaths in Syria during 2024: Monitor |
2025-01-03 |
[Rudaw] At least 21,000 people bit the dust in Syria in 2024, with more than 18,000 being civilians, including children and women, a war monitor reported on Wednesday, and 3,000 non-non-combatants were killed. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britannia-based war monitor, documented the death of 21,402 people in 2024. The monitor verified the death of over 14,000 people under torture in prisons of the former regime of Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad Lord of the Baath... through official documents found in those prisons following the fall of the regime, according to a blurb by the monitor. The monitor added that "18,223 people [civilians], including 337 children under the age of 18, and 240 women over the age of 18," were killed. Out of the high number of civilian casualties, 14,625 were killed by torture in prisons under the previous regime. The rest were victims caught between the crossfire, bombardment, and festivities between different forces. As the regime collapsed, chilling stories about inmates of the Sednaya prison on the outskirts of Damascus began to emerge. These stories provide a disturbing look into how the Assad family brutally treated prisoners during their decades-long rule. The monitor also recorded the deaths of 3,179 non-civilians. Most of them were members of the former regime forces. The rest were fighters from different military factions including Islamist and rebel factions, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and affiliates, Iran-backed militias, Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not reallyMoslems.... (ISIS), Russian soldiers, and others. Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else ![]() (HTS) spearheaded a coalition of rebel groups in a major offensive against the Syrian army in late November, capturing major cities, including the capital Damascus, as Bashir al-Assad fled the country to Russia, ending over five decades of Baathist rule. Rebel groups in Syria, under the supervision of HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (Abu Mohammed al-Jolani), have agreed to dissolve and merge into the country’s defense ministry, the new administration announced last week. Thousands of former Syrian soldiers have surrendered to HTS under a national reconciliation process aimed at reintegrating Assad's former forces into the new administration. |
Link |
Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
Damascus says new Syrian army to include Kurdish forces |
2024-12-30 |
[Rudaw] Syrian de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (Abu Mohammed al-Jolani) on Sunday told Saudi media that the country’s defense ministry will also include Kurdish forces. "The Syrian Ministry of Defense will include Kurdish forces in its ranks," al-Hadath cited him as saying, in an interview set to be aired later on Sunday. It is not clear if Sharaa elaborated on the issue. Sharaa also called Kurds an "integral part" of Syrian society but stressed that his administration will not allow the country to become a "launchpad" for Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) attacks. "We are negotiating with the SDF [Syrian Democratic Forces] to resolve the crisis in northeast Syria," he said. The Kurdish-led SDF, who control most of the northeast (Rojava), have expressed their readiness to be merged into Syria’s new security apparatus. SDF chief Mazloum Abdi told Asharq al-Awsat in a recent interview that they are willing to merge the SDF into the new Syrian army if both sides agree on a "suitable formula through negotiations." A coalition of rebel groups spearheaded by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else ![]() (HTS) overthrew Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad Despoiler of Deraa... ’s regime on December 8. They have announced the dissolution of their affiliated gangs and formed a transitional government that is expected to expire in March. The HTS has not clashed with the US-backed SDF, but the new officials in Damascus and Sharaa have declared that weapons should only be in the hands of the state and they will not tolerate the existence of any independent gang. |
Link |
Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
Syria authorities say armed groups have agreed to disband |
2024-12-26 |
[NEWARAB] Syria's new leaders announced Tuesday that they had reached an agreement with the country's rebel groups on their dissolution and integration under the defence ministry. Absent from the meeting were representatives of the US-backed, Kurdish-led forces that control swathes of Syria's northeast. The meeting between the rebel groups and Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa "ended in an agreement on the dissolution of all the groups and their integration under the supervision of the ministry of defence", said a statement carried by the SANA news agency and the authorities' Telegram account. The announcement comes just over two weeks after president Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad Trampler of Homs... fled Syria, following a lightning offensive spearheaded by Sharaa's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else ![]() (HTS) group. On Sunday Sharaa, long known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, had said the new authorities would "absolutely not allow there to be weapons in the country outside state control". That also applied to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), he said. Last week, the military chief of HTS told AFP that Kurdish-held areas would be integrated under the new leadership, and that "Syria will not be divided". Thirteen years of civil war in Syria has left more than half a million people dead and fragmented the country into zones of influence controlled by different gangs backed by regional and international powers. SDF front man Farhad Shami told AFP the question of his group's integration into the national armed forces "should be discussed directly". He did not dismiss the possibility, saying that doing so would strengthen "the whole of Syria". Shami added that his forces prefer "dialogue with Damascus to resolve all questions". |
Link |
Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
Syria appoints defense minister opposing federalism for Kurds; new foreign minister has BA in English Lit., MA in PoliSci and International Relations |
2024-12-24 |
[Rudaw] The new Syrian authority on Saturday appointed a top commander of the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else![]() (HTS) as the defense minister of the transitional government. Murhaf Abu Qasra, a prominent figure in the recent HTS-led offensive that overthrew Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad Light of the Alawites... , was appointed to lead the defense ministry as part of the efforts to fill vacant cabinet seats, Syria media. In an interview with AFP on Tuesday, he said that they distinguish between Kurds and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - the de facto army of the Kurdish enclave in northeast Syria (Rojava). "We must distinguish between the leadership of the Syrian Democratic Forces and Kurdish people who are one of the components of the Syrian population. Like all other minorities in Syria, they are entitled to full rights in every aspect of life. This is the problem with the leadership of the Syrian Democratic Forces," Abu Qasra, known by his nom de guerre Abu Hassan al-Hamawi, told the French news agency. "To summarise, Syria will not be divided and there will be no federalism inshallah. God willing, all these areas will be under Syria[n authority]," he added. Millions of Kurds live in Syria, but their exact population is uncertain. The HTS has not clashed with the US-allied SDF so far, and the latter handed over some parts of the oil-rich eastern province of Deir ez-Zor, which they had taken after Assad’s army fled to encounter the rebels in other parts of the country, to the HTS peacefully. "At the outset of the incident [the offensive that ousted Assad], HTS informed us that our territories are not their target," SDF chief Mazloum Abdi told local media days after the rebels took over Damascus. "We have agreements with HTS regarding Aleppo and Deir ez-Zor." When the HTS took over Aleppo city, they allowed the SDF to maintain its control of Kurdish-majority neighborhoods, mainly Sheikh Maqsood. The Kurdish administration in Rojava has also decided to raise the new flag of the country, previously used by the opposition, across its institutions. Referring to it as "the flag of independence," Abdi said the flag is "suitable" for them "because this is not the flag of the Syrian Arab Republic but the flag of the Syrian Republic, which represents all components." Abdi also said that they would send a delegation to Damascus to meet with the new authority. "We want a democratic Syria where everyone has their rights... it's time for us to have our place in a Syria of justice and equality," he said during a recent interview with La Belle France 24. Riad Darar, former co-chair of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), political wing of the SDF, told Rudaw on Saturday that they had twice had contact with the new rulers in Damascus "to open borders between us." In another effort to appease the HTS-led government, the Kurdish administration also removed tax on goods being imported from Damascus-held areas which were in place for years. In a recent message to the Kurds, the HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharra, better known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, sought to ease their fears, saying they are "part of the homeland" and "there will be no injustice" against them. "The coming Syria will have the Kurds as an essential component, and we will live together in it, and everyone will take their rights," he said. The Kurdish administration has said it seeks dialogue to "unify views" in Syria. "We believe that cooperation between the Democratic Autonomous Administration and the political administration in Damascus will be in the favor of all Syrians and will contribute to facilitating a successful end to this difficult phase," it said in a statement last week. Syria names new foreign minister [Rudaw] Syria’s transitional government on Saturday named Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani as its new foreign minister, less than two weeks after toppling the Bashar al-Assad regime. Shaibani, 37, was born in Hasaka and lived most of his life in Damascus. He has a Bachelor’s degree in English language and literature from Damascus University and a Master’s degree in political science and international relations from Sabahattin Zaim University, a private institution in Istanbul, Turkey. He was one of the founding members of the Idlib-based Syrian salvation government in 2017 and established and led its department of political affairs. He was also a member of the Islamic advisory council known as Shura for Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). HTS spearheaded the rebel offensive launched late last month that toppled Assad and ended over five decades of Baathist rule. They formed the transitional government in Damascus, with Mohammed al-Bashir as its prime minister. The transitional government will remain in power until March 1 next year. |
Link |
Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
Syria’s SNC leader says no meeting with Jolani yet |
2024-12-20 |
[Rudaw] Hadi Albahra, president of the Syrian National Coalition (SNC), said on Wednesday that they have not met with the leadership of the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else![]() (HTS), current rulers of Syria, adding that the transitional government aims at prioritizing security and stability. "The coalition did not meet with the commander of the military operations room, Ahmed al-Sharra, but there were some contacts with parties working in the administration of the government and parties close to him," Albahra told Rudaw’s Omer Sonmez during a presser in Istanbul on Wednesday, referring to the HTS leader who is better known by his nom de guerre, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani. The SNC leader’s remarks come amid historic changes in Syria as a coalition of militia groups, led by the HTS, ousted Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad Scourge of Qusayr... on December 8. The collapse of the regime marked a new start in Syria’s history. The HTS-led groups established a transitional government led by caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir who has promised a future Syrian state that guarantees the rights of all its citizens. Albahra added that "the priority at the current stage, the interim caretaker phase that ends next March, is the issue of security, safety, stability, securing needs and preserving state institutions." SNC’s military wing, the Syrian National Army (SNA), controls swathes of Syrian territory in the north with the help of ...just another cheapjack Moslem dictatorship, brought to you by the Moslem Brüderbund... . The future of their relations with the HTS-led administration remains unclear. A spokesperson for Syria’s transitional government told Rudaw on Wednesday that no authority other than the central government in Damascus will be recognized. "We will not accept any part of Syrian territory to remain outside the control of the current government in Damascus," Obeida Arnaout said. United Nations ...an organization originally established to war on dictatorships which was promptly infiltrated by dictatorships and is now held in thrall to dictatorships... Special Envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen said on Tuesday that while much of Syria appears stable the situation remains "fragile," with ongoing violence and displacement in Rojava threatening the country's peace. The German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo told Rudaw in Brussels that the new Syria should avoid conflict and its components must be allowed to live in harmony. Turkey and the SNA have launched numerous attacks on the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Syria in recent days despite a US-brokered ceasefire which expires at the end of the week. Albahra linked the conflict to the presence of a "terrorist organization," referring to the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) - the backbone of the SDF. Ankara considers the YPG the Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, has been involved in a decades-long conflict with Ankara. It has repeatedly denied any presence in Syria or having organic ties with the YPG. |
Link |
Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
Islamist leader says Syrian rebel factions to be ‘disbanded,’ folded into army |
2024-12-17 |
[IsraelTimes] Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Islamist group that toppled Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, says that rebel factions in the war-torn country will be disbanded and their fighters will join regular army units. “The factions will be disbanded and the fighters trained to join the ranks of the defense ministry, and all will be subject to the law,” Jolani, who now uses his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa, said on Telegram. |
Link |