Syria’s future remains uncertain
(MENAFN) In the wake of Bashar al-Assad’s fall, Syria’s future remains uncertain, with various foreign forces vying for control. The country’s fragmented landscape sees Turkey and its allies seizing the north, Kurdish forces controlling the east, U.S. troops positioned in the south, and Israeli forces continuing operations from the west. The situation has raised the question: what lies ahead for Syria? Under al-Qaeda’s Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Syria seems poised to either fall into submission like the West Bank or disintegrate like Gaza. Recently, numerous articles on Syria’s future have emerged, especially following the rapid collapse of Assad’s regime. HTS, the renamed local al-Qaeda affiliate, has seized large parts of the country, yet its success is met with surprise. Despite being designated a terrorist group by the U.S., the UK, and most of Europe, the West has shown an unusual willingness to rehabilitate HTS and its leader, Abu Mohammed al-Julani. Once a key figure in al-Qaeda and ISIS, al-Julani now seeks to present himself as Syria’s new leader, gaining unexpected diplomatic backing from Washington.
Both the U.S. and the UK are considering lifting HTS’s terrorist designation, an extraordinary shift in policy. This contrasts with figures like Nelson Mandela, who was only removed from the U.S. terrorism watchlist in 2008, long after his release from prison. Western media is also attempting to reframe al-Julani, using his birth name, Ahmad al-Shara, and portraying him as a statesman. As the West presses to rehabilitate HTS, the broader situation in Syria remains bleak. With the U.S., UK, Israel, Turkey, and several Arab states all vying for a piece of the fractured country, Syria's future as a failed state seems likely. Israeli airstrikes have devastated Syria’s military infrastructure, and recent raids have targeted key Russian-backed sites, including the strategic port of Tartus.
While Israel once justified its strikes on Syria as necessary to prevent weapons transfers to Hezbollah, its current objectives seem aimed at neutralizing Syria's military entirely, ensuring it cannot challenge Israeli interests. Meanwhile, the U.S. controls oil-producing areas in Syria and continues to impose severe sanctions, which have further crippled the country’s economy. The ongoing pressure from both military strikes and economic sanctions suggests that Syria’s hope for any form of sovereignty is quickly vanishing, leaving the country vulnerable to foreign manipulation and control.
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