Tag: syria

Tensions escalate as US, Turkey, Israel race to carve up Syria

The tragedy of Syria is a message to the whole world of how the political West’s aggression can destroy an entire nation and push what was once a civilized society into the madness of the Dark Ages. The so-called “Syrian Civil War” that started in 2011 pushed the unfortunate country into a bloodbath for nearly a decade and a half. It should be understood that the very notion of “civil war” in this case is false, as Syria was faced with a brutal and truly unprovoked crawling NATO aggression on virtually all sides. The political West used tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of Islamic radicals from all over the world to invade Syria while also suffocating the country with crippling sanctions, blockades, isolation and even direct attacks every once in a while.

Worse yet, these sanctions were still in place even when a devastating earthquake hit the border area between Turkey and Syria back in 2023. While Ankara got aid from over 90 countries that sent nearly 150,000 people to help with disaster relief, Damascus was left to fend for itself, with the US/NATO refusing to lift some of the sanctions which would’ve enabled aid to reach Syria. Combined with well over a decade of constant warfare, all these factors contributed to the weakening of the central authority. By late 2024, inflation was so high in Syria that a regular terrorist fighter had a higher salary than even generals in the Syrian Arab Army. This crippled the country’s ability to sustain its economy, leading to a total disaster in early December last year when Assad fell.

Ever since, the situation has only gotten worse, with the new terrorist “government” engaging in the slaughter of Alawites, Christians and other minorities. It should also be noted that loyalist Sunnis were also targeted, particularly those who were protecting their Alawite and Christian neighbors. For most Syrians, the diversity of their ancient society was always seen as an asset rather than a liability, which is why they rejected the EU/NATO-backed barbaric murderers who hijacked their country. Unfortunately, there was little they could do to prevent the takeover of Syria. Now that the terrorists are in charge, the actual Syrian Civil War has only started, with minorities desperately trying to survive. Those who haven’t already been slaughtered are now fighting back with any means at their disposal.

Others were lucky enough to reach the safety of Russian military bases in Tartus and Khmeimim. Thousands are housed there, with the Russian military being the only thing standing between them and certain death. In stark contrast, the political West is now carving up Syria and facilitating the destruction of its once-vibrant society. Namely, the United States, Turkey and Israel are supporting various factions and terrorist groups, most of whom are now officially integrated into the new “government”. However, this facade of institutional unity is slowly crumbling as the interests of the occupying foreign powers keep diverging. The US, which supports several factions, including the Kurdish-led SDF, as well as the so-called “Syrian Free Army” (SFA), is looking to expand its zone of control.

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Turkiye ‘wants no confrontation’ with Israel in Syria: FM

Turkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on 4 April on the sidelines of a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting that his country does not want a confrontation with Israel in Syria.

“Turkey wants no confrontation with Israel in Syria” after the massive wave of attacks Tel Aviv launched on the country in recent days, which have “undermined the new government’s ability to deter threats,” Fidan told Reuters. 

The Turkish foreign minister added that Israel’s actions in Syria are paving the way for instability in the region. 

He added that if Damascus wishes to have “certain understandings” with Israel, then that is “their own business.”

His comments came one day after a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement called Israel the “greatest threat” to peace in West Asia, condemning dozens of Israeli airstrikes that hit several military sites in Syria on Wednesday.

“Israel has become the foremost threat to the security of our region through its attacks on the territorial integrity and national unity of the regional countries. As a strategic destabilizer in the region, Israel causes turmoil and fuels terrorism,” the statement issued on 3 April reads, which also calls on Israel to withdraw from land it occupied, particularly Syria. 

The Israeli air force launched over a dozen airstrikes on various cities in Syria on 2 April, targeting the Barzeh scientific research center just outside Damascus, the Hama military airport in western Syria, and the T4 airbase near Palmyra. The Hama airport was almost completely destroyed.

Israeli airstrikes also hit the countryside of Syria’s southern Deraa governorate.

According to a report by Middle East Eye (MEE) on 1 April, the Turkish military has been preparing plans to take control of the T4 airbase, which had been bombed by Israel several times before the strikes on Wednesday. 

Plans included the installation of air defense systems, and construction has reportedly begun already. Turkiye has been illegally occupying Syria since 2016, with its enmity towards Kurdish militant groups serving as the main pretext for its presence there. 

It operated two illegal military bases prior to the fall of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s government, and is reportedly planning to establish at least two more, which could potentially be used to train the forces of the new administration.

Following the latest Israeli attacks, Israeli Army Radio reported that the “primary goal” of the late-night blitz was to “send a warning to Turkish President Erdogan.”

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Turkiye calls Israel ‘biggest threat to regional peace’ after deadly Syria strikes

The Turkish Foreign Ministry says Israel is the “greatest threat” to peace in West Asia, condemning dozens of Israeli airstrikes that hit several military sites in Syria on Wednesday.

“Israel has become the foremost threat to the security of our region through its attacks on the territorial integrity and national unity of the regional countries. As a strategic destabilizer in the region, Israel causes turmoil and fuels terrorism,” a Foreign Ministry statement issued on 3 April reads.

“Therefore, in order to establish security throughout the region, Israel must first abandon its expansionist policies, withdraw from the territories it occupies, and stop undermining efforts to establish stability in Syria,” the statement adds.

On Wednesday night, Israeli warplanes launched an intense bombing campaign across Syria that killed at least 11 people. The main targets of the attack were the Barzeh Scientific Research Center just outside Damascus, the Hama military airport in western Syria, and the T4 airbase near Palmyra. 

The Israeli blitz almost entirely destroyed Hama airport.

According to several reports in Israeli media, the attacks were intended to send a message to the Turkish government. “We will not allow you to establish a presence in Syria,” officials told the Jerusalem Post.

In recent weeks, Ankara has begun the process of taking over the Tiyas Air Base in Syria’s central governorate of Homs, also known as the T4 airbase, with plans to equip it with a complex defense system that includes short, medium, and long-range capabilities against jets, drones, and missiles.

Earlier on Thursday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Ankara of playing a “negative role” in Syria, saying that “they are doing their utmost to have Syria as a Turkish protectorate. It’s clear that is their intention.”

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Jerf el-Ahmar and Göbeklitepe: Connecting Neolithic Symbolism and Architecture

During the Pre-Pottery Neolithic (PPN) period in the Near East, spanning approximately 10,000 to 8,000 BCE, people underwent a transformative shift from nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyles to more settled agricultural communities. Among the myriad archaeological sites from this period, Jerf el-Ahmar in northern Syria and Göbeklitepe in southeastern Türkiye stand out as pivotal locales that offer profound insights into early Neolithic societal transformations.​

Göbeklitepe features monumental stone pillars arranged in circular enclosures, decorated with intricate carvings of animals and abstract symbols. These structures, likely among the earliest known temples, indicate that PPN communities placed a strong emphasis on ritual and communal gatherings.The site’s complexity and scale indicate a high degree of social organization and cooperation, challenging previous notions that such architectural feats were beyond the capabilities of pre-agricultural societies.

Jerf el-Ahmar: A Shift in Neolithic Architecture and Community Life

Early Communal Architecture and Storage

Jerf el-Ahmar provides a different yet complementary perspective on PPN life. The site features communal architecture, including large, circular buildings that likely served as centers for community activities and storage. Notably, these structures exhibit early examples of rectilinear architecture, marking a transition from round to rectangular building designs that became prevalent in later Neolithic periods. The presence of communal storage facilities at Jerf el-Ahmar underscores the emerging importance of food surplus management and collective resource sharing in early agricultural communities.

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US Intel Report Blasts Jolani’s Forces For ‘Violence, Instability’ In Syria

The US Department of National Intelligence acknowledged in its Annual Threat Assessment of 2025 that Syrian government forces were responsible for the massacres committed against minorities on Syria’s coast earlier this month. 

“The fall of president Bashar al-Assad’s regime at the hands of opposition forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – a group formerly associated with Al-Qaeda – has created conditions for extended instability in Syria and could contribute to a resurgence of ISIS and other Islamist terror groups,” the report noted, adding that “HTS-led interim government forces, along with elements of Hurras al-Din and other jihadist groups, engaged in violence and extrajudicial killings in northwestern Syria in early March 2025 primarily targeting religious minorities that resulted in the death of more than 1,000 people, including Alawite and Christian civilians.”

The report went on to say that “some remaining jihadist groups refuse to merge into the HTS Ministry of Defense, and ISIS has already signaled opposition to HTS’s call for democracy and is plotting attacks to undermine its governance.”

It also highlights that Syrian transitional president Ahmad al-Sharaa, who headed HTS and its precursor group the Nusra Front, “claims to be willing to work with Syria’s array of ethno-sectarian groups to develop an inclusive governance model.” Yet, these groups are skeptical of his intentions, therefore “protracted negotiations could devolve into violence.”

The massacres took place in early March in Syria’s coastal cities and surrounding towns and villages after an armed uprising launched by militants affiliated with Syria’s former army. 

During a widescale security operation to quell the uprising, the Syrian Military Operations Department – consisting of numerous extremist factions who have been incorporated into the country’s new army – carried out a massive campaign of executions.

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The Hidden Themes Behind the Syrian Violence

In a tone-deaf statement, strongly reminiscent of “the skirt is too small” school of diplomacy, the European Union condemned the ongoing violence in Syria, blaming it on attacks “reportedly by pro-Assad elements, on interim government forces in the coastal areas of Syria and all violence against civilians.” This is of course absurd, as countless social media posts now show that the Alawites and Orthodox Christians are now the victims of strong retributive violence perpetrated by the Turkish-backed Syrian HTS government. The situation is grim, so much so that the Patriarchate of Antioch and the Synod of the Greek Orthodox Church called on all Syrian civilians, including minority Shiite Muslims, to take shelter in the nearest church they can find; all churches and coastal monasteries are receiving civilians, as well as the Russian bases in Latakia. 

In a joint statement over X, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, the Syriac Patriarchate of Antioch, and the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch called upon the Syrian government to create conditions “conducive to achieving national reconciliation among the Syrian people” and to “reaffirm the unity of Syrian territory and reject any attempts to divide it.” At the time of writing, al-Jolani has been reportedly invited to a donor meeting by the EU. 

Syria’s fate isn’t new or unpredicted. The Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was prophetic at her Senate hearing, when she said, “”I have no love for Assad or any dictator. I just hate Al Qaeda. I hate that our leaders cozy up to Islamist extremists, calling them ‘rebels,’ as Jake Sullivan said to Hillary Clinton, ‘Al Qaeda is on our side in Syria.’ Syria is now controlled by Al Qaeda offshoot HTS, led by an Islamist Jihadist who danced in the streets on 9/11, and who was responsible for the killing of many American soldiers.”

President Donald Trump has repeatedly echoed that exact sentiment. Recently, with the fall of Assad, he commented, “The United States should have nothing to do with it. This is not our fight. Let it play out. Do not get involved!” Previously, in a 2015 CNN interview, he said “The problem in Syria is we have no idea who the other side are. Maybe we’re better off with Assad. We give (the Rebels) weapons and ammunition but, to me, Assad looks better than the other side.” Vice President J.D. Vance said the same thing in a now-deleted tweet. 

Yet there’s a hidden dynamic observable between the EU and Syria which might have long term consequences for both European and American security: Turkey has been normalized in the EU, something which has serious implications for the broader ideological project of unifying the EU as a coherent strategic unit. Turkey is the one power that has gained the most in the turmoil spanning the region from the Black sea to the Mediterranean and Aegean. 

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Syria Military Operation Over, But Killing of Alawite Civilians Continues

Former diplomat reported executed by gunmen south of Damascus

Syria’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) declared their military operation against the Alawites over on Monday morning, but the execution of Alawite civilians has not halted. The number of civilians executed before Monday has also been rising further as more are counted.

At least 17 Alawite civilians have been killed along the northwestern coast since Monday, with the largest confirmed incident reported Monday night in Jableh. A witness says militia members aligned with the government entered the Alawite neighborhood, took 10 men from their homes, and shot them in the streets.

The witness said some of the militia members appeared to be Chechen, which is in keeping with reports that HTS has absorbed a lot of foreign Sunni Islamists into the security forces and their associated militias. They have been reported by locals as heavily involved in the massacres of Alawites from the beginning. At least five more civilians, possibly as many as 21, were executed in a village just south of Baniyas, and their bodies left on the highway outside of town.

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Canada Plans to Lift Some Sanctions on Syria Jihadis Following Massacres

The Canadian Foreign ministry said on Thursday that it plans to ease some financial sanctions on Syria and send a non-resident ambassador to Damascus, despite the horrific massacres of Alawites and Christians perpetrated by the new Syrian government and its allies last weekend.

“Canada can play a meaningful role in enabling Syrians to build an inclusive country that respects all of its citizens. We also can help prevent Syria from falling into chaos and instability,” said Canada’s special envoy for Syria, Omar Alghabra.

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said sanctions would be relaxed for six months to “support democratization, stabilization, and the delivery of aid” during a “period of transition” for Syria.

“These sanctions had been used as a tool against the Assad regime and easing them will help to enable the stable and sustainable delivery of aid, support local redevelopment efforts, and contribute to a swift recovery for Syria,” said a statement from Joly and Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen.

The sanctions-easing plan involves issuing six-month permits for Canadians to conduct business transactions in Syria that were banned under sanctions, and transmit funds through the Syrian Central Bank and a few other financial institutions.

“This funding will support experienced humanitarian partners to deliver life-saving assistance, including food, protection services, water, sanitation and hygiene services, and health services. This brings Canada’s total humanitarian assistance to the Syria crisis this year to more than $100 million,” said Joly and Hussen.

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From Gaza to Syria: The Unyielding Reality of Israeli Settler Colonialism

The conversation on settler colonialism must not be limited to academic discussion. It is a political reality, clearly demonstrated in the everyday behavior of Israel.

Israel is not merely an expansionist regime historically; it remains actively so today. Additionally, the core of Israeli political discourse, both past and present, revolves around territorial expansion.

Frequently, we succumb to the trap of blaming such language on a specific set of right-wing and extremist politicians or on a particular US administration. The truth is vastly different: the Israeli Zionist political discourse, though it may change in style, remains fundamentally unchanged throughout time.

Zionist leaders have always associated the establishment and expansion of their state with the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians, later referred to in Zionist literature as the “transfer.”

Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern political Zionism, wrote in his diary about the ethnic cleansing of the Arab population from Palestine:

“We shall try to spirit the penniless population across the border by procuring employment for it in the transit countries, while denying it any employment in our own country… Both the process of expropriation and the removal of the poor must be carried out discreetly and circumspectly.”

It is unclear what happened to Herzl’s grand employment scheme aimed at “spiriting” the population of Palestine across the region. What we know is that the so-called “penniless population” resisted the Zionist project in numerous ways. Ultimately, the depopulation of Palestine occurred through force, culminating in the Nakba, the Catastrophe of 1948.

The discourse of the erasure of the Palestinian people has been the shared foundation among all Israeli officials and governments, though it has been expressed in different ways. It has always had a material component, manifesting in the slow but decisive takeover of Palestinian homes in the West Bank, the confiscation of farms, and the constant construction of “military zones.”

Despite Israeli claims, this “incremental genocide” is not directly linked to the nature and degree of Palestinian resistance. Jenin and Masafer Yatta illustrate this clearly.

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What is Happening in Syria is Just What Obama and Biden Wanted

The news out of Syria is nothing short of horrific, and it provides a fresh illustration of what a catastrophic failure the Obama strategy in the Middle East has been. 

Greek City Times reported that “hundreds of Christians, including Greek Orthodox, and Alawites have been killed after clashes broke out on Thursday in the Latakia and Tartous regions on Syria’s Mediterranean coast, according to a human rights monitoring group.” 

That death toll may be a tragic underestimation. Greek City Times added that “the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) said on Friday that more than 225 people have been killed since Thursday. However, this is believed to be a gross underreporting, with activists on the ground, such as Coast Youth Forum, believing the death toll could be as high as 1,800, mostly Alawites, but also Christians.”

The perpetrators are members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamic jihad group that toppled the Assad regime and took control of Syria several months ago. But the groundwork for what is happening in Syria now was laid years ago, and is the direct result of policies that Barack Obama and Old Joe Biden (you know, the guy known as “Obama’s Third Term”) pursued. According to a revealing Apr. 2022 piece in RealClearInvestigations, Obama apparatchiks who had returned to positions in the Biden regime “coordinated with the jihadist franchise in an effort to topple the Syrian regime – while claiming they backed only the ‘moderate opposition.’” 

The article noted that “in waging a multi-billion dollar covert war in support of the insurgency against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, top Obama officials who now serve under Biden made it American policy to enable and arm terrorist groups that attracted jihadi fighters from across the globe. This regime change campaign, undertaken one decade after Al Qaeda attacked the U.S. on 9/11, helped a sworn U.S. enemy establish the Idlib safe haven that it still controls today.” In the course of this astoundingly foolish campaign, Old Joe’s future National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, who was then Director of Policy Planning, wrote to his boss, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, “AQ [Al Qaeda] is on our side in Syria.” 

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