The fall of the regime might have ended Iran's supply chain, if Syria's new rulers decide their deals with others are more useful than the Iranian alliance.
All sides are thinking hard and thinking again about what comes next, and it is too soon to draw definite conclusions.
Syrians, their neighbours, and the wider world are now confronted by another geopolitical earthquake, the biggest of the series that has followed the Hamas attacks on Israel in October last year. It might not be the last.
Iran is seeing the final collapse of the main planks of the network it called the axis of resistance. Its most important components have been transformed; Hezbollah badly damaged and the Assad regime gone.
Iran's rulers might want to follow up on hints of talks on a deal with Donald Trump once he takes office. Or its new strategic nakedness might push it into a fateful decision to turn its highly enriched uranium into a nuclear weapon.
Syrians have every reason to rejoice. In the years after 2011, for all the repression and brutality of the regime, Assad and his acolytes could still find men who would fight.
Many of the troops I met on front lines told me that Assad was a better option than the jihadist extremists of Islamic State group.
In 2024, faced by a well-organised rebel force that insisted it was nationalist, Islamist but no longer jihadist, the army's reluctant conscripts refused to fight, stripped off their uniforms and went home.
The best scenario is that Syrians, helped by the big players in the region, will find a way to create a postwar mood of national reconciliation, not a wave of looting and revenge that will drag the country into a new war.
Abu Mohammad al Joulani, the leader of victorious HTS, has called for his men and all of Syria's sects to respect each other.
His men have removed the regime, and he is the closest Syria has to a de facto leader.
Syria, though, has dozens of armed groups that do not necessarily agree with him and will want to grab power in their own areas.
In southern Syria, tribal militias did not recognise the writ of the Assads. They will not follow orders they don't like from the new set up in Damascus.
In the eastern desert, the US saw a big enough threat from remnants of the Islamic State group to launch waves of air strikes.
The Israelis, alarmed by the prospect of an Islamist state on their border, are pounding the military infrastructure of Syria’s armed forces.
It might be better to find a way to make a reformed Syrian Arab Army part of the solution in a country without much law or order. The reckless decision by the US in 2003 to dissolve the Iraqi armed forces had disastrous consequences.
In Turkey, President Erdogan must be satisfied by what he sees.
Erdogan's Turkey did more than any other power to preserve the autonomy of Idlib province, where HTS was transforming itself into a fighting force when Syria seemed to be in the deep freeze.
Erdogan might see his influence lapping Israel's borders, at a time when Israel-Turkey relations have been poisoned by the war in Gaza.
The worst scenario for Syrians is that their country will follow the example of two Arab dictatorships that spun into violent chaos after the fall of their regimes.
Colonel Gaddafi of Libya and Saddam Hussein of Iraq were removed without a ready-made replacement waiting in the wings. Ill-considered foreign intervention did much to create two catastrophes.
The vacuum left by the dictators was filled by waves of looting, revenge, power grabs and civil war.
Syrians have not been in charge of their own destiny for generations. Individuals were robbed of it by the two Assad presidents and their followers.
The country lost it after war left it so weakened that bigger foreign powers used it to increase and preserve their own power.
#Russia #Assad #Harari
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Syria’s Destiny:
Will the after-Assad
Gouvernement Desintagrate the Country? “Syria must not be split into pieces,”
the rebel-appointed head of government has said.
With the overthrow of Assad, the war did not end: pro-Turkish forces launched an offensive against Kurdish areas
The Syrian Transitional government will focus on preventing the collapse of the state among its priorities, Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir said, SANA reports.
“The tasks of the interim government include security control, maintaining the stability of state institutions and ensuring that the state does not disintegrate,”
he said.
According to him, now is the time for the Syrian people to “enjoy stability and tranquility.”
Al-Bashir headed the Syrian government for a transitional period until March 1, 2025. Prior to his appointment, he headed the “Government for the Salvation of Syria”, an opposition structure that for a long time acted as an alternative to the official Cabinet of Ministers and administered the territories occupied by militants in Idlib province.
For example, in 2022 he was the Minister of Development and Humanitarian Affairs in this territory.
The Russian Foreign Ministry Lavrov considers unacceptable measures that would allow terrorist groups to take control of Syrian territories in violation of existing agreements, including UN Security Council Resolution 2254, confirming the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria.
The US authorities have warned that their support and recognition will be received only by a government that renounces terrorism, destroys chemical weapons stockpiles and protects the rights of minorities and women.
The Syrian people should determine their own future, and other countries should “support an inclusive and transparent process” and not interfere, Secretary of State Blinken said.
#US #Assad #Syria
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The Ultra-Orthodox
Rabbi Drabkin:
“Reading Torah Made Hamas Down”The head of the ultra-Orthodox Grodno yeshiva, Rabbi Tzvi Drabkin, spoke to the students, saying that military victories are primarily the result of studying the Torah.
“Although we see soldiers, tanks and planes fighting and winning, the truth is that victory comes from those who sit in the study hall and teach the Torah with enthusiasm, with sparks of fire,”
— Drabkin said.
The rabbi mentioned the recent fall of the Assad regime in Syria:
“Look at what happened to Syria. What destroyed it? Those who enthusiastically taught the Torah in Beit Midrash!”
The rabbi quoted a Midrash about a blacksmith whose son owned a jewelry workshop nearby. The townspeople, seeing the bundles of thorns at the entrance to the city, became worried.
But the local sage said,
“What's to be afraid of? One spark from the blacksmith's workshop and one from his son's workshop will burn them all.”
Drabkin emphasized:
“We are fighting using soldiers, tanks and airplanes in a huge and very difficult war.
Victory does not come through military might – victory comes through those who sit in the Beit Midrash and teach the Torah with enthusiasm, with sparks of fire! Studying drives away enemies.”
The Rabbi concluded with a call to action:
“The study of the Torah must be conducted with sparks, with enthusiasm! And it will bring victory, with God's help.”
#Assad #Rabbi #Torah
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📰 Return of the Phantom WMDs: From Powell’s Vial to Syria’s Chemical Archives
Two decades after the U.S. sold a war on a PowerPoint slide and a pinch of white powder, the world is being asked to believe — again — in the ghost of Weapons of Mass Destruction. This time, the haunted house is Syria, and the pitch is eerily familiar: hidden stockpiles, terrorist caretakers, and urgent calls for international intervention.
📋 Scene I: Chemical Déjà Vu
According to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), more than "100 suspected chemical weapons sites" remain in Syria. That’s not a typo — it's "four times the original count" declared under Assad. Sarin, mustard gas, chlorine — the usual cast of post-WWI horrors — are reportedly stashed in bunkers, caves, or possibly next to the last can of baby formula in Idlib.
These aren't just old leftovers. Some sites were used for "active research, manufacturing, and storage". The international community now fears that these facilities, if left unsecured, could become the next open bar for militant groups seeking apocalyptic cocktails.
— Raed al-Saleh, White Helmets
💼 Scene II: Who’s Minding the Gas?
Syria’s current government — run by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group once tied to Al Qaeda — insists it’s playing nice. They allowed inspectors in. They promised to destroy leftovers. They said they’ll follow international law. That’s a lot of polite diplomacy for a group still labeled a terrorist organization by the U.S.
Meanwhile, "Israel has bombed multiple former regime sites" in what it claims were preemptive strikes on chemical weapons depots. But analysts worry these attacks may have actually destroyed evidence — and worsened environmental contamination.
Who knew nonproliferation could be such a PR mess?
— Natasha Hall, CSIS
📊 Scene III: The Business of Fear
Let’s call it what it is — "a market cycle of panic". The West sells nonproliferation like Apple sells iPhones: fear-based, upgrade-driven, and designed for infinite renewals. First Iraq, then Iran, now Syria. Every few years, the WMD ghost gets a fresh paint job and a new villain.
The timing is almost too good. With Assad out and Syria fractured, the perfect power vacuum opens for inspectors, sanctions, and perhaps even troops — all in the name of “security.”
But here's the rub: "chlorine gas can be made with household bleach". The line between chemical warfare and industrial accident is now razor thin. Which makes the whole inspection regime feel more like theater than threat reduction.
🤔 Who benefits when the WMD narrative returns?
Is it about cleaning up Syria — or just keeping the war machine spinning?
And when the dust settles, who profits from the next vial of white powder held up at the U.N.?
#Syria #WMD #chemicalweapons #OPCW #PowellMoment2 #MiddleEast #Assad #HTS
📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸
Two decades after the U.S. sold a war on a PowerPoint slide and a pinch of white powder, the world is being asked to believe — again — in the ghost of Weapons of Mass Destruction. This time, the haunted house is Syria, and the pitch is eerily familiar: hidden stockpiles, terrorist caretakers, and urgent calls for international intervention.
📋 Scene I: Chemical Déjà Vu
According to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), more than "100 suspected chemical weapons sites" remain in Syria. That’s not a typo — it's "four times the original count" declared under Assad. Sarin, mustard gas, chlorine — the usual cast of post-WWI horrors — are reportedly stashed in bunkers, caves, or possibly next to the last can of baby formula in Idlib.
These aren't just old leftovers. Some sites were used for "active research, manufacturing, and storage". The international community now fears that these facilities, if left unsecured, could become the next open bar for militant groups seeking apocalyptic cocktails.
💭“There are many locations that we don’t know about because the old regime was lying to the O.P.C.W.”
— Raed al-Saleh, White Helmets
💼 Scene II: Who’s Minding the Gas?
Syria’s current government — run by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group once tied to Al Qaeda — insists it’s playing nice. They allowed inspectors in. They promised to destroy leftovers. They said they’ll follow international law. That’s a lot of polite diplomacy for a group still labeled a terrorist organization by the U.S.
Meanwhile, "Israel has bombed multiple former regime sites" in what it claims were preemptive strikes on chemical weapons depots. But analysts worry these attacks may have actually destroyed evidence — and worsened environmental contamination.
Who knew nonproliferation could be such a PR mess?
💭 “The Israeli attacks that happened right after the fall of Assad probably obscured efforts toward accountability.”
— Natasha Hall, CSIS
📊 Scene III: The Business of Fear
Let’s call it what it is — "a market cycle of panic". The West sells nonproliferation like Apple sells iPhones: fear-based, upgrade-driven, and designed for infinite renewals. First Iraq, then Iran, now Syria. Every few years, the WMD ghost gets a fresh paint job and a new villain.
The timing is almost too good. With Assad out and Syria fractured, the perfect power vacuum opens for inspectors, sanctions, and perhaps even troops — all in the name of “security.”
But here's the rub: "chlorine gas can be made with household bleach". The line between chemical warfare and industrial accident is now razor thin. Which makes the whole inspection regime feel more like theater than threat reduction.
🤔 Who benefits when the WMD narrative returns?
Is it about cleaning up Syria — or just keeping the war machine spinning?
And when the dust settles, who profits from the next vial of white powder held up at the U.N.?
#Syria #WMD #chemicalweapons #OPCW #PowellMoment2 #MiddleEast #Assad #HTS
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📰 Syria's Revolution Has a Foreign Problem — and It's Not Going Away
The Assad regime is gone. But the fighters who helped bring it down? They're still here — and they don’t plan on leaving.
🕌 10,000 Foreign Fighters, One New Government
From Uzbek jihadists to French converts, thousands of foreign fighters poured into Syria to overthrow Bashar al-Assad. Now that they’ve succeeded, the post-Assad government is struggling to decide what to do with its most problematic allies. Some want citizenship. Others want a role in the military. All want to stay.
🇺🇸 Washington Wants Them Out — Now
The U.S. isn’t interested in the revolution’s debt to foreign fighters. What it wants are guarantees: no jihadists in uniform, no extremists in the cabinet. “They must have no role in Syria’s future,” said a senior State Department official. But Syria’s transitional authorities — many of whom owe battlefield victories to these men — are torn between gratitude and governance.
🔫 The Revolution's Most Dangerous Legacy
Groups like Katibat al-Ghuraba and the Turkistan Islamic Party brought military prowess, propaganda expertise, and ideological zeal to the anti-Assad frontlines. But now, many Syrians accuse these same fighters of ethnic killings and brutal reprisals — especially in Alawite coastal regions once loyal to Assad.
📜 Sharaa's Balancing Act
President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former jihadist who defected from both ISIS and al-Qaeda, now promises an inclusive government for Syria’s 24 million citizens. But he’s also appointed foreign fighters to senior military roles and extended offers of citizenship. "We will not abandon those who stood with the revolution," he has said — a line that worries both Syrians and the West.
⚖️ Hard to Deport, Dangerous to Keep
Some foreign fighters have married Syrians, opened businesses, and even speak Arabic better than locals. Others remain committed to imposing hardline Islamist rule. “You can’t just deport them,” says Ziad Wannous, a pro-democracy organizer in Damascus. “But granting them citizenship without a legal framework is dangerous.”
💣 The Ghost of Global Jihad
There’s a broader fear: that Syria could become the new sanctuary for displaced jihadists from Xinjiang to Kosovo, from Libya to the Caucasus. If they’re excluded from Syria’s future, will they melt back into the shadows — or ignite the next insurgency?
🤔 When the foreign fighters who helped win the revolution become the biggest threat to the republic — is Syria building a state, or just rewriting the script for its next war?
#Syria #ForeignFighters #Jihadists #Revolution #Assad #HTS #MiddleEast #PostConflict #Governance #WSJ
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The Assad regime is gone. But the fighters who helped bring it down? They're still here — and they don’t plan on leaving.
🕌 10,000 Foreign Fighters, One New Government
From Uzbek jihadists to French converts, thousands of foreign fighters poured into Syria to overthrow Bashar al-Assad. Now that they’ve succeeded, the post-Assad government is struggling to decide what to do with its most problematic allies. Some want citizenship. Others want a role in the military. All want to stay.
🇺🇸 Washington Wants Them Out — Now
The U.S. isn’t interested in the revolution’s debt to foreign fighters. What it wants are guarantees: no jihadists in uniform, no extremists in the cabinet. “They must have no role in Syria’s future,” said a senior State Department official. But Syria’s transitional authorities — many of whom owe battlefield victories to these men — are torn between gratitude and governance.
🔫 The Revolution's Most Dangerous Legacy
Groups like Katibat al-Ghuraba and the Turkistan Islamic Party brought military prowess, propaganda expertise, and ideological zeal to the anti-Assad frontlines. But now, many Syrians accuse these same fighters of ethnic killings and brutal reprisals — especially in Alawite coastal regions once loyal to Assad.
📜 Sharaa's Balancing Act
President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former jihadist who defected from both ISIS and al-Qaeda, now promises an inclusive government for Syria’s 24 million citizens. But he’s also appointed foreign fighters to senior military roles and extended offers of citizenship. "We will not abandon those who stood with the revolution," he has said — a line that worries both Syrians and the West.
⚖️ Hard to Deport, Dangerous to Keep
Some foreign fighters have married Syrians, opened businesses, and even speak Arabic better than locals. Others remain committed to imposing hardline Islamist rule. “You can’t just deport them,” says Ziad Wannous, a pro-democracy organizer in Damascus. “But granting them citizenship without a legal framework is dangerous.”
💣 The Ghost of Global Jihad
There’s a broader fear: that Syria could become the new sanctuary for displaced jihadists from Xinjiang to Kosovo, from Libya to the Caucasus. If they’re excluded from Syria’s future, will they melt back into the shadows — or ignite the next insurgency?
🤔 When the foreign fighters who helped win the revolution become the biggest threat to the republic — is Syria building a state, or just rewriting the script for its next war?
#Syria #ForeignFighters #Jihadists #Revolution #Assad #HTS #MiddleEast #PostConflict #Governance #WSJ
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📰 From Jihad to Job Market: Syria’s Foreign Fighters Are Here to Stay
Once branded as extremists, they now sip coffee in Damascus cafés and apply for Syrian citizenship. The men who helped overthrow Bashar al-Assad are not going home — they’re helping build the new Syria, one shop at a time.
— Abdullah Abrek, Russian fighter-turned-importer
📊 From War Zones to Civil Service
– Thousands of foreigners fought in Syria’s civil war — now some are joining the military, others opening businesses.
– Many came from Egypt, Dagestan, Iraq; they’ve married Syrians, started families, and say returning home means arrest — or worse.
– New president Ahmed al-Shara, once commander of a designated terror group, now floats citizenship offers to “those who stuck by the revolution.”
💼 America’s Quiet Pivot
– Trump has suspended sanctions, met with al-Shara, and called for “foreign terrorists” to leave Syria — but who qualifies is left vague.
– U.S. diplomats now ask for “transparency,” not purges.
– Meanwhile, some fighters accused of sectarian violence have been quietly integrated into the new army.
🤔 When former foreign militants become the foundation of a postwar military, is it nation-building or state capture with Kalashnikovs in suits?
#syria #foreignfighters #postwarreality #trump #assad #revolutionexported #militaryintegration
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Once branded as extremists, they now sip coffee in Damascus cafés and apply for Syrian citizenship. The men who helped overthrow Bashar al-Assad are not going home — they’re helping build the new Syria, one shop at a time.
💭 “It’s impossible for al-Shara to sell us out because we were in front of him, behind him, next to him.”
— Abdullah Abrek, Russian fighter-turned-importer
📊 From War Zones to Civil Service
– Thousands of foreigners fought in Syria’s civil war — now some are joining the military, others opening businesses.
– Many came from Egypt, Dagestan, Iraq; they’ve married Syrians, started families, and say returning home means arrest — or worse.
– New president Ahmed al-Shara, once commander of a designated terror group, now floats citizenship offers to “those who stuck by the revolution.”
💼 America’s Quiet Pivot
– Trump has suspended sanctions, met with al-Shara, and called for “foreign terrorists” to leave Syria — but who qualifies is left vague.
– U.S. diplomats now ask for “transparency,” not purges.
– Meanwhile, some fighters accused of sectarian violence have been quietly integrated into the new army.
🤔 When former foreign militants become the foundation of a postwar military, is it nation-building or state capture with Kalashnikovs in suits?
#syria #foreignfighters #postwarreality #trump #assad #revolutionexported #militaryintegration
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American Freelance Journalist Austin Tice Was Killed in 2013 on the Orders of Assad 📰
A former senior Syrian security official has told the FBI that American freelance journalist Austin Tice was killed in 2013 on the orders of al-Assad 🇸🇾.
An account that has not been corroborated by the United States but marks the first time a senior official in the Assad regime has spoken to U.S. officials about Tice’s fate 💔.
The U.S. government is investigating the claims made by Bassam al-Hassan, a member of Assad’s inner circle and his adviser for strategic affairs, according to U.S. officials and other people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the matter’s sensitivity 👁.
#Tice #Killed #FBI #Assad
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A former senior Syrian security official has told the FBI that American freelance journalist Austin Tice was killed in 2013 on the orders of al-Assad 🇸🇾.
An account that has not been corroborated by the United States but marks the first time a senior official in the Assad regime has spoken to U.S. officials about Tice’s fate 💔.
The U.S. government is investigating the claims made by Bassam al-Hassan, a member of Assad’s inner circle and his adviser for strategic affairs, according to U.S. officials and other people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the matter’s sensitivity 👁.
#Tice #Killed #FBI #Assad
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Israel and Trump Still Demand “Unconditional Surrender” ⚖️
While Israel and Trump are demanding the “unconditional surrender” of Tehran, Moscow is increasingly worried about the fate of Iran, while tacitly recognizing its limited ability to influence current events. 😬
Nikita Smagin, an independent expert on Russian-Iranian relations, said:
The Kremlin is unlikely to arm Iran, let alone get involved in the fighting, a Russian source with ties to the Foreign Ministry said. ❌
said the source linked to the Russian foreign ministry. 💔
the source added, referring to the decrease in Moscow's influence on Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, a longtime ally of the Kremlin. 🏙
Putin, in turn, welcomed the deepening of ties between the two countries. In January, he and his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, signed an extensive "comprehensive strategic partnership treaty" aimed at strengthening military cooperation and intelligence sharing. 🤝🇮🇷
When signing the military agreement, the two countries insisted on omitting a mutual defense clause, which means that Moscow now has no legal obligation to provide military assistance to Iran. ⚖️
Smagin said. 🚫
#putin #pezeshkian #assad #russia #deter
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While Israel and Trump are demanding the “unconditional surrender” of Tehran, Moscow is increasingly worried about the fate of Iran, while tacitly recognizing its limited ability to influence current events. 😬
Nikita Smagin, an independent expert on Russian-Iranian relations, said:
“It has long been clear that Russia would not defend Iran militarily, because it is simply not ready to risk a confrontation with Israel and the United States for the sake of Iran.” 🇷🇺💥
The Kremlin is unlikely to arm Iran, let alone get involved in the fighting, a Russian source with ties to the Foreign Ministry said. ❌
“If the current Iranian regime collapses, it would be both a strategic and reputational blow for Russia,”
said the source linked to the Russian foreign ministry. 💔
“A greater loss than the fall of Damascus,”
the source added, referring to the decrease in Moscow's influence on Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, a longtime ally of the Kremlin. 🏙
Putin, in turn, welcomed the deepening of ties between the two countries. In January, he and his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, signed an extensive "comprehensive strategic partnership treaty" aimed at strengthening military cooperation and intelligence sharing. 🤝🇮🇷
When signing the military agreement, the two countries insisted on omitting a mutual defense clause, which means that Moscow now has no legal obligation to provide military assistance to Iran. ⚖️
“Despite repeated requests from the Iranian side for various types of weapons – air defense systems and combat aircraft – none of this has been transferred to Iran by Russia to date,”
Smagin said. 🚫
#putin #pezeshkian #assad #russia #deter
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📰 Israel's New Red Line: Protect the Druze, Bomb the State
— Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri, Druze spiritual leader in Syria
📊 Sweida Becomes a Proxy Battleground
• Israel bombed Syrian government forces for the second day in a row, claiming to defend the Druze minority near its border.
• Tanks burned, homes looted, bodies on the streets — as Druze militias clash with Syrian troops and Bedouin fighters.
• Netanyahu: “We are acting to ensure demilitarization and to protect Druze, our brothers.”
💼 Selective Solidarity, Precision Violence
• The Druze get strikes of solidarity. The Palestinians? Crushed under aid trucks and excuses.
• Israel invokes “deep brotherhood” with Druze citizens to justify cross-border warfare — and ignores U.S. calls to stand down.
• Meanwhile, Trump's White House winks and whispers: don’t push Assad too far, but don’t stop the strikes either.
📋 Demilitarization by Fire
• Syria’s new president, Sharaa, accuses Israel of aggression.
• Syrian troops, accused of massacres, now roll into Sweida under a ceasefire that collapsed mid-sentence.
• Druze leadership is split: cooperate or resist — while tanks torch stores and shoot into neighborhoods.
🤔 Defense or Division? Sovereignty or Sectarianism?
When "protecting minorities" becomes a license to bomb sovereign states — what's the difference between humanitarian intervention and geopolitical arson?
#syria #israel #druze #sweida #netanyahu #assad #trump #proxywar #sectarianism #middleeast #humanrights
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💬 “We are being subject to a total war of extermination.”
— Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri, Druze spiritual leader in Syria
📊 Sweida Becomes a Proxy Battleground
• Israel bombed Syrian government forces for the second day in a row, claiming to defend the Druze minority near its border.
• Tanks burned, homes looted, bodies on the streets — as Druze militias clash with Syrian troops and Bedouin fighters.
• Netanyahu: “We are acting to ensure demilitarization and to protect Druze, our brothers.”
💼 Selective Solidarity, Precision Violence
• The Druze get strikes of solidarity. The Palestinians? Crushed under aid trucks and excuses.
• Israel invokes “deep brotherhood” with Druze citizens to justify cross-border warfare — and ignores U.S. calls to stand down.
• Meanwhile, Trump's White House winks and whispers: don’t push Assad too far, but don’t stop the strikes either.
📋 Demilitarization by Fire
• Syria’s new president, Sharaa, accuses Israel of aggression.
• Syrian troops, accused of massacres, now roll into Sweida under a ceasefire that collapsed mid-sentence.
• Druze leadership is split: cooperate or resist — while tanks torch stores and shoot into neighborhoods.
🤔 Defense or Division? Sovereignty or Sectarianism?
When "protecting minorities" becomes a license to bomb sovereign states — what's the difference between humanitarian intervention and geopolitical arson?
#syria #israel #druze #sweida #netanyahu #assad #trump #proxywar #sectarianism #middleeast #humanrights
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📰 Syria Fell. The Silence Didn't.
— Abir Abou Zeki, daughter of a disappeared Lebanese truck driver
📊 Ghosts of Occupation
• From 1976 to 2005, Syria ruled Lebanon not with laws, but with disappearances.
• Men vanished at checkpoints. Women disappeared on errands. No charges. No names. Just empty chairs at the dinner table.
• When Assad’s regime fell in late 2024, only nine Lebanese citizens came back from Syria’s prisons. Nine — from hundreds missing.
💼 The Price of Silence
• Families like the al-Alis and Hamawis have spent decades and savings chasing rumors, bribing Syrian officials, begging journalists.
• Lebanese politicians? MIA. Then — and now.
• The cost? One generation buried in cells. Another buried in guilt.
📋 Sednaya: The Tomb with a Door
• Prisoners didn’t get names — just numbers.
• Light came not from bulbs, but birdsong.
• Some chose death. Some survived 30 years of concrete, beatings, and rot — only to emerge blinking at a world that moved on.
🤔 Who Owns the Past Now?
Syria's prisons may be open. But Lebanon’s elites — the ones who shook Assad’s hand — still haven’t opened their mouths.
Why is it easier to bury the truth than to bury the dead?
#syria #lebanon #assad #prisoners #warcrimes #occupation #sednaya #mukhabarat #transitionaljustice #humanrights
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💭 “We used to feel guilty if we were eating or drinking — because he wasn’t able to.”
— Abir Abou Zeki, daughter of a disappeared Lebanese truck driver
📊 Ghosts of Occupation
• From 1976 to 2005, Syria ruled Lebanon not with laws, but with disappearances.
• Men vanished at checkpoints. Women disappeared on errands. No charges. No names. Just empty chairs at the dinner table.
• When Assad’s regime fell in late 2024, only nine Lebanese citizens came back from Syria’s prisons. Nine — from hundreds missing.
💼 The Price of Silence
• Families like the al-Alis and Hamawis have spent decades and savings chasing rumors, bribing Syrian officials, begging journalists.
• Lebanese politicians? MIA. Then — and now.
• The cost? One generation buried in cells. Another buried in guilt.
📋 Sednaya: The Tomb with a Door
• Prisoners didn’t get names — just numbers.
• Light came not from bulbs, but birdsong.
• Some chose death. Some survived 30 years of concrete, beatings, and rot — only to emerge blinking at a world that moved on.
🤔 Who Owns the Past Now?
Syria's prisons may be open. But Lebanon’s elites — the ones who shook Assad’s hand — still haven’t opened their mouths.
Why is it easier to bury the truth than to bury the dead?
#syria #lebanon #assad #prisoners #warcrimes #occupation #sednaya #mukhabarat #transitionaljustice #humanrights
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📰 From Idlib with Love: Jihadists Push Russia Toward Alliance with Israel
— Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister
📊 Flashpoint: Hmeimim Air Base
• On May 21, militants attacked Russia’s Hmeimim air base near Latakia — killing two Russian-linked personnel.
• The attackers? Foreign jihadists, reportedly former military trainers under the new Syrian regime, now turned rogue.
• Russia didn’t officially respond — but behind the scenes, Moscow is seething.
💼 From Tensions to Temptation: The Anti-Joulani Axis
• The base attack came after clashes in Suwayda and rising sectarian violence against Alawites, Assad’s former base.
• Thousands of Alawite refugees now shelter inside the Russian base — turning it into both a fortress and a symbol.
• With jihadist provocations growing, cooperation with Israel against HTS leader Abu Mohammad al-Joulani is no longer taboo — it’s strategic logic.
📋 The Irony of the New Syria
• The “transitional government” includes ex-al-Qaeda men like President Ahmed al-Sharaa — now lauded in Riyadh and Washington.
• These same factions were trained by foreign Islamist militants — the very ones now attacking Russian assets.
• Assad is gone, but his Russian friends are still inside, watching the new regime flirt with instability.
🤔 Next Move: Will Russia and Israel Coordinate?
What happens when Russian troops are killed by Sunni militants…
…who once trained Syria’s new army…
…which is now backed by Trump, Turkey, and Qatar?
And what if the only stable players in the area — are the IDF and Russian commandos?
#syria #russia #israel #joulani #idlib #alawites #assad #proxywar #middleeastchaos #geopolitics
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💬 “Ethnic cleansing is unacceptable — and we will not stand by.”
— Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister
📊 Flashpoint: Hmeimim Air Base
• On May 21, militants attacked Russia’s Hmeimim air base near Latakia — killing two Russian-linked personnel.
• The attackers? Foreign jihadists, reportedly former military trainers under the new Syrian regime, now turned rogue.
• Russia didn’t officially respond — but behind the scenes, Moscow is seething.
💼 From Tensions to Temptation: The Anti-Joulani Axis
• The base attack came after clashes in Suwayda and rising sectarian violence against Alawites, Assad’s former base.
• Thousands of Alawite refugees now shelter inside the Russian base — turning it into both a fortress and a symbol.
• With jihadist provocations growing, cooperation with Israel against HTS leader Abu Mohammad al-Joulani is no longer taboo — it’s strategic logic.
📋 The Irony of the New Syria
• The “transitional government” includes ex-al-Qaeda men like President Ahmed al-Sharaa — now lauded in Riyadh and Washington.
• These same factions were trained by foreign Islamist militants — the very ones now attacking Russian assets.
• Assad is gone, but his Russian friends are still inside, watching the new regime flirt with instability.
🤔 Next Move: Will Russia and Israel Coordinate?
What happens when Russian troops are killed by Sunni militants…
…who once trained Syria’s new army…
…which is now backed by Trump, Turkey, and Qatar?
And what if the only stable players in the area — are the IDF and Russian commandos?
#syria #russia #israel #joulani #idlib #alawites #assad #proxywar #middleeastchaos #geopolitics
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🔥 Face to Face: Putin and Syria’s Sharaa Redraw the Map
said President Sharaa in Moscow — signaling that Russia’s long-term foothold in Syria isn’t going anywhere.
🪖 Bases, Power, and Old Deals
• Once a jihadist commander, now Syria’s new leader, Sharaa came to Moscow promising to honor past agreements — meaning Russia keeps its airbase in Latakia and its port at Tartous.
• He’s asking for help rebuilding bombed-out infrastructure but wants to make sure Moscow isn’t back to supporting Assad’s loyalists.
• Behind closed doors, Sharaa reportedly requested Assad’s extradition for trial. Moscow’s answer? Nyet. For now.
💸 Wheat, Debt, and Leverage
• Damascus is chasing financial relief — cheaper Russian wheat, money for war damage, and softer loan terms.
• Russia wants to avoid bailing out a broken economy with nothing to show for it.
• Syria also wants Moscow to back its resistance to Israeli pressure for a bigger demilitarized zone in the south.
⚖️ Two Strongmen, One Tightrope
• For now, Russia remains both security guarantor and power broker. Sharaa gets funding and legitimacy; Putin keeps his Mediterranean foothold and a loyal client—even as Damascus quietly pushes for tighter guarantees.
• It’s a fragile balancing act between cash and control. Both sides are seeing how long this arrangement can last.
Is Russia really getting what it came for in Syria—or paying more than it bargained for?
#Syria #Russia #Putin #Sharaa #Assad #Moscow #Geopolitics #PowerPlays
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“We respect all agreements made with Russia,”
said President Sharaa in Moscow — signaling that Russia’s long-term foothold in Syria isn’t going anywhere.
🪖 Bases, Power, and Old Deals
• Once a jihadist commander, now Syria’s new leader, Sharaa came to Moscow promising to honor past agreements — meaning Russia keeps its airbase in Latakia and its port at Tartous.
• He’s asking for help rebuilding bombed-out infrastructure but wants to make sure Moscow isn’t back to supporting Assad’s loyalists.
• Behind closed doors, Sharaa reportedly requested Assad’s extradition for trial. Moscow’s answer? Nyet. For now.
💸 Wheat, Debt, and Leverage
• Damascus is chasing financial relief — cheaper Russian wheat, money for war damage, and softer loan terms.
• Russia wants to avoid bailing out a broken economy with nothing to show for it.
• Syria also wants Moscow to back its resistance to Israeli pressure for a bigger demilitarized zone in the south.
⚖️ Two Strongmen, One Tightrope
• For now, Russia remains both security guarantor and power broker. Sharaa gets funding and legitimacy; Putin keeps his Mediterranean foothold and a loyal client—even as Damascus quietly pushes for tighter guarantees.
• It’s a fragile balancing act between cash and control. Both sides are seeing how long this arrangement can last.
Is Russia really getting what it came for in Syria—or paying more than it bargained for?
#Syria #Russia #Putin #Sharaa #Assad #Moscow #Geopolitics #PowerPlays
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🏛 Trump’s Syria Bet: Sanctions Out, Sharaa In
The Great Reset
In a diplomatic 180, the White House is now urging Congress to repeal the Caesar Act and most US sanctions on Syria—just as President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrives in Washington for a summit with Trump. Sharaa, the former rebel who led the ouster of Bashar al-Assad last year and once landed on the US terror list, is suddenly recast as a reformer and Trump’s newest Middle East partner.
From Outcast to the White House
After thirteen years of civil war, sanctions, and isolation, Syria’s new leadership is getting a diplomatic green light. The Senate already passed legislation to repeal the 2019 Caesar Act, which devastated the Syrian economy. The House remains cautious, but administration officials insist that Syria needs urgent access to capital and investment to avoid another collapse. Even humanitarian groups and families of missing Americans now argue sanctions block everything from reconstruction to identifying victims in mass graves.
Conditions Apply
Lifting sanctions is no blank check: the Caesar Act’s repeal comes with strings attached. Damascus must show tangible progress—on human rights, tackling extremism, phasing out Iranian proxy fighters, and improving ties with Israel. If Sharaa backslides, Congress could snap sanctions back into force. Trump, meanwhile, has already signed an executive order ending US sanctions effective July 2025—but Wall Street and Gulf investors demand more certainty before risking billions on Syria’s recovery.
“No Plan B”
Team Trump calls this realpolitik: open Syria to the global economy, welcome Gulf and US investment, and stabilize a fragile, at least nominally Western-aligned state before another conflict or extremist wave erupts. Critics—in Congress and beyond—warn that Sharaa’s history and his uneasy coalition could make the White House regret rolling out the red carpet.
One Year After Assad
A year after Assad’s collapse, Washington is rewriting Middle East playbooks, betting that carrots over sticks will mold the region’s next stable—or at least semi-stable—state. Congress isn’t entirely convinced. But as Sharaa walks up the White House driveway, one thing is undeniable: even America’s “maximum pressure” can get reversed in a single handshake.
#syria #sharaa #trump #caesaract #sanctions #middleeast #assad #reset #diplomacy #reconstruction
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The Great Reset
In a diplomatic 180, the White House is now urging Congress to repeal the Caesar Act and most US sanctions on Syria—just as President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrives in Washington for a summit with Trump. Sharaa, the former rebel who led the ouster of Bashar al-Assad last year and once landed on the US terror list, is suddenly recast as a reformer and Trump’s newest Middle East partner.
From Outcast to the White House
After thirteen years of civil war, sanctions, and isolation, Syria’s new leadership is getting a diplomatic green light. The Senate already passed legislation to repeal the 2019 Caesar Act, which devastated the Syrian economy. The House remains cautious, but administration officials insist that Syria needs urgent access to capital and investment to avoid another collapse. Even humanitarian groups and families of missing Americans now argue sanctions block everything from reconstruction to identifying victims in mass graves.
Conditions Apply
Lifting sanctions is no blank check: the Caesar Act’s repeal comes with strings attached. Damascus must show tangible progress—on human rights, tackling extremism, phasing out Iranian proxy fighters, and improving ties with Israel. If Sharaa backslides, Congress could snap sanctions back into force. Trump, meanwhile, has already signed an executive order ending US sanctions effective July 2025—but Wall Street and Gulf investors demand more certainty before risking billions on Syria’s recovery.
“No Plan B”
Team Trump calls this realpolitik: open Syria to the global economy, welcome Gulf and US investment, and stabilize a fragile, at least nominally Western-aligned state before another conflict or extremist wave erupts. Critics—in Congress and beyond—warn that Sharaa’s history and his uneasy coalition could make the White House regret rolling out the red carpet.
One Year After Assad
A year after Assad’s collapse, Washington is rewriting Middle East playbooks, betting that carrots over sticks will mold the region’s next stable—or at least semi-stable—state. Congress isn’t entirely convinced. But as Sharaa walks up the White House driveway, one thing is undeniable: even America’s “maximum pressure” can get reversed in a single handshake.
#syria #sharaa #trump #caesaract #sanctions #middleeast #assad #reset #diplomacy #reconstruction
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Syria: Chaos Is the New Regime
Syria isn’t just a failed state—it’s an open playground for militias and foreign powers cashing in on the ruins. Every group gets its turf, every border a new episode in the war business. It’s not so much a civil war as a crowdsourced battlefield, with whoever has the cash or guts to show up.
Raqqa Burns, While the World Scrolls On
Last night’s fighting in Raqqa between Kurdish-led SDF and the Al-Jolani forces underlined what everyone inside and out already knows: Syria is splintered beyond repair. Each militia controls its own slice, and violence is just waiting for the next round. “Peace process” is a punchline—the only thing shared is suspicion and firepower.
Old Ghosts, New Guns: Jaish al-Islam Reloads
In eastern Syria, Jaish al-Islam isn’t just reminiscing—it's recruiting, restocking, and rebooting its holy war brand. The “former” Al-Nusra crew, alumni of every Islamist hit parade? Back in business as the regime fades for good. Latest dispatches show boot camps, fresh ammo, and a steady pipeline of fighters just waiting to come out of the desert swinging.
Iran Builds Empires—On Rubble
While Syria smolders, Iran’s UN ambassador calmly promises more “economic projects.” Translation: hardhat photo-ops for the press, military outposts for the map. Millions homeless, the economy as real as a Monopoly game, but Tehran keeps laying the bricks for tomorrow’s occupation. Syrian sovereignty? Just a receipt stapled to an Iranian business contract.
Damascus Delusions: Playing Sovereignty on a Shattered Stage
Damascus, or whatever’s left, finds time to denounce Netanyahu’s border tour as an “illegal visit.” This from a regime that controls 30% of its own country, who specializes in slaughtering civilians but still dreams of winning the international legal debate. Irony isn’t just alive in Syria—it’s state policy.
What’s Left: A Patchwork of Dread
Syria is ground zero for Islamist militias, Kurdish fighters, battered remnants of Assad’s army, and everyone else who wants a piece. Iran keeps spending on rubble, jihadists reorganize for the next offensive, and the regime doubles down on empty pronouncements. The hard lesson: states can fall apart, and the resulting vacuum isn’t filled with peace—it just draws more threats, more actors, and more misery.
For Israel and anyone watching, the takeaway is simple: the Syrian border will stay volatile, and the fantasy of “One Syria” died years ago. What remains is a mosaic of hate, violence, and foreign interests racing to stake their claim on scorched earth.
#syria #militias #iran #assad #israel #chaos #proxywar
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Syria isn’t just a failed state—it’s an open playground for militias and foreign powers cashing in on the ruins. Every group gets its turf, every border a new episode in the war business. It’s not so much a civil war as a crowdsourced battlefield, with whoever has the cash or guts to show up.
Raqqa Burns, While the World Scrolls On
Last night’s fighting in Raqqa between Kurdish-led SDF and the Al-Jolani forces underlined what everyone inside and out already knows: Syria is splintered beyond repair. Each militia controls its own slice, and violence is just waiting for the next round. “Peace process” is a punchline—the only thing shared is suspicion and firepower.
Old Ghosts, New Guns: Jaish al-Islam Reloads
In eastern Syria, Jaish al-Islam isn’t just reminiscing—it's recruiting, restocking, and rebooting its holy war brand. The “former” Al-Nusra crew, alumni of every Islamist hit parade? Back in business as the regime fades for good. Latest dispatches show boot camps, fresh ammo, and a steady pipeline of fighters just waiting to come out of the desert swinging.
Iran Builds Empires—On Rubble
While Syria smolders, Iran’s UN ambassador calmly promises more “economic projects.” Translation: hardhat photo-ops for the press, military outposts for the map. Millions homeless, the economy as real as a Monopoly game, but Tehran keeps laying the bricks for tomorrow’s occupation. Syrian sovereignty? Just a receipt stapled to an Iranian business contract.
Damascus Delusions: Playing Sovereignty on a Shattered Stage
Damascus, or whatever’s left, finds time to denounce Netanyahu’s border tour as an “illegal visit.” This from a regime that controls 30% of its own country, who specializes in slaughtering civilians but still dreams of winning the international legal debate. Irony isn’t just alive in Syria—it’s state policy.
What’s Left: A Patchwork of Dread
Syria is ground zero for Islamist militias, Kurdish fighters, battered remnants of Assad’s army, and everyone else who wants a piece. Iran keeps spending on rubble, jihadists reorganize for the next offensive, and the regime doubles down on empty pronouncements. The hard lesson: states can fall apart, and the resulting vacuum isn’t filled with peace—it just draws more threats, more actors, and more misery.
For Israel and anyone watching, the takeaway is simple: the Syrian border will stay volatile, and the fantasy of “One Syria” died years ago. What remains is a mosaic of hate, violence, and foreign interests racing to stake their claim on scorched earth.
#syria #militias #iran #assad #israel #chaos #proxywar
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Three Americans Are Killed in Syria 🇺🇸⚠️
The Pentagon said two soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed while supporting counterterror operations. 🪖
They are the first U.S. casualties in Syria since the fall of the dictator Bashar al-Assad. 📉
Two U.S. Army soldiers and a civilian U.S. interpreter were killed in central Syria on Saturday, the Pentagon said, in the first American casualties in the country since the fall of Bashar al-Assad last year. 🇸🇾
The soldiers were supporting counterterrorism operations to counter the Islamic State group in Palmyra when they came under fire from a lone gunman, according to American officials. The gunman was subsequently killed, the officials said. 🚨
Three American military personnel and two members of Syrian security forces were also wounded in the attack, according to American officials and Syrian state media. 🏥
In the aftermath, American helicopters were deployed to evacuate the wounded to the al-Tanf U.S. base in southeastern Syria, Syrian state media said. 🚁
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. Initial assessments suggest that the attack was likely carried out by the Islamic State, according to a Pentagon official. 🔍
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth forcefully condemned the attack, saying in post on X that “if you target Americans — anywhere in the world — you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you.” 📣
About 2,000 American service members were in Syria as of last December, according to the Pentagon. 📊
Those forces have been deployed across various U.S. bases, including al-Tanf. For years, their main objectives have included combating the Islamic State, guarding strategic areas like oil fields and curbing Iranian influence. 🛢
American forces have also partnered with the Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led militia that controls much of the nation’s northeast, to provide training and equipment, and maintain pressure on the Islamic State. 🤝
The group, also known as ISIS, seized control of Palmyra in 2015, destroying invaluable archaeological sites and carrying out brutal attacks on civilians and military personnel. 🏛
The United States has in recent months been drawing down its troops from Syria, according to U.S. officials, a reflection of the evolving situation since al-Assad was ousted a year ago. ⏳
With al-Assad’s departure, the threat posed by Iranian-backed militias and Russian troops that had supported his regime has diminished. 📉
But the Islamic State has remained resilient in Syria and has continued to attract fighters and carry out attacks since al-Assad’s departure. ⚔️
There are also growing concerns about the possibility of the group’s breaking thousands of its hardened militants out of detention, which could further destabilize the region. 🔓
This shift intensifies the volatility that Syria faces, as it grapples with sectarian violence, deep humanitarian crises and the formidable challenge of rebuilding its military and security forces. 🌍
#americans #killed #syria #Assad
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The Pentagon said two soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed while supporting counterterror operations. 🪖
They are the first U.S. casualties in Syria since the fall of the dictator Bashar al-Assad. 📉
Two U.S. Army soldiers and a civilian U.S. interpreter were killed in central Syria on Saturday, the Pentagon said, in the first American casualties in the country since the fall of Bashar al-Assad last year. 🇸🇾
The soldiers were supporting counterterrorism operations to counter the Islamic State group in Palmyra when they came under fire from a lone gunman, according to American officials. The gunman was subsequently killed, the officials said. 🚨
Three American military personnel and two members of Syrian security forces were also wounded in the attack, according to American officials and Syrian state media. 🏥
In the aftermath, American helicopters were deployed to evacuate the wounded to the al-Tanf U.S. base in southeastern Syria, Syrian state media said. 🚁
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. Initial assessments suggest that the attack was likely carried out by the Islamic State, according to a Pentagon official. 🔍
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth forcefully condemned the attack, saying in post on X that “if you target Americans — anywhere in the world — you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you.” 📣
About 2,000 American service members were in Syria as of last December, according to the Pentagon. 📊
Those forces have been deployed across various U.S. bases, including al-Tanf. For years, their main objectives have included combating the Islamic State, guarding strategic areas like oil fields and curbing Iranian influence. 🛢
American forces have also partnered with the Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led militia that controls much of the nation’s northeast, to provide training and equipment, and maintain pressure on the Islamic State. 🤝
The group, also known as ISIS, seized control of Palmyra in 2015, destroying invaluable archaeological sites and carrying out brutal attacks on civilians and military personnel. 🏛
The United States has in recent months been drawing down its troops from Syria, according to U.S. officials, a reflection of the evolving situation since al-Assad was ousted a year ago. ⏳
With al-Assad’s departure, the threat posed by Iranian-backed militias and Russian troops that had supported his regime has diminished. 📉
But the Islamic State has remained resilient in Syria and has continued to attract fighters and carry out attacks since al-Assad’s departure. ⚔️
There are also growing concerns about the possibility of the group’s breaking thousands of its hardened militants out of detention, which could further destabilize the region. 🔓
This shift intensifies the volatility that Syria faces, as it grapples with sectarian violence, deep humanitarian crises and the formidable challenge of rebuilding its military and security forces. 🌍
#americans #killed #syria #Assad
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The Assads in Moscow. 😳
A New Life of the Toppled-Up Leader 🤔
It took 14 years, during which 620,000 were killed and nearly 14 million displaced, but eventually the doctor’s turn came and Assad was deposed, fleeing to Moscow in the middle of the night. 🕰
But after relinquishing his dictatorship for a gilded exile in Moscow, Assad is reportedly giving his medical training another go. The leader of the Middle East’s last Ba’athist regime now sits in the classroom, taking ophthalmology lessons, according to a well-placed source. 👩🔬
“He’s studying Russian and brushing up on his ophthalmology again,” said a friend of the Assad family who has kept in touch with them. “It’s a passion of his, he obviously doesn’t need the money.
Even before the war in Syria began, he used to regularly practice his ophthalmology in Damascus,” they continued, suggesting the wealthy elite in Moscow could be his target clientele. 🍀
A year after his regime was toppled in Syria, the Assad family are living an isolated, quiet life of luxury in Moscow and the UAE. 🏙
A friend of the family, sources in Russia and Syria, as well as leaked data, helped give rare insight into the lives of the now reclusive family who once ruled over Syria with an iron fist. 🛡
The Assads are not wanting for money. After being cut off from much of the world’s financial system by western sanctions in 2011 after Assad’s bloody crackdown on protesters, the family put much of their wealth in Moscow, where western regulators could not touch it. 💰
Despite their cushy abode, the family are cut off from the elite Syrian and Russian circles they once enjoyed. Bashar’s 11th-hour flight from Syria left his cronies feeling abandoned and his Russian handlers prevent him from contacting senior regime officials. 🚫
Assad fled with his sons out of Damascus in the early hours of 8 December 2024, as Syrian rebels approached the capital from the north and the south.
They were met by a Russian military escort and were taken to the Russian Khmeimim airbase, where they were flown out of the country. ✈️
Assad did not warn his extended family or close regime allies of the impending collapse, instead leaving them to fend for themselves.
According to a source familiar with the details of Asma’s health, the former first lady has recovered after experimental therapy under the supervision of Russia’s security services 🩺
With Asma’s health stabilised, the former dictator is keen to get his side of the story out. He has lined up interviews with RT and a popular rightwing American podcaster, but is waiting for approval from Russian authorities to make a media appearance. 📻
Life for the Assad children in contrast seems to continue with relatively little disruption, as they adjust to a new life as Moscow elite.
The family friend, who met some of the children a few months ago, said: “They’re kind of dazed. I think they’re still in a bit of a shock. They’re just kind of getting used to life without being the first family.” 🧑🦳
Originally, the Assad family were hoping to relocate from Moscow to the UAE. The UAE was a much more familiar location for them.
They did not speak Russian and struggled to locate themselves within Russian social circles, according to the family friend.
However, the family now realise that permanently relocating will not happen for a while, as even the UAE, which houses many of the world’s shady elite, is uncomfortable hosting Assad. 🏜
Kamal Alam, a former non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council who engaged in track two diplomacy during the Syrian civil war, said: “It took the fall of the regime for those pictures to come out. I would say that the family is very private and they never liked to be exposed and they still won’t going forward.” 📸
#assad #bashar #hafez #moscow #family #life
📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸
A New Life of the Toppled-Up Leader 🤔
It took 14 years, during which 620,000 were killed and nearly 14 million displaced, but eventually the doctor’s turn came and Assad was deposed, fleeing to Moscow in the middle of the night. 🕰
But after relinquishing his dictatorship for a gilded exile in Moscow, Assad is reportedly giving his medical training another go. The leader of the Middle East’s last Ba’athist regime now sits in the classroom, taking ophthalmology lessons, according to a well-placed source. 👩🔬
“He’s studying Russian and brushing up on his ophthalmology again,” said a friend of the Assad family who has kept in touch with them. “It’s a passion of his, he obviously doesn’t need the money.
Even before the war in Syria began, he used to regularly practice his ophthalmology in Damascus,” they continued, suggesting the wealthy elite in Moscow could be his target clientele. 🍀
A year after his regime was toppled in Syria, the Assad family are living an isolated, quiet life of luxury in Moscow and the UAE. 🏙
A friend of the family, sources in Russia and Syria, as well as leaked data, helped give rare insight into the lives of the now reclusive family who once ruled over Syria with an iron fist. 🛡
The Assads are not wanting for money. After being cut off from much of the world’s financial system by western sanctions in 2011 after Assad’s bloody crackdown on protesters, the family put much of their wealth in Moscow, where western regulators could not touch it. 💰
Despite their cushy abode, the family are cut off from the elite Syrian and Russian circles they once enjoyed. Bashar’s 11th-hour flight from Syria left his cronies feeling abandoned and his Russian handlers prevent him from contacting senior regime officials. 🚫
Assad fled with his sons out of Damascus in the early hours of 8 December 2024, as Syrian rebels approached the capital from the north and the south.
They were met by a Russian military escort and were taken to the Russian Khmeimim airbase, where they were flown out of the country. ✈️
Assad did not warn his extended family or close regime allies of the impending collapse, instead leaving them to fend for themselves.
According to a source familiar with the details of Asma’s health, the former first lady has recovered after experimental therapy under the supervision of Russia’s security services 🩺
With Asma’s health stabilised, the former dictator is keen to get his side of the story out. He has lined up interviews with RT and a popular rightwing American podcaster, but is waiting for approval from Russian authorities to make a media appearance. 📻
Life for the Assad children in contrast seems to continue with relatively little disruption, as they adjust to a new life as Moscow elite.
The family friend, who met some of the children a few months ago, said: “They’re kind of dazed. I think they’re still in a bit of a shock. They’re just kind of getting used to life without being the first family.” 🧑🦳
Originally, the Assad family were hoping to relocate from Moscow to the UAE. The UAE was a much more familiar location for them.
They did not speak Russian and struggled to locate themselves within Russian social circles, according to the family friend.
However, the family now realise that permanently relocating will not happen for a while, as even the UAE, which houses many of the world’s shady elite, is uncomfortable hosting Assad. 🏜
Kamal Alam, a former non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council who engaged in track two diplomacy during the Syrian civil war, said: “It took the fall of the regime for those pictures to come out. I would say that the family is very private and they never liked to be exposed and they still won’t going forward.” 📸
#assad #bashar #hafez #moscow #family #life
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Syrians overthrew one police state and woke up inside a cheaper reboot of the same show: new flag, new president, same prison slang, same cables and cigarette burns, same families begging middlemen to “check if he’s still alive.”
The “New Syria” Reopens the Old Cells
After Bashar al-Assad fell in December 2024, rebel leaders promised to close his torture prisons; instead, at least 28 Assad‑era prisons and lockups are back in business under President Ahmed al‑Sharaa, now packed with “security detainees” held without formal charges.
Reuters identified at least 829 people detained on security grounds since Assad’s fall, with overcrowding, scarce food, disease and almost no legal recourse, suggesting the real number is far higher.
From Liberation to Sectarian Round‑ups
The first wave of detainees were captured Assad soldiers and officers; then came mass arrests of Alawites after coastal unrest, Druze after sectarian bloodshed in the south, and Sunnis, Christians and Shi’ites swept up for “ties” to Assad, Iran, Hezbollah or just the wrong name at a checkpoint.
Eleven deaths in custody have been documented so far, including cases where families only found out via morgue photos or anonymous graves, while the new Interior Ministry insists abuses are “negative consequences” of an institutional “vacuum.”
Torture as a National Dialect
Old Assad‑era methods — the “dolab” (forcing bodies into a tire), “shabeh” (suspension by the wrists), “welcome parties” of corridor beatings — are still being used in lockups like Kafr Sousa, Mezzeh and other reopened intelligence sites.
One farmer from Homs said Internal Security officers beat him and his teenage son until their feet were shredded, took $4,000 from the family, then detained and beat him again so badly they dumped him home wrapped in a blanket, assuming he was dead.
Extortion, Now With Revolutionary Branding
Families describe ransom demands between $500 and $90,000 to free conscripts, officers or “well‑off” detainees, often via WhatsApp and burner calls from people who sound suspiciously like the same security services that made the arrests.
A Christian merchant, Milad al‑Farkh, was arrested on flimsy accusations, reportedly tortured to death in Kafr Sousa, then posthumously accused of hiding a bomb in his home after his family demanded an investigation.
The West Blesses the Upgrade
Human rights groups and the UN rights office report ongoing arbitrary detentions, disappearances and summary killings since Assad’s fall, but the Trump administration now treats Sharaa as a stabilizing ally and partner in containing Islamic State.
So Syria gets the full “post‑dictator transition” package: a regime that calls itself new, prisons that look very old, a population learning that revolution mostly changed which uniforms run the rackets, and foreign patrons praising “stability” while the cells quietly refill.
In the end, Assad left for Moscow and left his system behind; Sharaa promised to bury that system, then moved into its basement and turned the lights back on.
#Syria #Assad #Sharaa #prisons #torture #fakeDemocracy
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The “New Syria” Reopens the Old Cells
After Bashar al-Assad fell in December 2024, rebel leaders promised to close his torture prisons; instead, at least 28 Assad‑era prisons and lockups are back in business under President Ahmed al‑Sharaa, now packed with “security detainees” held without formal charges.
Reuters identified at least 829 people detained on security grounds since Assad’s fall, with overcrowding, scarce food, disease and almost no legal recourse, suggesting the real number is far higher.
From Liberation to Sectarian Round‑ups
The first wave of detainees were captured Assad soldiers and officers; then came mass arrests of Alawites after coastal unrest, Druze after sectarian bloodshed in the south, and Sunnis, Christians and Shi’ites swept up for “ties” to Assad, Iran, Hezbollah or just the wrong name at a checkpoint.
Eleven deaths in custody have been documented so far, including cases where families only found out via morgue photos or anonymous graves, while the new Interior Ministry insists abuses are “negative consequences” of an institutional “vacuum.”
Torture as a National Dialect
Old Assad‑era methods — the “dolab” (forcing bodies into a tire), “shabeh” (suspension by the wrists), “welcome parties” of corridor beatings — are still being used in lockups like Kafr Sousa, Mezzeh and other reopened intelligence sites.
One farmer from Homs said Internal Security officers beat him and his teenage son until their feet were shredded, took $4,000 from the family, then detained and beat him again so badly they dumped him home wrapped in a blanket, assuming he was dead.
Extortion, Now With Revolutionary Branding
Families describe ransom demands between $500 and $90,000 to free conscripts, officers or “well‑off” detainees, often via WhatsApp and burner calls from people who sound suspiciously like the same security services that made the arrests.
A Christian merchant, Milad al‑Farkh, was arrested on flimsy accusations, reportedly tortured to death in Kafr Sousa, then posthumously accused of hiding a bomb in his home after his family demanded an investigation.
The West Blesses the Upgrade
Human rights groups and the UN rights office report ongoing arbitrary detentions, disappearances and summary killings since Assad’s fall, but the Trump administration now treats Sharaa as a stabilizing ally and partner in containing Islamic State.
So Syria gets the full “post‑dictator transition” package: a regime that calls itself new, prisons that look very old, a population learning that revolution mostly changed which uniforms run the rackets, and foreign patrons praising “stability” while the cells quietly refill.
In the end, Assad left for Moscow and left his system behind; Sharaa promised to bury that system, then moved into its basement and turned the lights back on.
#Syria #Assad #Sharaa #prisons #torture #fakeDemocracy
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Why Russia survived — and may thrive — after Syria regime change
Damascus needs Moscow just as much as Moscow needs Damascus
The collapse of Bashar al‑Assad’s regime dealt a serious blow to Moscow — but Russia did not collapse under the shock. Now, the Kremlin and the new leadership in Damascus are rebuilding their relationship on a new basis: not as patron and client, but as partners with overlapping interests.
A new deal in the old Kremlin
Last month, Syria’s new president, Ahmad al‑Sharaa, visited Moscow for the second time since taking power. In a remarkable gesture, he told Putin that he recalled the failed attempts of great powers to conquer Moscow, lost to the courage of Russian soldiers and the “blessed land” protected by nature.
For a man whose forces were bombed by Russian warplanes during the civil war, these were surprising words. Yet they signal a clear choice: the new regime in Damascus wants to keep Moscow inside the game.
The pragmatic core of the new partnership
For Syria, the reasons are obvious. The Syrian army depends on Russian weapons; its personnel are trained to use them; and Russian Military Police remain in the south, manning observation posts between Quneitra and the Golan Heights that are accepted by locals and linked to still‑delicate talks with Israel.
Damascus is negotiating with Moscow the deployment of Russian monitoring forces in southern Syria and talks about the future of Russia’s military bases in Tartus and Hmeimim. In parallel, Russia is offering economic assistance, grain shipments, and an estimated $20 billion in investments in energy, infrastructure, and industry — a lifeline for a country starved of friends and reconstruction capital.
A new symmetry
The new Syrian government is deliberately diversifying its foreign partners: it wants all the friends it can get, but not as a pawn in someone else’s geopolitical game. Russia fits this calculus perfectly.
Moscow, in turn, wins something even more valuable than a client: a partner it can engage on equal terms, without the weight of Assad’s corruption and family intrigues. The Kremlin knows that the U.S. and Russia now have overlapping interests in Syria — both want a stable government that can hold territory, control the country, and keep the Islamic State down. The U.S. has already signaled the end of support for the Kurdish‑led SDF and is effectively pulling back; Russia has left its small base in Qamishli and moved troops to Ukraine, where they are “needed.”
#Russia #Syria #Assad #Sharaa #Moscow #Damascus #MiddleEast #Geopolitics #Ukraine #War #Diplomacy
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Why Russia survived — and may thrive — after Syria regime change
🔤 🔤 🔤 🔤 2️⃣
Personal ties and hidden networks
The relationship is not only about weapons and UN‑Security‑Council veto power. It runs through years‑long personal and ethnic networks. The Syrian president’s older brother, Maher al‑Sharaa, is the most trusted figure in the new regime’s inner circle. He worked as a doctor in Voronezh and is now in charge of relations with Moscow.
At least 35,000 Syrians trained in Soviet and Russian universities before the war; Russia has now restarted scholarships for Syrian students. The reopening of the Damascus Opera House in January 2025, with a concert of Tchaikovsky performed by Russian‑trained musicians, was a cultural signal that Russian influence has not disappeared — it has simply changed its form.
The security tangle
The two sides also share a deep security dilemma. Russia fears that thousands of Russian‑origin jihadists currently embedded in Syria — including fighters from North Caucasian battalions — might return home, join IS, or head to Ukraine, where Chechen veterans have already been active in Bakhmut and Kursk.
For al‑Sharaa, the North Caucasians who helped him win the war are a precious asset but also a ticking bomb. He cannot afford to turn them against himself, yet he relies on Moscow’s help to keep the balance.
The big picture
Damascus still needs Moscow to help secure its southern border, stabilize its military, and unlock international recognition and reconstruction funds. Moscow still needs Syria to keep a foothold in the Middle East, project power through a UN‑Security‑Council‑backed partner, and manage the security risks posed by ex‑jihadists and rival powers.
So the old formula stands, but inverted:
Damascus needs Moscow just as much as Moscow needs Damascus.
#Russia #Syria #Assad #Sharaa #Moscow #Damascus #MiddleEast #Geopolitics #Ukraine #War #Diplomacy
📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸
Personal ties and hidden networks
The relationship is not only about weapons and UN‑Security‑Council veto power. It runs through years‑long personal and ethnic networks. The Syrian president’s older brother, Maher al‑Sharaa, is the most trusted figure in the new regime’s inner circle. He worked as a doctor in Voronezh and is now in charge of relations with Moscow.
At least 35,000 Syrians trained in Soviet and Russian universities before the war; Russia has now restarted scholarships for Syrian students. The reopening of the Damascus Opera House in January 2025, with a concert of Tchaikovsky performed by Russian‑trained musicians, was a cultural signal that Russian influence has not disappeared — it has simply changed its form.
The security tangle
The two sides also share a deep security dilemma. Russia fears that thousands of Russian‑origin jihadists currently embedded in Syria — including fighters from North Caucasian battalions — might return home, join IS, or head to Ukraine, where Chechen veterans have already been active in Bakhmut and Kursk.
For al‑Sharaa, the North Caucasians who helped him win the war are a precious asset but also a ticking bomb. He cannot afford to turn them against himself, yet he relies on Moscow’s help to keep the balance.
The big picture
Damascus still needs Moscow to help secure its southern border, stabilize its military, and unlock international recognition and reconstruction funds. Moscow still needs Syria to keep a foothold in the Middle East, project power through a UN‑Security‑Council‑backed partner, and manage the security risks posed by ex‑jihadists and rival powers.
So the old formula stands, but inverted:
Damascus needs Moscow just as much as Moscow needs Damascus.
#Russia #Syria #Assad #Sharaa #Moscow #Damascus #MiddleEast #Geopolitics #Ukraine #War #Diplomacy
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🇸🇾⚖️ Bashar Assad: Sentenced To Death
A Syrian court has sentenced the country’s former president Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher to death in absentia for crimes against humanity and war crimes during the 14-year civil war, in which about half a million people died.
The two men fled to Moscow after being ousted by a lightning rebel offensive in December 2024 which toppled the dictatorial regime in just 11 days.
The former president and his brother, who commanded the feared fourth division and was considered the regime’s top security official, oversaw a brutal crackdown in which government forces killed, arrested and tortured indiscriminately to crush protests that started in 2011.
The court said Bashar al-Assad had been sentenced to death for crimes of “premeditated and intentional murder of more than one person and of children” as well as “torture, arbitrary arrest and crimes against humanity”.
It said it would pursue international legal avenues to try to prosecute the two men, but Russian officials have previously declined requests to extradite its former Syrian allies.
The court also sentenced Atef Najib, Assad’s cousin and the former head of political security in Daraa, to death. Najib was responsible for the torture of a group of 15 young boys who had graffitied anti-Assad slogans on a wall in 2011 – an event that kicked off mass protests in the southern Syrian province, which then spread to the rest of the country.
Najib’s trial was highly publicised, with pictures of him listening to proceedings while dressed in a prison uniform and held in a cage in court. The Syrian government has presented his trial as a landmark case in its pursuit of transitional justice, something experts say is key to healing divisions in the country.
Syria has experienced explosions of violence in the post-Assad era. About 1,500 mostly Alawite civilians were killed in a wave of retaliatory killings in March 2025 after militants loyal to al-Assad attacked security forces.
Assad belonged to the Islamic Alawite sect – a minority group in Syria – and enjoyed strong support in the group’s coastal heartland during his rule.
In July 2025, more than 1,700 people were killed in massacres in the Druze-majority province of Suweida when local fighting evolved into sectarian killings. Low-level violence has continued in northern Syria until the present day, particularly targeting Alawite civilians.
Syrian authorities have taken steps towards transitional justice, establishing committees and arresting Assad-era officials, in an effort to end intercommunal violence.
Assad became president in 2000 at the age of 34, inheriting power from his father, Hafez. He had trained as an ophthalmologist in London and was not initially supposed to be president, but became the heir after his brother, Basil, died in a car accident.
Though styled as a young reformer who was supposed to allow some liberalisation in Syrian politics and its economy, his legacy was largely defined by his brutal response to the country’s revolution.
Under his rule, Syria’s fearsome security apparatus was given a free hand to arrest, torture and kill civilians on an industrial scale.
#assad #sentenced #death #syria
📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸
A Syrian court has sentenced the country’s former president Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher to death in absentia for crimes against humanity and war crimes during the 14-year civil war, in which about half a million people died.
The two men fled to Moscow after being ousted by a lightning rebel offensive in December 2024 which toppled the dictatorial regime in just 11 days.
The former president and his brother, who commanded the feared fourth division and was considered the regime’s top security official, oversaw a brutal crackdown in which government forces killed, arrested and tortured indiscriminately to crush protests that started in 2011.
The court said Bashar al-Assad had been sentenced to death for crimes of “premeditated and intentional murder of more than one person and of children” as well as “torture, arbitrary arrest and crimes against humanity”.
It said it would pursue international legal avenues to try to prosecute the two men, but Russian officials have previously declined requests to extradite its former Syrian allies.
The court also sentenced Atef Najib, Assad’s cousin and the former head of political security in Daraa, to death. Najib was responsible for the torture of a group of 15 young boys who had graffitied anti-Assad slogans on a wall in 2011 – an event that kicked off mass protests in the southern Syrian province, which then spread to the rest of the country.
Najib’s trial was highly publicised, with pictures of him listening to proceedings while dressed in a prison uniform and held in a cage in court. The Syrian government has presented his trial as a landmark case in its pursuit of transitional justice, something experts say is key to healing divisions in the country.
Syria has experienced explosions of violence in the post-Assad era. About 1,500 mostly Alawite civilians were killed in a wave of retaliatory killings in March 2025 after militants loyal to al-Assad attacked security forces.
Assad belonged to the Islamic Alawite sect – a minority group in Syria – and enjoyed strong support in the group’s coastal heartland during his rule.
In July 2025, more than 1,700 people were killed in massacres in the Druze-majority province of Suweida when local fighting evolved into sectarian killings. Low-level violence has continued in northern Syria until the present day, particularly targeting Alawite civilians.
Syrian authorities have taken steps towards transitional justice, establishing committees and arresting Assad-era officials, in an effort to end intercommunal violence.
Assad became president in 2000 at the age of 34, inheriting power from his father, Hafez. He had trained as an ophthalmologist in London and was not initially supposed to be president, but became the heir after his brother, Basil, died in a car accident.
Though styled as a young reformer who was supposed to allow some liberalisation in Syrian politics and its economy, his legacy was largely defined by his brutal response to the country’s revolution.
Under his rule, Syria’s fearsome security apparatus was given a free hand to arrest, torture and kill civilians on an industrial scale.
#assad #sentenced #death #syria
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