President Assad

There is an infrastructure just very patchy and regional. BBC update recorded some children going back to school and some Christians going to services.

foxie, you said it all really what I was thinking of saying. People commenting on here,
some want to look into it more than others, nobody is an "Expert"
some want to look up and post references, others to choose a particular angle of interest.

You say foxie, " I think what is worrying me most is seeing how wars in one part of the world have a knock on effort somewhere else, the world feels very unstable ATM"

Yes

The USA has just under 1000 troops (did check it out) in the Kurdish areas, no one knows if they will stay or go, the Russians still have two bases on the coast to the East, the HTS have control of the oil areas (not currently producing a lot),

Israel is still advancing/consolidating (today BBC report)
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgm9w2ym39go

Yes, Syria is in the middle of a some very troubled areas and thats why so much effort is going into it.

Wyllow3

M61: you are completely wrong:

Refugees are coming back, often families, from Turkey, already. And so many more want to come back, but there are things to be sorted first

Here is a video of them from today, and they talk of living under Assad, and their hopes in coming home

www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=refugees+in+turkey+retrun+to+syria&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:ad5dde1c,vid:pDEoKRVVn5A,st:0

However, this helpful BBC article says the difficulties they face and why some won't be coming back until matters are more resolved

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg6eeg87lqo

""There is still no water in many regions in Syria, electricity comes at certain times of the day. It is not even clear who will govern the country and how, but we need to return to get Syria back on its feet," says Ibrahim, a chemical engineer"

OTOH

"that there are big questions over infrastructure – a lack of schools, jobs and hospitals.
The United Nations estimates that 90% of the population inside Syria is now living below the poverty line.
"It may take hundreds of billions of dollars to rebuild these devastated cities. Which country will provide the resources?" Mr Erdogan says. "The deep poverty and the collapse of infrastructure in Syria are likely to continue for a long time. These are not problems that will be easily fixed in the short term."
Metin Corabatir warns also of the risk of unexploded bombs and mines when refugees head home: "They also need to find out in advance what condition their homes are in the destroyed cities."

Can't you understand a genuine longing to "go home"?

Yes I certainly can but you are saying there is no infrastructure, no schools, etc
A-bit like here really! So that’s why I don’t think they will be rushing off back to Syria- I certainly hope their country is sorted out & rebuilt then they can get back to some normalcy

We shall see Jeanathome

As someone with a poor knowledge of geography I find looking at maps is a good start to understanding the geopolitics of an area. I think geopolitics is what Ronib is referring to as stirring the pot with paddles? Thinking of Syria, it's not just the adjacent countries that matter (Turkey, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Israel), it's their alliances and type of government etc, it's coastline and who has ports there (eg Russia) which give access to other places of access? (Russia and Wagner group in Africa). Where are the oil fields, what other countries have bases there and why? It really helps to give me a sense of why we get involved in the politics of other countries, why organisations like NATO and the UN (despite the faults!) are important to our security. I'm grateful for links that people have found that help to explain the complexity of this region, keep posting them please.
No one know who will prevail in Syria, at least we are sending humanitarian aid and speaking to HTS via diplomatic routes (which is apparently legal). I think what is worrying me most is seeing how wars in one part of the world have a knock on effort somewhere else, the world feels very unstable ATM.

Wyllow3 my point is that I don’t have a position/point. This whole situation seems to be very difficult to unravel. There are so many conflicting interests involved but I guess we’ll see who comes out top soon enough!!
The US seems to have been very involved militarily from 2013?? I am sure greater minds than mine will explain. Back to my hoovering….

Yes there has been limited military involvement, by the West especially early on 2012-2015 against the excesses of the Russian backed Assam regime, including its chemical weapons.

FWIW, his article charts US
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_attacks_on_Syria_during_the_Syrian_civil_war

I'm not sure what overall point you are trying to make, Ronib.

The aid budgets throughout the period as outlined above as mentioned several times are channeled through international aid agencies and are not for arms.

MaizieD The US has been very involved militarily in Syria. I don’t know how accurate the Wiki is but that’s a good start.

ronib

Russia, Iran, USA, UK and UAE have all been involved with Syria since 2011. I don’t know if by aid this means arms are included. This country has had many paddles stirring the pot.

Russia supplied military personnel and arms to Assad. It was Russian planes that bombed the hell out of many Syrian settlements. Iran supplied arms and fighters, too, I understand.

Militarily the US and the UK stood back and did nothing to support the 'rebels'. Were they supplying humanitarian aid? I thought they kept well out of it.

David49

The UK the US and others are offering aid to rebuild Syria in the hope that they become a moderate inclusive state with the freedoms we enjoy. Not descend into an extremist state like Iran or Afghanistan and make tensions in the region worse.

Yes, very much part of the equation and stated as such.

Not forgetting Daesh

Russia, Iran, USA, UK and UAE have all been involved with Syria since 2011. I don’t know if by aid this means arms are included. This country has had many paddles stirring the pot.

The UK the US and others are offering aid to rebuild Syria in the hope that they become a moderate inclusive state with the freedoms we enjoy. Not descend into an extremist state like Iran or Afghanistan and make tensions in the region worse.

Nothing.

As outlined above the previous governments also funded humanitarian aid:

and currently other countries have given extra aid as well as UK, all part of international efforts we play our part.

he trying to prove something

What is KS trying to prove please?

Germany is also stepping up its aid for Syria.

www.deutschland.de/en/news/germany-increases-support-for-syria#:~:text=Germany%20makes%20millions%20available%20for,responsibility%20for%20a%20peaceful%20Syria.&text=Berlin%20(d.de)%20–,a%20stable%20and%20peaceful%20Syria.

(just another European example)

so has the US government (a huge amount, the biggest donor

www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases/sep-26-2024-united-states-announces-nearly-535-million-additional-humanitarian-assistance-syria-regional-response#:~:text=The%20United%20States%20remains%20the,the%20start%20of%20the%20crisis.

Thank you for that key article, foxie. Absolutely describes the politics of the region and why to support for a moderate solution!

£50m in humanitarian aid announced from the Uk to Syria….. for vulnerable Syrians.

There are 16.7 million people in need of humanitarian aid in Syria and refugees are returning to their homes in Syria. Without foreign aid people will starve, disease will be rife and people will be without shelter. It's winter in Syria and although relatively mild, it can be very wet with snow in some areas. Aid will be supplied by aid agencies eg International Red Cross, World Food Programme, UNICEF etc. it will not be given to proscribed terrorist organisations. More information below, all of which is readily accessible on the Govt website.

commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10161/

Don't forget many people had to flee because of that devastating earthquake last year too.

About 1.5 million people lost their homes and millions more were affected by it..

ronib

Wyllow3 this sceptic thinks 11 million is peanuts and exactly why are we giving anything at all to a proscribed terrorist group? I would wait for Trump to show his cards - the Uk is such a sideshow these days!!

Well considering we've given away 4 billion to Syria from 2011 till 2022, already 97 million 2024 to25, now an nextra 11 million, my concerns are not about helping the Syrian people in whatever way. My concern is Starmer is over eager to hand that last amount to a regime we know nothing about, is he trying to prove something. As Syria is already getting a huge amount of our money, surely this can wait until we know what we are dealing with. The UK has also been funding, from the aid budget, 215 million, the total appears to be 350 million, supporting rebels, but refuses to disclose which ones.
www.declassifieduk.org.

David49

Those in Camps in Turkey wont have any choice the Turks have been very generous but the camps are close to the border they will return, from the UK I hope so too

Yes David I hope it will be safe enough for people who want to come home from Europe.

Wyllow3 this sceptic thinks 11 million is peanuts and exactly why are we giving anything at all to a proscribed terrorist group? I would wait for Trump to show his cards - the Uk is such a sideshow these days!!

Those in Camps in Turkey wont have any choice the Turks have been very generous but the camps are close to the border they will return, from the UK I hope so too

Perhaps the doubters can begin to understand why the UK gave 11 million for immediate relief!

The need for stability is so strong and some confidence in being able to re build is one of the reasons I think talks could be held involving the HTS.

Wyllow3

What a perfect word to describe it.

Families with children are crossing from the Turkish refugee camps. I suppose it depends on what you are going back to specifically - and what as a refugee you've had to endure.

I guess if you’re living in a tent in a refugee camp, with nothing to your name, the thought of going back to your original home and in some cases land must be appealing, even if your home has been destroyed it’s where your roots and the people you lived among before will be. Poor souls though, it’s impossible to imagine how they must feel.