President Assad

OldFrill this armchair expert would like some circumspection before any government apparently welcomes a potential jihadist replacement. It’s elementary ….

There are reports of Israel advancing towards Damascus beyond the buffer zone

www.standard.co.uk/news/world/syria-israel-incursion-damascus-assad-hts-middle-east-golan-heights-b1199065.html

Still nightly bombardments by Israel, the UN envy has called on them to stop. My concerns, as well as for civilians in the area, are that the more Syrians perceive Israel as an aggressor the long term situation will be worse not better.

There is still fighting in the Kurdish North.

Trump declared on X "“Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!," Trump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social”. but on Saturday they launched airstrikes against ISIS as they fear it might have a come-back. The US has 900 troops in the NorthEast.

However the US like most Western countries hope to engage with HTS and other groups to promote a non jihadist but nationalist government. It's a really really tough "ask". Since the West gives so much aid there must be some "clout" there. The HTS and other groups are in talks but there are differences.

Meanwhile in many western countries Syrian applications for asylum have been paused awaiting developments.

Mostly I hope for the most benign possible solution for civilians who have suffered so very much for so very long.

No one knows how this is going to pan out in the long run. I know what I'd like to happen but experience has shown me I'm often disappointed. I have realised how little I know about Syria but I listened to the latest This is Politics podcast and found it very informative, well worth listening to if you want to have a bit more background to the issues.

foxie48

No one knows how this is going to pan out in the long run. I know what I'd like to happen but experience has shown me I'm often disappointed. I have realised how little I know about Syria but I listened to the latest This is Politics podcast and found it very informative, well worth listening to if you want to have a bit more background to the issues.

Yes, even with loads of background reading from different sources it's very hard to grasp.

I think the rebel leader is allegedly an ex terrorist now reformed. Kier Starmer has committed to giving them eleven million pounds but surely he should wait awhile to see how things pan out. There was some mention of the new leader making shariah law the norm which is a bit worrying.

We can’t do anything to influence who is going to run the country so best to keep whoever it is onside. The government can hardly just refuse to have anything to do with them. If we’d refused to deal with terrorists we would never have achieved peace in Ireland, would we?

Foxyferret

I think the rebel leader is allegedly an ex terrorist now reformed. Kier Starmer has committed to giving them eleven million pounds but surely he should wait awhile to see how things pan out. There was some mention of the new leader making shariah law the norm which is a bit worrying.

According to The Guardian, the new leader of Syria has two identities.

Abu Mohammed Al-Jolani who fought for the Jihadists against the USA in Iran.

Or

Born as Ahmed Al-Shira who grew up in a prosperous area of Damascus and studied medicine.

Sending £’s in the millions to Syria should be paused until we know more about the new regime, just like all Syrian asylum applications have.

Foxyferret

I think the rebel leader is allegedly an ex terrorist now reformed. Kier Starmer has committed to giving them eleven million pounds but surely he should wait awhile to see how things pan out. There was some mention of the new leader making shariah law the norm which is a bit worrying.

Can you give the source of this "some mention

Jolani has not been calling for Sharia Law in Syria.

I quoted this upthread yesterday.

“Meanwhile yesterday "on Sunday, in what appeared to be coordinated statements, Syria’s prime minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali said that he was at his home and promised to cooperate with “any leadership chosen by the Syrian people”,

while rebel leaders said that public institutions remained under the supervision of the “former prime minister”.

Jolani, meanwhile, said that his fighters should not harm “those who drop their weapons” and assured women and Christians that he does not intend to impose strict Islamic law

This is why Western nations are pro accepting discussions with him.

reference: 

in timeline www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/09/syria-bashar-al-assad-asylum-russia-live-updates-blog?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with%3Ablock-675694478f0896ed0c237ba9#block-675694478f0896ed0c237ba9

Foxyferret

I think the rebel leader is allegedly an ex terrorist now reformed. Kier Starmer has committed to giving them eleven million pounds but surely he should wait awhile to see how things pan out. There was some mention of the new leader making shariah law the norm which is a bit worrying.

That's a stupid move. Yet he can't find the money to pay WFA, or give 300 million to fund the police properly, or pay for better defence. Yet Starmer grovelling to a jihad with 11million of our tax payers money. I know where I would rather our money be spent, and it's not to Syria. Let the other middle east countries empty their oil filled pockets and help out their neighbours.

Great news about assad. I lived there in Damascus when the father was there. Rotten regime and no one challenged them then hopefully things will be better.

I support the 11 million win aid because it is humanitarian aid designed to get Syria back on its feet.

Our interests are very much involved: we have had an ongoing incoming flow of migrants fleeing the war and we want Syria to be a safe regime, for this and many other reasons, and its an attempt to help stabilise the situation.

Freya5

Foxyferret

I think the rebel leader is allegedly an ex terrorist now reformed. Kier Starmer has committed to giving them eleven million pounds but surely he should wait awhile to see how things pan out. There was some mention of the new leader making shariah law the norm which is a bit worrying.

That's a stupid move. Yet he can't find the money to pay WFA, or give 300 million to fund the police properly, or pay for better defence. Yet Starmer grovelling to a jihad with 11million of our tax payers money. I know where I would rather our money be spent, and it's not to Syria. Let the other middle east countries empty their oil filled pockets and help out their neighbours.

It is not a jihad. A jihad means "Holy War"

Don't you thinks valuable to try and set a situation up where its not a war torn country refugees no longer need to flee Syria and arrive on boats?

Wyllow3

Freya5

Foxyferret

I think the rebel leader is allegedly an ex terrorist now reformed. Kier Starmer has committed to giving them eleven million pounds but surely he should wait awhile to see how things pan out. There was some mention of the new leader making shariah law the norm which is a bit worrying.

That's a stupid move. Yet he can't find the money to pay WFA, or give 300 million to fund the police properly, or pay for better defence. Yet Starmer grovelling to a jihad with 11million of our tax payers money. I know where I would rather our money be spent, and it's not to Syria. Let the other middle east countries empty their oil filled pockets and help out their neighbours.

It is not a jihad. A jihad means "Holy War"

Don't you thinks valuable to try and set a situation up where its not a war torn country refugees no longer need to flee Syria and arrive on boats?

I do. On BBC News last night there were many who clearly would rather be in their own country. I hope the peaceful future with their own people in a safe Syria that they yearn for actually happens for them.

The sharia law bit was being banded about on X, a lot of discussion about will he, won’t he. I did not say the government should not have discussions with terrorist MayBee70, I just said we should wait awhile before sending financial aid.We all know that leaders often say one thing and then do the opposite.

I gather that he’s fled to Russia.
Brutal dictators stick together.

The 11 million is to try and help to stabilise the situation amongst the population with immediate needs - food, shelter and so on, to assist the establishment of new governance and make it safer. Its distributed by international aid agencies.

Wyllow3

Freya5

Foxyferret

I think the rebel leader is allegedly an ex terrorist now reformed. Kier Starmer has committed to giving them eleven million pounds but surely he should wait awhile to see how things pan out. There was some mention of the new leader making shariah law the norm which is a bit worrying.

That's a stupid move. Yet he can't find the money to pay WFA, or give 300 million to fund the police properly, or pay for better defence. Yet Starmer grovelling to a jihad with 11million of our tax payers money. I know where I would rather our money be spent, and it's not to Syria. Let the other middle east countries empty their oil filled pockets and help out their neighbours.

It is not a jihad. A jihad means "Holy War"

Don't you thinks valuable to try and set a situation up where its not a war torn country refugees no longer need to flee Syria and arrive on boats?

Yes I know, spelling misshap.

As others have said, the
Money is an attempt to stabilise Syria during what will be difficult times. Mandela was a terrorist, many involved in Republican armies in Northern Ireland were committed to the developing Good Friday Agreemdent
There has to be hope in dark days. Syria is a beautiful country where women had rights and various religions coexisted. Let’s hope (even pray) that stability is achieved

In the midst of joy, Israel is bombing Syria, while Netanyahu, has been answering charges in court.

So is Biden. 75 strikes over the weekend apparently.

silverlining48

In the midst of joy, Israel is bombing Syria, while Netanyahu, has been answering charges in court.

You forgot to add, alongside Turkey and the US.

silverlining48

In the midst of joy, Israel is bombing Syria, while Netanyahu, has been answering charges in court.

This is why. Biden may have learnt his lesson when he left Afghanistan.
Why are Israel, US and Turkey bombing Syria's airbases after Assad's fall?
Many countries fear powerful weapons left behind by the Assad regime and now in rebel hands could prove detrimental for regional security.

I'm not in favour of leaving them with no defences at all although given the stockpile include Assad's chemical weapons he'd used on his own population...

Whats going to happen to the two Russian Bases in Syria?
Read this from an hour ago

www.reuters.com/world/satellite-imagery-shows-russian-navy-ships-anchored-off-syrian-coast-2024-12-10/

Presumably pulling out?

I still think that Israel should not continue to advance beyond the buffer zone.

The only thing for sure is we don’t know what is going to happen, the US is the only power in the region - assuming Iran stays out of the fighting.

We’ve seen celebrations in Damascus that’s a long way from controlling the whole country, there are other armed groups that need to be eliminated. It would be nice to think everyone will come together peacefully, that has not been the history in the region.

Although I didn’t agree with the way Assad treated the Syrians I am concerned now that Syria may become like another Afghanistan