In the two days since Damascus fell to the “liberating” rebels, the Syria situation has moved on apace.
Bashar al-Assad and his family – rumoured to have been in a plane crash on Sunday – are now confirmed alive having been granted asylum in Moscow, according to Russian sources.
The rebel leaders – no longer considered “terrorists” by the UK, and with a change of wardrobe to prove it – have already sat down with the Syrian Prime Minister to discuss the transfer of power:
They have also reportedly issued a general amnesty for any soldiers who fought for the Assad government.
Meanwhile Israel is carving out “buffer zones” from Syria’s southwest and blasting Syria’s air defenses with bombs, completely unopposed.
With all this coming so thick and fast, people are asking questions.
- How did a “frozen conflict” thaw and resolve in just 10 days?
- Was there some betrayal involved?
- Or has a deal been done?
Certainly the passivity of the Syrian government and armed forces in the face of the apparent assault was noteworthy, as The Duran pointed out twitter:
Assad’s passivity in the face of these events was astonishing
— The Duran (@TheDuranReal) December 10, 2024
It’s reminiscent of the “chaotic” US withdrawal, which saw tons of weapons and equipment “accidentally” left behind for Taliban forces and thousands of prisoners “accidentally” freed. Easily interpretable as part of an agreement after the fact.
Is that the case here?
Or is it all in service of “Greater Israel”, as others claim?
I hope that those pro-Palestine campaigners who are celebrating the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad are waking up to the fact that they’re on the side of Benjamin Netanyahu and the Greater Israel project. https://t.co/mqRhcoMZot
— Chris Williamson (@DerbyChrisW) December 10, 2024
Time will tell.
By Kit Knightly