• Education
    • Higher Education
    • Scholarships & Grants
    • Online Learning
    • School Reforms
    • Research & Innovation
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Fashion & Beauty
    • Home & Living
    • Relationships & Family
  • Technology & Startups
    • Software & Apps
    • Startup Success Stories
    • Startups & Innovations
    • Tech Regulations
    • Venture Capital
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cybersecurity
    • Emerging Technologies
    • Gadgets & Devices
    • Industry Analysis
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy
Today Headline
  • Home
  • World News
    • Us & Canada
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Africa
    • Middle East
  • Politics
    • Elections
    • Political Parties
    • Government Policies
    • International Relations
    • Legislative News
  • Business & Finance
    • Market Trends
    • Stock Market
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Corporate News
    • Economic Policies
  • Science & Environment
    • Space Exploration
    • Climate Change
    • Wildlife & Conservation
    • Environmental Policies
    • Medical Research
  • Health
    • Public Health
    • Mental Health
    • Medical Breakthroughs
    • Fitness & Nutrition
    • Pandemic Updates
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Tennis
    • Olympics
    • Motorsport
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV & Streaming
    • Celebrity News
    • Awards & Festivals
  • Crime & Justice
    • Court Cases
    • Cybercrime
    • Policing
    • Criminal Investigations
    • Legal Reforms
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • World News
    • Us & Canada
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Africa
    • Middle East
  • Politics
    • Elections
    • Political Parties
    • Government Policies
    • International Relations
    • Legislative News
  • Business & Finance
    • Market Trends
    • Stock Market
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Corporate News
    • Economic Policies
  • Science & Environment
    • Space Exploration
    • Climate Change
    • Wildlife & Conservation
    • Environmental Policies
    • Medical Research
  • Health
    • Public Health
    • Mental Health
    • Medical Breakthroughs
    • Fitness & Nutrition
    • Pandemic Updates
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Tennis
    • Olympics
    • Motorsport
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV & Streaming
    • Celebrity News
    • Awards & Festivals
  • Crime & Justice
    • Court Cases
    • Cybercrime
    • Policing
    • Criminal Investigations
    • Legal Reforms
No Result
View All Result
Today Headline
No Result
View All Result
Home World News Us & Canada

Syrians have big plans for life after Assad. But their neighbours might have other ideas

December 14, 2024
in Us & Canada
Reading Time: 6 mins read
A A
0
Syrians have big plans for life after Assad. But their neighbours might have other ideas
5
SHARES
10
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


Syrians seeking to chart their own political course, free from outside interference, following the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad may be thwarted by the geopolitical ambitions of their neighbours, who already have a foothold in the country, experts say.

“We all want this to be a moment of liberation and self-determination,” for the Syrians, said Mostafa Minawi, an associate professor of history at Cornell University. 

But, with all the external players already involved in Syria, “I don’t know how that would happen.” he said.

“They are not planning on going anywhere.”

Those players include Turkey, which has an ongoing interest in Syria because of its Kurdish minority; Iran, which, along with Russia, had supported the Assad regime; and Israel, which has occupied Syria’s Golan Heights and expressed concerns over Islamist rebels.

WATCH | What happens now?

What’s next for Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime

A fast-moving rebel offensive has taken down Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, leaving a power vacuum in an already tension-filled region. The National’s Adrienne Arsenault asks CBC’s Chris Brown and The Economist’s Gregg Carlstrom to break down who’s in charge now and the implications of what happens next.

Turkey

Observers expect Turkey to play a dominant role in Syria’s future, having established a significant military foothold in a northern strip of the country, controlling territories such as the city of Afrin and parts of the countryside outside Aleppo.

These areas serve as buffers against Kurdish groups and provide leverage over Syria’s political landscape, analysts say.

“While Turkey may advocate for a decentralized or restructured Syria, it is unlikely to completely withdraw its influence, as its strategic interests remain deeply tied to Syria’s future,” Sajjan M. Gohel, international security director at the Asia-Pacific Foundation in London, said in an email to CBC News.

Syrians living in Turkey celebrate news of Assad’s ouster in Istanbul, on Dec. 8. (Dilara Senkaya/Reuters)

Turkey’s main concern are Syria’s Kurdish forces, which it considers to be an extension of the Turkey-based separatist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (KWP), which seeks Kurdish self-rule. The Turkish government has labelled the KWP a terrorist group and doesn’t believe Kurdish forces in Syria should have any presence.

The U.S. partnered with those Kurdish forces to rout the Islamic State group. But this alliance has been a source of tension between Washington and Ankara, even though both are NATO allies.

Turkey is “very much on the ground,” Minawi said. “They’re not going anywhere because there are Kurdish groups along the northern border of Syria that they will not allow to develop their own autonomous region because this threatens Turkey’s own autonomy.”

A masked opposition fighter carries a flag of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in the courtyard of the Umayyad Mosque in the old walled city of Damascus on Tuesday. (Hussein Malla/The Associated Press)

Ankara has the strongest channels of communication, and history of working, with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist rebel alliance that now controls much of Syria, positioning it to reap the benefits of the Assad regime’s demise, Gonul Tol, director of the Middle East Institute’s Turkish Program, wrote in Foreign Affairs.

“Turkey will certainly have a role to play. Its support for the groups in charge, the long border it shares with Syria, and its military presence in the country give it significant influence,” he wrote.

Iran and Russia

The defeat of Assad, who was backed by the Iranian government, is a significant blow to Tehran, which has already suffered strategic losses after Israel pounded its allies Hamas and Hezbollah, in Gaza and Lebanon respectively.

“Syria represented a springboard for the Iranian regime to project its influence as far as the Mediterranean, and that has disappeared,” Jonathan Piron, a historian and Iran specialist at the Etopia research centre in Brussels, told France 24.

“Iran finds itself in an unprecedented position of weakness.”

However, its long-standing support for Assad and its deployment of Syrian Shia militias have entrenched sectarian divisions in the country,  meaning Iran can also be expected to maintain some kind of presence, Gohel said.

“Even with reduced Iranian support without Assad being in Syria, the militias may remain influential, potentially undermining efforts for national unity,” he said.

Minawi agrees that he could not imagine Iran fully disengaging.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, right, meets Assad, in Tehran on May 30. Assad was backed by the Iranian government, and his fall is is a significant blow to Tehran. (The Associated Press)

“They even already stated that they are ready to talk with the interim government, but they are very much on the retreat.”

Still, Foad Izadi, a professor at the University of Tehran, told the Wall Street Journal that Iran has historically found a foothold in fractured states, and might be able to maintain some influence in Syria, regardless of the country’s political future.

“A democratic Syrian government is not going to be friendly to Israel, it will be supportive of the Palestinian cause,” which is backed by both Iranian-supported Hamas and Hezbollah, he said.

 And if you’re going to have chaos, and Syria turns into another Libya, that’s also something Iran can manage.”

Meanwhile, although not a regional neighbour, Russia had played a critical role in supporting Assad’s regime, providing military and diplomatic support.

WATCH | How the rebels did it | About That:

How Syrian rebels destroyed the Assad regime | About That

After decades in power, the Assad regime has fallen to Syrian rebel groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Andrew Chang breaks down the two weeks of intense fighting that led to this seismic breakthrough for rebel forces.

Images supplied by Getty Images, Canadian Press and Reuters Connect.

Additional credits: 0:05: BBC News/YouTube, 0:09: PBS NewsHour/YouTube, 0:13: Social media via Reuters, 0:14: Social media via Reuters, 1:52: FRANCE 24 English/YouTube, 1:56: FRANCE 24 English/YouTube, 1:57: ABC News (Australia)/YouTube

Russia may seek to retain leverage through agreements on military bases, thereby ensuring a long-term footprint in Syria, Gohel says. 

“The West will want that to end and may be willing to legitimize whatever regime replaces Assad, even recognizing the terrorist group HTS … if it means reducing Iran and Russia’s presence,” he said.

Israel

Since the fall of the Assad regime, Israel has carried out heavy airstrikes across Syria. Meanwhile its troops advanced into a roughly 400-square kilometre buffer zone inside its neighbour, which was established by the UN after the 1973 Mideast war. 

The airstrikes, the Israeli military said, took out Syrian missiles, drones, fighter jets, attack helicopters, tanks, radar systems and the country’s small naval fleet.

They “basically crippled any military capability and infrastructure,” Minawi said. “It’s a way of defanging the state before the state even gets off.”

Israeli soldiers ride an armoured vehicle near the line that separates the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, from Syria, on Thursday. (Matias Delacroix/The Associated Press)

Moving into the buffer zone is prohibited by the UN agreement, and brought some international condemnation. But Israeli political and military leaders say the move is temporary and not a prelude to further entering Syrian territory.

Israel says its immediate goal is to prevent the instability in Syria from spreading. The troops will remain “until security on our border can be guaranteed,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel is also using the political vacuum to shore up its defensive positions. Israel has supported some rebel groups in southern Syria as part of a strategy to maintain a buffer zone and prevent hostile forces from operating near the Golan Heights, Gohel said.

“This may continue. For Israel, the other priority will be to ensure Syria is not used as a cog to aid Hezbollah.”

Avi Dichter, an Israeli minister and member of the security cabinet, says the goal “is to establish facts on the ground,” the Washington Post reported.

Though HTS and other Sunni opposition groups fought for years against Iranian-backed forces, Dichter said Israel is still “preparing for the possibility that the rebels reach an agreement with Iran, with Hezbollah.”

Israel needs “to first see how [the rebels] build their state and their army,” Dichter said, according to the Post.



Source link

Previous Post

Blinken says US has made ‘direct contact’ with Syria’s HTS

Next Post

10 killed in Israeli attack in central Gaza

Related Posts

Limo driver accused of standing up Eaton fire victims headed to prom

Limo driver accused of standing up Eaton fire victims headed to prom

May 29, 2025
6
Saskatchewan Rush look back on breakthrough season, run to Game 3 of NLL finals

Saskatchewan Rush look back on breakthrough season, run to Game 3 of NLL finals

May 29, 2025
4
Next Post
Download app from appStore

10 killed in Israeli attack in central Gaza

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Family calls for change after B.C. nurse dies by suicide after attacks on the job

Family calls for change after B.C. nurse dies by suicide after attacks on the job

April 2, 2025
Pioneering 3D printing project shares successes

Product reduces TPH levels to non-hazardous status

November 27, 2024

Hospital Mergers Fail to Deliver Better Care or Lower Costs, Study Finds todayheadline

December 31, 2024

Police ID man who died after Corso Italia fight

December 23, 2024
Harris tells supporters 'never give up' and urges peaceful transfer of power

Harris tells supporters ‘never give up’ and urges peaceful transfer of power

0
Des Moines Man Accused Of Shooting Ex-Girlfriend's Mother

Des Moines Man Accused Of Shooting Ex-Girlfriend’s Mother

0

Trump ‘looks forward’ to White House meeting with Biden

0
Catholic voters were critical to Donald Trump’s blowout victory: ‘Harris snubbed us’

Catholic voters were critical to Donald Trump’s blowout victory: ‘Harris snubbed us’

0

AI+ Power 2025, Hong Kong’s Premier AI Application Exhibition, Lands June 5-6

May 29, 2025
Transfer rumors, news: Liverpool join race for €100m Ekitike

Transfer rumors, news: Liverpool join race for €100m Ekitike

May 29, 2025

Texas’ Sean Miller: Expired COVID year to hurt veteran depth todayheadline

May 29, 2025
Amazon is selling a 'powerful' $119 portable mini fan for only $25, and it's a 'lifesaver on hot days'

Amazon is selling a 'powerful' $119 portable mini fan for only $25, and it's a 'lifesaver on hot days' todayheadline

May 29, 2025

Recent News

AI+ Power 2025, Hong Kong’s Premier AI Application Exhibition, Lands June 5-6

May 29, 2025
3
Transfer rumors, news: Liverpool join race for €100m Ekitike

Transfer rumors, news: Liverpool join race for €100m Ekitike

May 29, 2025
1

Texas’ Sean Miller: Expired COVID year to hurt veteran depth todayheadline

May 29, 2025
5
Amazon is selling a 'powerful' $119 portable mini fan for only $25, and it's a 'lifesaver on hot days'

Amazon is selling a 'powerful' $119 portable mini fan for only $25, and it's a 'lifesaver on hot days' todayheadline

May 29, 2025
5

TodayHeadline is a dynamic news website dedicated to delivering up-to-date and comprehensive news coverage from around the globe.

Follow Us

Browse by Category

  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Basketball
  • Business & Finance
  • Climate Change
  • Crime & Justice
  • Cybersecurity
  • Economic Policies
  • Elections
  • Entertainment
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Environmental Policies
  • Europe
  • Football
  • Gadgets & Devices
  • Health
  • Medical Research
  • Mental Health
  • Middle East
  • Motorsport
  • Olympics
  • Politics
  • Public Health
  • Relationships & Family
  • Science & Environment
  • Software & Apps
  • Space Exploration
  • Sports
  • Stock Market
  • Technology & Startups
  • Tennis
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Us & Canada
  • Wildlife & Conservation
  • World News

Recent News

AI+ Power 2025, Hong Kong’s Premier AI Application Exhibition, Lands June 5-6

May 29, 2025
Transfer rumors, news: Liverpool join race for €100m Ekitike

Transfer rumors, news: Liverpool join race for €100m Ekitike

May 29, 2025
  • Education
  • Lifestyle
  • Technology & Startups
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy

© 2024 Todayheadline.co

Welcome Back!

OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Business & Finance
  • Corporate News
  • Economic Policies
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Market Trends
  • Crime & Justice
  • Court Cases
  • Criminal Investigations
  • Cybercrime
  • Legal Reforms
  • Policing
  • Education
  • Higher Education
  • Online Learning
  • Entertainment
  • Awards & Festivals
  • Celebrity News
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Health
  • Fitness & Nutrition
  • Medical Breakthroughs
  • Mental Health
  • Pandemic Updates
  • Lifestyle
  • Fashion & Beauty
  • Food & Drink
  • Home & Living
  • Politics
  • Elections
  • Government Policies
  • International Relations
  • Legislative News
  • Political Parties
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Middle East
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Cybersecurity
  • Emerging Technologies
  • Gadgets & Devices
  • Industry Analysis
  • Basketball
  • Football
  • Motorsport
  • Olympics
  • Climate Change
  • Environmental Policies
  • Medical Research
  • Science & Environment
  • Space Exploration
  • Wildlife & Conservation
  • Sports
  • Tennis
  • Technology & Startups
  • Software & Apps
  • Startup Success Stories
  • Startups & Innovations
  • Tech Regulations
  • Venture Capital
  • Uncategorized
  • World News
  • Us & Canada
  • Public Health
  • Relationships & Family
  • Travel
  • Research & Innovation
  • Scholarships & Grants
  • School Reforms
  • Stock Market
  • TV & Streaming
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy
  • About us
  • Contact

© 2024 Todayheadline.co