The brutal dictator of Syria, Bashar Al-Assad, managed to retain his power during the 2011 uprising in Syria and the ensuing hot phase of the civil war. This was achieved primarily through military support from Russia and the passivity of Western nations.
However, the civil war has not ended, and recent reports suggest it has once again entered an active phase. During this phase, a coalition led by the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has succeeded in capturing half of the city of Aleppo. Additionally, the rebels have taken control of over 50 villages and towns, despite government forces being supported by Russian fighter jets.
The resumption of hostilities appears to be linked to Hezbollah, a Lebanese group supporting Assad, coming under attack by Israel. Furthermore, Iran, another key supporter of the dictator, has recently been humiliated, which has likely diminished its ability to assist Assad effectively. And the Russian army is stuck in Ukraine
Reading these reports, I found myself pondering which I would prefer to govern Syria: fundamentalist Muslims or a Russian-aligned dictator. And to conclude that both options are equally insane.
Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Hassan Nasrallah Has Been Killed, but Lebanon Is Unlikely to Become the Switzerland of the Middle East Again
History of Finland XII: Bloody civil war
Are we going to allow ISIS women to ride on their children?
Barack Obama the 24th of March 2013 :"Assad must go." Mr. Putin said:"Assad will stay." Mr. Obama is long gone. Unfortunately it seems to me, that Western Democrasies are not willing to spend the money or blood to defend their values. Not being active now will cost more expences later.
ReplyDeleteThe problem for Western countries in Syria is that there is no reasonable alternative to Al-Assad. Almost no one in Syria supports real democracy.
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