Syria War, 9 December 2024

Hello everybody!

I guess, if I would be a typical Western journo, and reporting in the same way like typical Western journos are reporting about ‘some war in Africa’, I would start this one something along the following lines:

The ongoing democratic process in the war-torn region of western Asia best known as ‘Middle East’, experienced yet another drama. Extremist Zionist troops of the USA- and EU-supported government of the Prime Minister Netanyahu, sought by the ICC over alleged war crimes, have initiated an invasion of Syria.

Explained by the need to establish a buffer zone to the buffer zone on the Syrian territory already occupied by extremist Zionists since June 1967, the move is actually making no sense, because there are no armed Syrians in the area in question at all: only tanks of the extremist Zionists, like this Merkava in Qunaitra:

However, there are already first reports that the extremist Zionist troops are involved in operations of ethnic cleansing: the population of Hadr was requested to leave. For humanitarian purposes, of course: so the Israeli troops can then loot and blow up their homes in civilised and democratic fashion, like they are already doing all over the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

The same can be expected to happen in Khan Arnabe, the biggest town in the area meanwhile seized by Netanyahu’s troops:

Throughout the day, this advance was accompanied by dozens of additional air strikes on military bases all over southern and south-western Syria, but also in Damascus. While the bombardment is said to have destroyed all the MiG-29 interceptors of the former Syrian Arab Air Force at the Dmeyr Air Base, 50km north of Damascus, it is also known to have killed a local sheikh at the Khelekhlek AB, in north-western Suwayda Province.

Probably because Netanyahu’s government is priding itself by its excellent relations to the Druze sect.

In other cases, Netanyahu’s government released no official explanation for bombardment of such objects like the building of the Immigration and Passports Authority in the Syrian capital (bombed out yesterday).

Meanwhile, moderate Zionist troops assigned to the Central Command of the US Armed Forces claim to have bombed 75 targets in central and eastern Syria over the last 48 hours. According to the official statement of the CENTCOM’s spokesperson, the results are still under investigation, but, they’re absolutely certain there were no civilian casualties, exactly like all the time since 2014.

It remains unknown if the CENTCOM is also running an investigation into how comes its troops found themselves facing thousands of Syrian protesters in Dayr az-Zawr, demanding an immediate withdrawal of the US-supported PKK/PYD/YPG-organisation (considered a terrorist organisation by the USA) from Dayr az-Zawr…or if they were involved in the PKK/PYD/YPG… ah yes, sorry: ‘Syrian Democratic Forces’ then opening fire and killing at least one.

Don’t worry: all were ‘ISIS-sympathisers’, because as all the foreigners know, in Syria it’s simple: there are only courageous and lovely Kurds or disgusting headchopping terrorists…

Must be the reason why, when CMO-troops have entred al-Mayadeen, they were met with welcome…

Never mind. In an interview for the Israeli Army Radio, Major-General (reserve) Noam Tibon, explained that, ‘Israel is very interested in establishing a Kurdish state in Syria’.

Therefore, I feel free to assess: that’s going to become the CENTCOM’s next task.

That much about that…

***

Here in Austria, the politics and the media are foremost concerned by announcements of ‘another, massive wave of refugees from Syria’, expressed by numerous authoritative experts all over our glorious media. Some are expecting about 1,5 million - primarily because they are so well informed that they’ve missed the flood of internally displaced persons from western Idlib, and refugees from Türkye already returning to Syria.

Similarly, in Slovakia, there seem to be lots of people expecting the ‘Türkish-supported jihadists of the al-Qaeda-affiliated HTS’ to assault Bratislava as next. Such fears are compounded by assessments of diverse online experts, who are not sure if the native armed forces might fold as fast as those of Assad…

Only Germany is in the state of shock: amid fears about that new, even bigger wave of refugees from Syria, announced by experts of similar quality like in Austria and Slovakia, the Head of the German Hospital Association has realised that the country’s health system is likely to experience a rather rude shock when many of the Syrian doctors and other medical personnel decide to return home… But, don’t worry: Germany has already halted all asylum proceedings for Syrians.

Poor little Austrians, Germans, and Slovaks: in what a terrible world are we all living.

***

Now for some serious news…

From what I gather when asking people around in Damascus and Dera’a, they can’t understand why is Israel bombing Syria at all. Arguably, many are still busy celebrating, and - amid the regular celebration-shooting around them - didn’t even come to the idea it’s Israel that is bombing them. But well: I would say, that’s a nice indication for all the ‘hatred’, ‘sectarianism’, ‘jihadism’ and ‘terror’ one ‘must’ expect from the country and its population in the future…

Many other Syrians are busy trying to find their relatives imprisoned by Assadists: newest estimates are that the former regime held between 300,000 and 400,000 Syrians detained. In other cases, as far as still capable of thinking and walking (tragically: many are not), inmates freed are trying to find their former homes and families… more often than not, they can’t find anybody. Sadly, that’s likely to remain that way: too many families were completely eradicated during the war.

Yesterday and today, the situation was particularly dramatic in the notorious Sednaya Prison, outside Damascus. Thought to contain about 20,000 detainees, this turned out to be much more massive: latest estimates are at 40,000+. What's worse: it turned out the complex contained a major underground facility: the Assadist guards blocked these by security mechanisms before fleeing, locking thousands inside. Inmates were two days without food and water.

https://x.com/QalaatAlMudiq/status/1865877689246355939

https://x.com/Levant_24_/status/1865827549802033536

https://x.com/Levant_24_/status/1865820891013108095

https://x.com/clashreport/status/1866016586462634017

https://x.com/zamanalwslEN/status/1865845925467525551

https://x.com/zamanalwsl/status/1865821435840577853

Urgent calls were issued all over the social media for the guards to report themselves to the revolutionary authorities: pardon is guaranteed. Anything, just to help free the remaining detainees. Five rescue teams were rushed from Idlib to try and find an entrance. One complex was discovered yesterday. As of 16.45hrs local time today, no evidence was found of additional parts of underground facilities remaining undiscovered. That said, there are reports about a number of similar, underground detention facilities elsewhere around Syria.

Of course, 'the West' - which is near-certain to have delivered the equipment for such underground facilities (and for much of other Assadist underground facilities, but also their luxurious Mercedes, Audis, Ferraris, Lamborghinis etc.) - is completely mute about this affair. If at all, a few of talking heads in Washington and Berlin are ‘loudly thinking’ about re-considering the HTS’ status of a ‘terrorist organisation’.

***

Türkye-supported SNA has continued its assault on positions of (not-US-supported-in-this-part-of-Syria) PKK/PYD/YPG/SDF in the Manbij area. They have secured the town and the area between it and the Eurphrates River, but the fighting is going on south of there.

Now even Erdogan has a reason to celebrate.

…where everybody, but really everybody - from Putin, via Khamenei, to Biden and Netanyahu - already had their reason to celebrate, because it was only their, their, and nobody else’s actions that have effected the downfall of the Assadist regime.

***

In Aleppo this morning, engineer Muhammad al-Bashir was appointed the Prime Minister of the Syrian Salvation Government (SSG), and tasked with leading the country through the transitional period.

While CMO troops are meanwhile in control of all of Syria from Aleppo in the north to Dera’a in the south, and from Palmyra in the east to the entire coast of the Meditterranean Sea (including Latakia, Banyas and Tartous, but excluding the 1,5 Russian bases there), the SSG has announced a general amnesty for all military personnel conscripted under compulsory service by the former regime. Moreover, the HTS has issued a public announcement that (quote), it is strictly forbidden to interfere with women’s clothing or impose any request related to their clothing or appearance, including requests for modesty.

Opposition leaders have also met Christian leaders of Mahrada and as-Suqalibya, two Christian towns in the northern Hama. Amid mass-destruction of all signs of the former regime, all along the coast, and even in Assadist strongholds up in the mountains (like in Qardaha, the very home of the Asad clan), Alawite sheikhs have called for a general amnesty for all, guarantees for all to return to their homes, prevention of carrying illegal arms, and unity of Syria. And then the Sunni, Alawi, and Christian leaders met in the Hourieh Mosque in Latakia to discuss relations between the locals.

Yet more clear signs for jihadist and headchopping intentions, obviously…

After Moscow prompted the local Syrian embassy to raise the flag of the Syrian Revolution, the embassy in Stockholm (Sweden) did so as well.

Seems, the Pudding regime is pursuing a rather opportunist policy: ‘If you can’t defeat them…’

Overall, provided Israel can stop bombing Syria (or anybody comes to the idea to orders it to stop), and eventually even withdraw from illegally occupied Syrian territories, and the PKK/PYD/YPG’s regime collapses in the East… and after nearly 14 years, I might even be left without anything to report about this war.