What to know about sudden rebel gains in Syria’s 13-year war and why it matters
What to know about sudden rebel gains in Syria’s 13-year war and why it matters
The surge in fighting has raised the prospect of another violent front reopening in the Middle East, at a time when U.S.-backed Israel is fighting Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, both Iranian-allied groups.
Summary
Rebels in Syria, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have launched their first major offensive on Aleppo since 2016, threatening a potential shift in the 13-year civil war.
The attack targets a city historically vital to Syria’s economy, previously reclaimed by President Assad with Russian support.
This resurgence could destabilize the region, involving players like Russia, Turkey, and Iran, while creating openings for ISIS.
HTS, previously linked to al-Qaida, has sought legitimacy but remains controversial. The fighting raises concerns of regional escalation amid other Middle Eastern conflicts.
Wow, I didn't realize this war was still ongoing, and 13 years old. I remember when this war broke out, and not only does it seem that long ago, but I thought it was pretty much wrapped up and the government won out.
Goes to show how much the media controls our knowledge on current affairs.
Syrian here. It was never exactly wrapped up. The government had strong momentum supported by its allies, but upon reaching the last stretch of rebel stronghold, they mysteriously stopped back around 2017-ish. What seems to have happened is Russia making a deal with Turkey and agreeing to stop.
Those remaining rebels have now launched a new offensive against the samw government army, but it is weaker than ever and severely lacking of ally support.
Thanks for the update. I hope you and yours are safe. What a terrible situation
No need to ease on the emergency measures as long as the war is on, eh?
"The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to be continuous."
It's not war so much as an imperial invasion. If you think this is long, check out the history of iran, palestine, iraq, libya, afghanistan, vietnam, all of latin america, all of africa, etc.
Goes to show how much the media controls our knowledge on current affairs.
Not necessarily. It just means you aren't active enough to go out of your own information bubble. Plenty of news sources would mention many things.
It now appears like Russia put an overwhelming amount of their military might into Syria as their current invasion has revealed how ineffective their army actually is.
With vastly diminished Russian assets, Assad has a problem.
Contrary to whats being thrown around, Russia's support hasnt shrank much. The major change was Hezbollah, which had to retreat from its positions in Syria to support the front against israel.
It's most important to know that this is extreme propaganda calling terrorists "rebels", etc. It's a continuation of the war on reality. Genocide is self-defense, etc.
Reminder that America, Turkey, and Israel are occupying ~40% of Syria, including the oil fields and are stealing the oil and food from those regions, and occasionally bomb Syrian forces.
While Assad is not blameless, our actions certainly don't improve the stability of Syria.
Edit: That any of these posts are getting downvoted is mindboggling. These rebels are HTS organization, which is what fucking al-Nusra renamed itself to.
These guys beliefs and actions aren't meaningfully different from fucking ISIS.
Bet most Syrians would prefer the US or Kurd occupied areas over the regime/Russian/Iran ones
I'm certain they don't prefer the immiseration and famine that comes with the US and/or proxies literally stealing their harvests and oil.
The Kurds are more complicated; Turkey invades/bombs them whenever possible, sometimes the US takes measures against further Turkish aggression, sometimes they ignore it.
In 2019 the Kurds made a deal with Assad for protection and autonomy within Syria after Trump decreased support. For them, Turkey represents a far greater threat than the Syrian government.
While Russia and Iran occupy the other portion. Don’t leave them out of the party
Russia only occupies the small region of its naval base. Iran does not really occupy any part, although they do seem to have great influence on the government.
You mean the legitimate government of Syria and the militaries they invited to help them fight ISIS, Al Nusra, and other US proxies?
Iran's General Solomeni was viewed across the middle east the way Americans view General Patton for coordinating an effective opposition to ISIS while the US continued to arm them via "Free Syrian Army" factions that either joined or immediately handed their equipment to ISIS and bomb people on both sides.
I immediately assumed the oligarchy (through US or Israel) had injected new life into the rebellion to stir shit up for their new never ending wars.