News 24/7 – Dec. 15, 2024

Researcher and political analyst specializing in Middle East issues, Eva J. Koulouriotis, speaks to NEWS 24/7 about the rapid advance of the armed Syrian opposition, the torture of the Assad dynasty, the next day in the country, as well as the stance that Greece should take towards the new government.

Surprised by the speed with which the regime in Damascus collapsed, despite the fact that the initial military plans prepared by the armed Syrian opposition did not include control beyond the city of Aleppo, says Eva J. Koulouriotis, a researcher and political analyst specializing in Middle East issues.

In an interview with NEWS 24/7, she refers to the Assad dynasty, which will go down in history for its callous disregard for the lives of Syrians, and expresses her concern that the pain that thousands of civilians have experienced at the hands of the Assad regime may lead to revenge. In this context, she speaks of achieving justice and holding criminals accountable within the framework of the law, which is the first step towards the stability of Syria.

At the same time, she conveys the prevailing climate in areas controlled by the opposition and in areas under Assad’s control, while presenting the elements she considers necessary for the reconstruction of the country, and speaks of some positive -first- indications for the next day.

Finally, commenting on the assessments of some that, now, the philhellene/Christian element of Syria is in an even more dire position, she points out that Christians in Syria have never been separated from the rest of the Syrian people historically, clarifying that the Syrian opposition is not only Islamic, but brings together a large spectrum of Syrian society. She considers it necessary for Greece to communicate with the new government in order to ensure the support of Greek citizens on Syrian soil, as well as of the Orthodox Church there.

Hafez and Bashar al-Assad. Two authoritarian leaders who ruled Syria for over half a century. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear their names?

Two massacres. The first was carried out in 1982 by Hafez al-Assad and his brother Rifaat in the city of Hama, which claimed the lives of about 40,000 people, Muslims and Christians, whose crime was that they lived in that city when Father Assad decided to get rid of 300 people who joined the city’s Muslim Brotherhood party. The book “The Shell” by Syrian author Mustafa Khalifa is an important point in understanding the Syrian scene under the rule of Assad the father. The book, which conveys true events, tells the story of a young Syrian Christian who was arrested during the Hama massacre on charges of belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood and remained in prison for 13 years.

As for Bashar al-Assad, the chemical attack on Ghouta, the Damascus suburb in 2013, which killed around 1,500 civilians, mostly children and women, is the first thing that comes to mind when I hear the name of this criminal dictator.

Last week we witnessed one of the most surprising regime changes in world history. Within days, the world heard about the Syrian rebels again and saw them oust Bashar al-Assad and seize power. Did you expect the lightning advance? And if not, were there at least some signs of a resurgence of the war front and challenginAssad?

About two weeks before the start of the latest military operation launched by the armed Syrian opposition led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, I published an article on the OrientXXI website , entitled “Assad Trapped Between Allies and Enemies,” in which I explain that the negative role that Assad adopted in the Lebanon file by keeping the Syrian-Lebanese border open to Iranian support for the Hezbollah militia despite the Israeli threat, will be reflected in his remaining in power. I also explain the essential role of Russia in Assad’s exit from Damascus.

About a year ago, I gave an interview to the Syrian opposition website Syriawise. Among the questions I was asked was what the impact of the events of October 7 between Hamas and Israel would be on Syria. My answer was clear, that the repercussions of this attack would reach Damascus and Assad would become a burden to the Iranians and a useless president to the Israelis.

Having closely followed the events on the Syrian battlefield, I was aware of the corruption and mismanagement of Assad’s army and the reality of his exhausted allies. Also, the preparations of the armed Syrian opposition indicated the imminent start of a new military operation against the Assad regime, but, to be honest, I did not believe in any way that Assad would collapse in such a quick manner.

I had contacted one of the military officials of the armed Syrian opposition a day after they took control of the city of Aleppo and he confirmed to me that they were optimistic about the success of this offensive, but it went more smoothly than expected. Also, the military plans they had prepared did not include control beyond the city of Aleppo, but the rapid collapse of Assad’s forces pushed them further and further until they reached Damascus in just 12 days.

What is the current feeling in Syria about the rebels, whose mix of Islamists, American-backed Kurds, and Turkish-backed militias might sound like a recipe for further internal conflict? Can they work together?

I have been in contact with several people in Syria in recent days, some of whom lived in opposition-held areas and others in regime-held areas. For the residents of the opposition areas, the joy is indescribable. They will no longer live in tents and will no longer be afraid of shells and missiles falling on their tents despite the Turkish protection of those areas. As for the areas under the control of the Assad regime, the fear and confusion were clear on the first and second days of Assad’s escape. However, relief has slowly begun to return to the residents of Damascus and other cities as security stability and daily life are being restored.

In the countryside of Damascus, there has also been a clear improvement in the supply of electricity, bread and diesel. In the last months before the fall of Assad, bread and fuel were not easily available and the hours of electricity supply were very few. In some areas, electricity came for half an hour a day.

However, there will remain some fear, especially among the minorities, Christians and Alevis and to a lesser extent Druze, about whether the Islamists will continue to control power. However, there are positive indications that I received from the head of the Syrian Coalition, Mr. Hadi Al-Bahra, who confirmed to me that consultations are continuing between many platforms of the Syrian political opposition to form a leadership council to manage Syria in the transitional phase that will prepare the climate for amending the constitution and holding democratic parliamentary and presidential elections.

Can the people of Syria—who have endured a 13-year, multifaceted civil war and nearly half a century of brutal rule by the Assad family, with over half a million dead and millions displaced—emerge victorious? And overall, what does Syria need to rebuild?

Despite the excessive joy in the squares of Syria and among Syrian refugees around the world, it hides a wound that will not heal soon. We are talking about about 150 thousand forcibly disappeared people whose families are still searching for them, although the bitter truth is that the Assad regime has been liquidating them over the past 13 years. This pain could lead to individual revenge, which is of great concern to the Syrian political opposition and the international community, which do not want Syria to enter a state of chaos and insecurity.

Therefore, the first step towards the stability and reconstruction of Syria may be to achieve justice and hold the criminals accountable within the framework of the law, whether for those still on Syrian soil, or for those who fled Syria, led by Bashar al-Assad.

Regarding reconstruction, it is essential that the European Union and the United States offer their support, and the first step is to lift the sanctions and economic blockade on Damascus. Arab countries have already begun their moves to provide humanitarian support to the Syrian people, and Qatar has already announced the creation of an air bridge of aid.

The widespread human rights violations by the Assad regime over the years are a fact and obviously condemnable. However, a number of analysts – mainly in Greece – believe that, following the latest developments, the philhellene/Christian element of Syria is in an even more dire position. Do you share this view?

Christians in Syria have never been separated from the rest of the Syrian people historically, even in the last 13 years. They have suffered equally from the crimes of the Assad regime, from arrests, killings and enforced disappearances. Until the last few days, the Assad regime’s warplanes bombed the Al-Furqan neighborhood in Aleppo, damaging the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land and setting part of it on fire.

In my personal opinion, most of what is circulating in the Greek media and social media is false and misleading information. The Syrian opposition is not only Islamic, but brings together a large spectrum of Syrian society. One of the most important symbols of the Syrian revolution, the late Michel Kilo, was a Christian. George Sabra, also a Christian, had previously assumed the presidency of the Syrian Opposition Coalition and is still particularly active in this context. Here, I consider it necessary for Greece to communicate with the new Syrian government in order to secure the support of Greek citizens on Syrian soil, but also of the Orthodox Church there, as Greece is closer to the Christians of Syria than of Russia.