Civil war in Syria escalates as rebels take Hama


By Ryan Denison, PhD - Posted at Denison Forum:

Wrestling with complicated truths and simple lies

The civil war in Syria began in 2011, however, the conflict has remained largely frozen since Turkey and Russia agreed to a ceasefire in 2020. That all changed when rebel forces—now led by the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)—attacked and took control of the pivotal city of Aleppo last week.

At the time, the speed and success with which they regained their former stronghold surprised most, and it was generally unknown whether they would seek to consolidate their power there or continue to press further south.

That question was answered Thursday when HTS took the nation’s fourth-largest city, Hama, with similar ease.

The Syrian government’s official line was that their forces withdrew in order to “preserve the lives of civilians,” but it was relatively clear that the armies that had controlled the region since the start of the conflict were simply overwhelmed by the rebel forces. And their victory at Hama could prove even more important than taking Aleppo.

While Aleppo was a significant loss for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and meant a great deal symbolically to the rebel forces who lost the city in 2016, controlling Hama will make it much more difficult for the Syrian forces to retake any of the lands they’ve ceded over the last week. Moreover, Hama is also where Assad’s father killed tens of thousands who sought to enact a similar regime change in 1982, and where the current war began in 2011 after Assad was similarly forceful in putting an end to the protests against his reign.

For all his recent losses, Assad remains in a fairly secure position for the time being. Much would have to change for HTS to have a chance at taking Damascus, the Syrian capital.

However, should the rebels gain control of Homs—a major city roughly 25 miles south of Hama—that picture would look much different. And the reason why is relevant beyond the Syrian borders.



See also:

Comments

  1. My Observation :



    In 36 months timeframe, the de facto Syrian leader will have to attack Golan Heights under Israel as the world will realize that they are not folks with nation-building skills nor have the expertise to enlarge its economic base. If there is FDI to this de facto government, then the UNODC can surely trace the AQ & IS money trails.



    NO PRIZES FOR GUESSING WHO FUNDED AND ARE BEHIND THEM! THE UMBRELLA GROUP HAS SHOWN ITSELF!



    al Qaeda chief Abu Mohammed al-Golani led overthrow of Syria's Assad



    ... fought for al Qaeda in Iraq, where he spent five years in a U.S. prison. He returned to Syria once the uprising began, sent by the leader of the Islamic State group in Iraq at the time - Abu Omar al-Baghdadi - to build up al Qaeda's presence.



    https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/former-al-qaeda-chief-abu-mohammed-al-golani-led-overthrow-of-syrias-assad/ar-AA1vunWd?ocid=BingNewsSerp



    https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/who-is-abu-mohammed-al-golani-the-syrian-rebel-leader-who-overthrew-assads-regime/sh8idbpgm







    De facto Syria leader and Mergers & Acquisitions Team HTS/NF etc. under UNSC Sanctions List adopted under Chapter VII.



    Security Council ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee Amends One Entry on Its Sanctions List





    https://press.un.org/en/2018/sc13365.doc.htm







    As a permanent secularist humanitarian non-religious affiliated supporter-volunteer of Persecuted Christians, I'm sure many Christians are aware :

    In his first interview in 2014, al-Golani said his goal was to see Syria ruled under Islamic law and made clear that there was no room for the country’s Christian minorities.



    https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/former-al-qaeda-member-al-golani-rebrands-as-a-pluralist-amid-doubts-over-syria-s-democratic-future/ar-AA1vu7BY?

    ReplyDelete
  2. FACTS DON'T CHANGE :



    This UNSC narrative summary was last updated on14 March 2022 - 12:00pm.



    Clearly stating that :

    Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim Ali al-Badri al-Samarrai (QDi.299), the leader of Al-Qaida in Iraq (QDe.115), issued strategic directives to the overall leader of Al-Nusrah Front, Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani (QDi.317), instructing him to begin operations in Syria.



    Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani directly declared on 10 April 2013 the Al-Nusrah Front swears allegiance to Aiman al-Zawahiri.



    Al-Nusrah Front employs murder, destruction, booby-trapped cars and suicide bombings. Operations carried out by Al-Nusrah Front have caused significant material damage and loss of life.



    In January 2017, Al-Nusrah Front created Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) as a vehicle to advance its position in the Syrian insurgency and further its own goals as Al-Qaida’s affiliate in Syria. Although the emergence of HTS has been described in various ways (for example as a merger or as a name-change), Al-Nusrah Front has continued to dominate and operate through HTS in pursuit of its objectives.



    https://main.un.org/securitycouncil/en/sanctions/1267/aq_sanctions_list/summaries/entity/al-nusrah-front-for-the-people-of-the-levant?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you for this additional information; I appreciate your insight into this matter.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Welcome! Please feel free to comment, but anti-Christian comments or profanity will not be tolerated. Thank you, ed.