LOS ANGELES.–Syrian rebel forces backed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan AKA Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, topped the 53-year-old regime of 59-year-old Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. With support crumbling from Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, al-Assad’s military didn’t have the firepower or will to continue the nearly 14-year-old civil war started in the 2011 Arab Spring when dictators like Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak and Libya’s Col. Muammar Gaddafi fell to rebel forces backed by the United States, Turkey and Russia. When it came to Bashar al-Assad, former President Barack Obama went all in with Turkey, spending billions on various rebel groups seeking to topple al-Assad’s Damacsus government. Only recently has Abu Mohammed al-Golani coalesced a group of different rebel group to seize Syria’s northern territories and move swiftly to Damascus.
Al-Golani got the green light from Erdogan that Russia, Iran and Hezbollah were no longer backing al-Assad. So, Golani acted on his news intel that the Syrian army would not mount any resistance, prompting al-Assad to flee the presidential palace to Moscow for asylum. Al-Assad had obviously planned in advance to get of Damascus, removing most of his belonging, with at least $2 billion in cash safely out of Syria most likely in Swiss banks. Al Golani once led the dangerous Jabhat Al Nusra division of al-Qaeda but has since renounced any affiliation to groups calling for global jihad. He told a group at Damascus’ Great Umayyad Mosque that he would protect religious freedom, signaling that any government under his rule would not enforce strict Sharia law, making him an apostate to other more extreme Islamist groups also vying for power in Syria.
So, when it comes to maintaining law-and-order in Syria, it’s a tough order to fill with many Islamic fanatics seeking a new Islamic caliphate in Syria, after 53 years of al-Assad’s Baathist secular rule. “It is strictly forbidden to interfere with women’s dress or impose any request related to their clothing or appearance, including requests for modesty,” said al-Golani, potentially signing his own death sentence. Al-Golan needs much more now after al-Assad’s departure to maintain law-and-order in Syria. Too many fanatical Islamic groups, with the same beliefs as the Taliban in Afghanistan, want to transform Syria into and Islamist state. You will see there are skills,” a-Golani told Syrian Prime Minsiter Monammad Ghzi Jalali, who stayed in Syrian no matter what the risks. Al-Golani will need much more than his 5,000-member militia to hold Syria together.
Al-Golani’s forces were busy emptying out prisoners in Syria’s many detention facilities, prompting exiles from Turkey and elsewhere to return to Syria to return to find their relatives. Syria’s civil services have ground to a halt, without any clear way to pay for their salaries. If Erdogan wants to assert control over Syria, he needs to keep law-and-order by paying civil servants to do their jobs required to keep the public safe and secure. Empting out al-Assad’s notorious Saydanya military prison where Amnesty IntErnational claims mass executions were carried out for years. Saydanya prison was known as a “human slaughterhouse” where untold numbers of inmates were put to death. “We are working so that the transitional period is quick and smooth,” al-Golani, saying he’s already seen an improvement in security. Whether that lasts or not is anyone’s guess, considering that al-Golani wants a more tolerant form to Sunni Islam to prevail in Syria.
U.S. and British officials have heard all the right things from al-Golani as he asserts some power over his new government. “This is a country that has had one government for 53 years and then suddenly all of those who have been demonized by the public media are no in charge in the nation’s capital,” said U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Adam Abdelmoula, emphasizing the need for medical supplies and equipment. ‘I think it will take a couple of days and a lot of assurance on the part of armed groups for these people to return to work again,” said Abdelmoula. Al-Golani needs to decide who he wants to help him in the transition, considering he received the bulk of his financing from Turkey. You’d think that Erodgan would be helpful providing security in Damascus and the funding necessary to return civil servants to their jobs in vital government services.
President Joe Biden, 82, and his national security team led by 63-year-old Antony Blinken and 47-year-old National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, have little to say other than they hoped the transition out of al-Assad would go smoothly. President-elect Donald Trump said while the U.S. would remain helpful, he has no immediate plans of intervening in Syria. Whatever support can be coordinated with Erdogan would be a welcomed transition requiring law-and-order, but, more importantly, enough food and medical supplies to sustain the population. Finding al-Assad’s stockpile of chemical weapons is a top priority for U.S., U.K and Israeli officials, not wanting them to fall into the wrong hands. So, Erdogan needs to step up and offer financial assistance to keep the new government running providing vital services for law-and-order and medical services.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
