12-27-2018, 11:38 PM
*** 28-Dec-18 World View -- UAE reopens embassy in Syria to counter influence from Iran
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** UAE reopens embassy in Syria to counter influence from Iran
****
![[Image: g181227b.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g181227b.jpg)
The UAE embassy in Damascus Syria on Thursday (AP)
In a dramatic turnaround, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced
that it is restoring diplomatic relations with Bashar al-Assad's
government in Syria, and reopening its embassy in Syria's capital city
Damascus. On Thursday afternoon, the UAE’s chargé d’affaires Abdul
Hakim Naimi visited the Damascus embassy and watched the flag being
raised again.
UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the UAE hopes to
contribute to a political solution to the war:
<QUOTE>"[The reopening of the embassy] reaffirms the keenness
of the UAE to restore relations between the two friendly countries
to their normal course.
It will strengthen and activate the Arab role in supporting the
independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian
Arab Republic and to prevent the dangers of regional interference
in Syrian Arab affairs."<END QUOTE>
The "regional interference" being referenced is thought to be
interference from Turkey, Iran and Hezbollah.
It may already be too late to "prevent the dangers of regional
interference" from Iran and Hezbollah. In the past seven years,
Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, have brought
about then genocide and ethnic cleansing of vast portions of the
Syria's Sunni Arab population, and is repopulating the cleansed areas
with Shia Muslims families from Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah. ( "1-Dec-18 World View -- Evidence grows of Assad's 'final solution', extermination of Arab Sunnis in Syria"
)
Al-Assad's Shia/Alawite Syrian army has always fought the civil war
half-heartedly, with crippling defections and desertions. The army almost collapsed in 2015,
until
al-Assad begged for help and was saved by the massive intervention by
Russia, Iran and Hezbollah. That massive intervention continues until
the present time, in the form of the "regional interference" that
UAE's foreign ministry was referring to. So that's why preventing
"the dangers of regional interference" may no longer be possible.
The National (UAE) and Reuter and AP and
The National (UAE)
****
**** Arabs scramble to regain influence in Syria
****
Al-Assad's massive attacks on the Sunni Arabs had several major
consequences. One was that Syria was expelled from the Arab League,
something that may now be reversed, beginning with the restoration of
diplomatic relations by UAE.
Officials from some Arab countries are now expressing regret that
Syria was expelled from the Arab League, since it meant a complete
loss of influence by the other Arab League members. But these
crocodile tears ignore the reality of what was going on in 2011.
By August of 2011, it was becoming clear that al-Assad was conducting
genocidal and ethnic cleansing attacks on Sunni Arabs, and this was
shocking and repulsive to the other Arab states. Arab nations stayed
silent for several months, hoping that the carnage would end, but
finally they broke their silence in August, after the Syrian army
first attacked Homa and then began attacking the city of Deir Ezzor.
The technique being used in each of these cities is that tanks first
surround the city to prevent anyone from fleeing and then, once the
city is sealed, the tanks start flattening residential neighborhoods
and the snipers kill anyone on the street, even children. This is a
classic ethnic cleansing technique.
Al-Assad's actions were so shocking that finally the Arab League
Secretary-General issued a statement strongly condemning al-Assad,
and Saudi Arabia and the UAE recalled
their ambassadors to Syria.
Al-Assad's ethnic cleansing continued to worsen as he attacked the
El-Ramel Palestinian refugee camp in Latakia killing many women and
children and shocking the entire Sunni Muslim world. By mid-November,
the Arab League suspended Syria
--
the first such suspension since it expelled Egypt in 1979 for signing
a peace treaty with Israel. To claim today that Syria should never
have been expelled completely ignores the fury and chaos at the time.
The attack on the Latakia also led to the creation of ISIS.
Al-Assad's attacks drew tens of thousands of young Sunni jihadists
from over 80 countries to Syria to fight al-Assad, and by 2014 they
had formed the Islamic State / of Iraq and Syria (IS or ISIS or ISIL),
and took control of a large region of eastern Syria, with the
headquarters of its Caliphate in the Syrian city of al-Raqqa, with a
population over 300,000. It took a joint operation by American forces
leading the Kurdish Syrian
Defense Forces (SDF) to recapture al-Raqqa.
With the recent announcement by President Trump that American troops
will be withdrawn from Syria, UAE's decision to restore relations with
Syria takes on a much greater significance and urgency than before.
The American withdrawal will create a vacuum in the huge eastern part
of Syria, and that region will might now be taken over by Iran and
Hezbollah.
It's also increasing calls across the Arab world to re-admit Syria
into the Arab League. With millions of Sunni Arabs slaughtered or
expelled from Syria, and their homes replaced by Shia Muslim families
from Iran, it now seems likely that Iran will have a great deal of
influence in Syria.
The war in Syria is far from over. With American troops withdrawing,
Turkey has promised to invade Syria and attack the Kurdish SDF, which
might bring Turkish troops into conflict with Syrian troops.
Even worse, Idlib province in northwest Syria is currently hosting
over three million Sunni Arabs. Al-Assad has vowed to regain control
of Idlib, which would amount to genocide and ethnic cleansing of the
three million Sunni Arabs currently living there. Idlib is a
"de-escalation zone," with Turkey responsible for maintaining the
ceasefire. An attack by al-Assad could lead to a full war between
Syria and Turkey. Also, it could create a new humanitarian disaster,
with millions of Sunni Arabs pouring across the border into Turkey,
and from there into Europe, bring back the days of 2015. The National (UAE) and Sky News and Press TV (Iran) and The National (UAE) and Al Jazeera
Related Articles:
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Syria, Bashar al-Assad,
United Arab Emirates, UAE, Hakim Naimi,
Arab League, Saudi Arabia, Egypt,
Russia, Turkey, Iran, Hezbollah,
Homa, Deir Ezzor, Latakia, El-Ramel,
Islamic State / of Iraq and Syria/Sham/the Levant, IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh,
Syrian Defense Forces, SDF, Kurds, Idlib
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- UAE reopens embassy in Syria to counter influence from Iran
- Arabs scramble to regain influence in Syria
****
**** UAE reopens embassy in Syria to counter influence from Iran
****
The UAE embassy in Damascus Syria on Thursday (AP)
In a dramatic turnaround, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced
that it is restoring diplomatic relations with Bashar al-Assad's
government in Syria, and reopening its embassy in Syria's capital city
Damascus. On Thursday afternoon, the UAE’s chargé d’affaires Abdul
Hakim Naimi visited the Damascus embassy and watched the flag being
raised again.
UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the UAE hopes to
contribute to a political solution to the war:
<QUOTE>"[The reopening of the embassy] reaffirms the keenness
of the UAE to restore relations between the two friendly countries
to their normal course.
It will strengthen and activate the Arab role in supporting the
independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian
Arab Republic and to prevent the dangers of regional interference
in Syrian Arab affairs."<END QUOTE>
The "regional interference" being referenced is thought to be
interference from Turkey, Iran and Hezbollah.
It may already be too late to "prevent the dangers of regional
interference" from Iran and Hezbollah. In the past seven years,
Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, have brought
about then genocide and ethnic cleansing of vast portions of the
Syria's Sunni Arab population, and is repopulating the cleansed areas
with Shia Muslims families from Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah. ( "1-Dec-18 World View -- Evidence grows of Assad's 'final solution', extermination of Arab Sunnis in Syria"
)
Al-Assad's Shia/Alawite Syrian army has always fought the civil war
half-heartedly, with crippling defections and desertions. The army almost collapsed in 2015,
until
al-Assad begged for help and was saved by the massive intervention by
Russia, Iran and Hezbollah. That massive intervention continues until
the present time, in the form of the "regional interference" that
UAE's foreign ministry was referring to. So that's why preventing
"the dangers of regional interference" may no longer be possible.
The National (UAE) and Reuter and AP and
The National (UAE)
****
**** Arabs scramble to regain influence in Syria
****
Al-Assad's massive attacks on the Sunni Arabs had several major
consequences. One was that Syria was expelled from the Arab League,
something that may now be reversed, beginning with the restoration of
diplomatic relations by UAE.
Officials from some Arab countries are now expressing regret that
Syria was expelled from the Arab League, since it meant a complete
loss of influence by the other Arab League members. But these
crocodile tears ignore the reality of what was going on in 2011.
By August of 2011, it was becoming clear that al-Assad was conducting
genocidal and ethnic cleansing attacks on Sunni Arabs, and this was
shocking and repulsive to the other Arab states. Arab nations stayed
silent for several months, hoping that the carnage would end, but
finally they broke their silence in August, after the Syrian army
first attacked Homa and then began attacking the city of Deir Ezzor.
The technique being used in each of these cities is that tanks first
surround the city to prevent anyone from fleeing and then, once the
city is sealed, the tanks start flattening residential neighborhoods
and the snipers kill anyone on the street, even children. This is a
classic ethnic cleansing technique.
Al-Assad's actions were so shocking that finally the Arab League
Secretary-General issued a statement strongly condemning al-Assad,
and Saudi Arabia and the UAE recalled
their ambassadors to Syria.
Al-Assad's ethnic cleansing continued to worsen as he attacked the
El-Ramel Palestinian refugee camp in Latakia killing many women and
children and shocking the entire Sunni Muslim world. By mid-November,
the Arab League suspended Syria
--
the first such suspension since it expelled Egypt in 1979 for signing
a peace treaty with Israel. To claim today that Syria should never
have been expelled completely ignores the fury and chaos at the time.
The attack on the Latakia also led to the creation of ISIS.
Al-Assad's attacks drew tens of thousands of young Sunni jihadists
from over 80 countries to Syria to fight al-Assad, and by 2014 they
had formed the Islamic State / of Iraq and Syria (IS or ISIS or ISIL),
and took control of a large region of eastern Syria, with the
headquarters of its Caliphate in the Syrian city of al-Raqqa, with a
population over 300,000. It took a joint operation by American forces
leading the Kurdish Syrian
Defense Forces (SDF) to recapture al-Raqqa.
With the recent announcement by President Trump that American troops
will be withdrawn from Syria, UAE's decision to restore relations with
Syria takes on a much greater significance and urgency than before.
The American withdrawal will create a vacuum in the huge eastern part
of Syria, and that region will might now be taken over by Iran and
Hezbollah.
It's also increasing calls across the Arab world to re-admit Syria
into the Arab League. With millions of Sunni Arabs slaughtered or
expelled from Syria, and their homes replaced by Shia Muslim families
from Iran, it now seems likely that Iran will have a great deal of
influence in Syria.
The war in Syria is far from over. With American troops withdrawing,
Turkey has promised to invade Syria and attack the Kurdish SDF, which
might bring Turkish troops into conflict with Syrian troops.
Even worse, Idlib province in northwest Syria is currently hosting
over three million Sunni Arabs. Al-Assad has vowed to regain control
of Idlib, which would amount to genocide and ethnic cleansing of the
three million Sunni Arabs currently living there. Idlib is a
"de-escalation zone," with Turkey responsible for maintaining the
ceasefire. An attack by al-Assad could lead to a full war between
Syria and Turkey. Also, it could create a new humanitarian disaster,
with millions of Sunni Arabs pouring across the border into Turkey,
and from there into Europe, bring back the days of 2015. The National (UAE) and Sky News and Press TV (Iran) and The National (UAE) and Al Jazeera
Related Articles:
- Evidence grows of Assad's 'final solution', extermination of Arab Sunnis in Syria (01-Dec-2018)
- Bashar al-Assad's Syria army showing signs of collapse (08-Apr-2015)
- From 2013: The history of how Syria's Bashar al-Assad created ISIS (07-Sep-2016)
- Mideast turmoil increases after Arab League suspends Syria (15-Nov-2011)
- Threats to Syria grow from all sides (08-Aug-2011)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Syria, Bashar al-Assad,
United Arab Emirates, UAE, Hakim Naimi,
Arab League, Saudi Arabia, Egypt,
Russia, Turkey, Iran, Hezbollah,
Homa, Deir Ezzor, Latakia, El-Ramel,
Islamic State / of Iraq and Syria/Sham/the Levant, IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh,
Syrian Defense Forces, SDF, Kurds, Idlib
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
