The Middle East

[Sprite]

the highlight of which being a Ferrari F50. Glad that this car will also be liberated from the clutches of a vicious dictator.

Can’t wait to see the rebels mount a 50cal to it.

 

[Keef]

Well - I sure was wrong, or at least I didn't expect Russia and Iran to abandon Assad that quickly.. This has all been pretty shocking and lightning fast. Makes you really question Assad's 2021 election win with 95% of the vote - surely that was legit, right?

If it can happen in Syria, why not Iran? The IRGC is spread thin and weakened. The regular army probably has little interest in propping up the Ayatollah and nobody is going to help Iran. Russia can't and China won't.

What concerns me now is the fate of the Kurds. Turkey is very likely to muscle in now that Iran and Russia have been squeezed out and I'm sure their #1 priority will be ethnic cleansing of the Kurds in one fashion or another. The dream scenario I think would be for the Kurds to have their own state in NW Syria, but I have a hard time seeing that happen. The best outcome is probably some form of representative nation with respect for all the ethnic groups.

edit: ****, Iran is probably going to build a nuclear bomb now...they got no other options.

Russia and Iran had almost completely pulled out of Syria years ago. They only had skeleton crews manning their bases and not nearly enough equipment to mount any counterattacks. They thought the situation was stable. Somehow they completely missed that al-Sharaa had been planning with other rebels and the West. Then again, America missed that the Taliban planned a similar takeover.

If al-Sharaa means what he's said recently and while governing Idlib, the northeastern Kurds might get proper seats in the new government. Syria might become an actual safe place for them that Turkey can no longer infringe on.

Edit: I'm so curious to see how the negotiations will pan out for both territory and the new government. Apparently the US has told HTS and FSA not to encroach on Kurdish SDF lands in the east and some newly captured territory on the west bank of the river. Most of the "captured" rebel territory west of the river is a desert no-mans land so very difficult to assert control. Meanwhile, Israel has captured a couple spots just inside Syria so who knows if that's just a clearing operation or if they want the territory. The map suggests that the Russians still control their air and naval bases on the coast and I don't see any news about rebels challenging that, although they definitely should.

All these parties - minus Russia and Iran presumably - are going to have to sit at the table and hash it out.

 

[unit-one]

 

[JoeDaSnow]

What happened in Syria on Sunday, the previous regime had fallen and I had waited way too long for this to happen. Good riddance it's dead! It's time for a new era in Syria to begin.

 

[Fezzik]

Israel as soon as Assad falls: Sends more troops into annexed Golan Heights, takes over more territory, just a "security measure".

Israel one week later:

Israel to expand Golan Heights settlements after fall of Assad

Israel says the move is necessary following the takeover of neighbouring Syria by an Islamist-led rebel alliance.

www.bbc.co.uk

Netanyahu said Israel would "continue to hold on to [the territory], make it flourish and settle it".

 

[Tornado]

Not that they need any reason needs to be made for the West to acquiesce immediately, but what basis does Israel have to arbitrarily drop MOABs on Syria itself.