A little history on intra-Arab and intra-Muslim conflicts in the recent past:
The war in Yemen between the Royalists, backed by Saudi Arabia, and the Republicans, backed. by Egypt, took place between 1962 and 1970, with most of the fighting over by the mid-1960s. In this war, Egypt sent tens of thousands of troops to Yemen, and the Egyptians suffered major losses in both men and weaponry. This left Egypt’s military in a weakened state when Nasser decided to make war on Israel in mid-May 1967.
In Libya, Muammar Qaddafi was deposed and killed in 2011. By 2014, the country was convulsed by a civil war, and that war, which lasted until 2020, pitted a government based in Tobruk in the east, under General Haftar, against the Government of National Unity, or GNU, which was based in Tripoli in the west. And now those rival forces appear ready to begin a hot war yet again. The Libyans have been inflicting damage on each other for many years; it’s apparently what they do best.
In 1980, just a year after Khomeini came to power in Iran, the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein calculated that Iran’s military was in chaos, with most of its officers — who had been loyalists of the Shah — having in the Khomeini regime been discharged or demoted, if they were lucky, and imprisoned or executed if they were not. So Saddam invaded Iran, and thus began the Iran-Iraq war that lasted from 1980 to 1988, with a terrific loss of life on both sides. Estimates of the casualties on both sides range from one to two million, with at least 500,000 dead, most of them on the Iranian side. The war ended with no clear winner, though Iraqi forces did withdraw from Iran. That long war used up men, money, and materiel on both sides, and from the viewpoint of Infidels, it ought to have gone on forever.
There are many other intra-Arab and intra-Muslim conflicts, both political and military, that we might note. In North Africa, Morocco and Algeria are still at daggers drawn, and in the past have even come to blows over who should control the Western Sahara, an area which has now been annexed by Morocco. In Yemen, there is a continuing civil war between the Shi’a Houthis, who control one-third of the country, and are backed by Iran, and the Sunnis in the eastern part of the country, who are supported, with money and weapons, by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In Sudan, the Sudanese Armed Forces have been fighting the Rapid Support Forces for the last year, with no end in sight. There are internal conflicts in Bangladesh, between those who oppose and those who supported Sheikh Hasina, who was forced into exile in 2024. In Pakistan, the millions of supporters of of Imran Khan threaten to bring down the government, that has the backing of the military. In Afghanistan, the ruling Taliban is now forced to fight attacks from ISIS — rival groups of fanatics who deserve each other. None of these conflicts involve non-Muslims; all of them weaken their Muslim protagonists.
Now comes news of the latest intra-Muslim clash. The Syrian army, under the direction of Syria’s de facto leader Abu Muhammed al-Julani (Ahmed al-Sharaa), has just pushed into Lebanon and attacked Hezbollah forces. The Syrians have not forgotten that during the civil war, Hezbollah was a key supporter of the hated dictator Bashar al-Assad, and helped to keep him in power when he seemed, at times, to be toppling. They have cleared Hezbollah from its former strongholds in Syria, but now they are on the offensive in northern Lebanon, pushing Hezbollah’s forces away from the Syrian border. The Syrian regime headed by al-Julani is determined to end Hezbollah’s role as a smuggler of weapons and drugs. But with Iran now deprived of a way to deliver money and weapons to Hezbollah through Syria, as it once did, Hezbollah has to rely solely on drugs and weapons trafficking to survive. The drugs, especially fentanyl, end up in the rich Gulf states, where the idle rich, mostly young people, consume them in great quantities. The countries involved would like that drug trafficking to stop, and al-Julani, who is hoping to obtain financing from those same states — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait — to rebuild his country, is happy to oblige. The weapons Hezbollah traffics in are likely intended not only to arm its own members in Lebanon, but also those in Syria, such as Alawites and others who supported Assad, who want those arms as protection against attacks from the new government in Damascus.
More on the Syrian army’s assault on Hezbollah forces just inside Lebanon, which began on February 6 and were continuing as of February 8, can be found here: “Syrian army advances into Lebanese territory, clashes with Hezbollah,” by Rizik Alabi, The Media Line, February 6, 2025
For the first time since the fall of the Assad regime and the decline of Hezbollah’s influence in Syria, Syrian Army forces aligned with the new Syrian administration have entered areas of Hermel, Lebanon, sparking fierce clashes with Hezbollah fighters.
The fighting, which began early Thursday [Feb. 6], escalated as Syrian forces repelled Hezbollah’s attempted advances near the Syrian town of Al Qusayr, a longtime stronghold of the Iran-backed group….
The fighting began when the Syrian army went inside Lebanon to areas of Hermel, in order to drive Hezbollah forces further away from the border. In response, Hezbollah attacked Al-Qusayr, which had once been a stronghold of the terror group, but since the fall of Assad has been occupied by the Syrian army, from three sides. Hezbollah’s forces were unable to push the Syrians out. Instead, the Syrians managed to push Hezbollah back further into Lebanon, and even to push Hezbollah, after fierce fighting, out of the Lebanese town of Hawik, a center of its smuggling operations.
Amid the escalating violence, The Media Line obtained footage from Damascus showing Syrian Army personnel captured by Hezbollah in Lebanon. Reports suggest that these prisoners were being treated in violation of international detention standards. Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports indicate that the Syrian Army had also captured Hezbollah fighters.
Videos of Syrian army troops now being held by Hezbollah, and reports of their mistreatment, will only deepen the anger of the Syrian army and the Syrian people at this public humiliation. If harm should come to any of those Syrian captives, the Syrian army will almost certainly expand its assault on Hezbollah, pushing the terror group back, ever further, into Lebanon, killing as many of its operatives as it can. As the Syrians know, Hezbollah is in the most weakened state of its existence because of the damage wrought by the IDF. Thousands of its combatants have been killed, while many more thousands have been wounded thanks to the “exploding pagers,” while Hezbollah’s enormous arsenal of 150,000 rockets and missiles has been reduced by Israeli airstrikes to 20% of its pre-war number.
Hezbollah has in the past smuggled drugs — tens of millions of fentanyl pills — to consumers in the rich Gulf states through Syria; now, the regime of Al-Julani has been interrupting and closing down that route, and this direct attack on Hezbollah forces is part of that effort. Hezbollah is trying to keep those routes open, hence the violent flare-up on the Lebanese-Syrian border. The smuggling of weapons from Lebanon to Hezbollah allies in Syria, such as the Alawites, is another enterprise that Al-Julani wants to shut down.
Hezbollah is now on its back foot. The Syrian Army, having managed to hold onto the Lebanese town of Al-Qusayr despite being attacked from three sides by Hezbollah, and also having seized control of other former strongholds of Hezbollah, including the town of Hawik, is likely to press its advantage.
What should we in the West do? Nothing Or rather, pull up a chair, and watch. And hope that both sides win.
SKA says
A repeat of the intra-mural fratricidal Iraq-Iran war? Reminds me of that famous line in “Beneath the Planet of the Apes” that the Mutant tells lost astronauts Taylor and Brent: “We do not kill our enemies! We make our enemies kill each other!” I wish both sides equal measures of success!
Mateen Elass says
Hugh,
As I understand it, the drug of choice for manufacture and export from Syria by the former Assad regime and Hezbollah is captagon, not fentanyl. The former is a cheap but powerful synthetic amphetamine which jacks up the user. The latter is a synthetic opiod which gives pleasure and slows down the autonomic nervous system. Two completely different drugs. I have not heard that fentanyl is available in major quantities in the ME, but captagon is flooding the markets in Jordan and the Arabian Peninsula.
Hugh Fitzgerald says
I stand corrected. Thank you.
Statler says
Even so, it’s a good idea to flood the ME with fentanyl.
Mateen Elass says
+1
Rob Porter says
Hugh, many thanks for this delightful report about Muslims killing Muslims. Long may this continue.
gravenimage says
Thank you, Mateen.
Rob Porter says
Mateen, what a relief, I thought it was only degenerate Westerners who were drugging themselves into a stupor and to death. May the flood keep rolling in Jordan and the Arabian Peninsula
Wellington says
Hindus killing other Hindus? Buddhists killing other Buddhists? Christians killing other Christians? Jews killing other Jews? No, none of this massive rubbish occurs but Muslims killing other Muslims is a regular event down to the present day. And then there are all the woeful Muslims (excuse the redundancy) killing non-Muslims on a regular basis, again down to the present day.
What a curse Islam has been to humanity—down to the present day. And there is no end in sight.
somehistory says
mozlums can’t get along with anyone.
this is kind of like pelosi and jill biden….or aoc
. Supposedly on the same side, but each wants supremacy of control.
Hatred is at the root, along with the lust for power and the intense desire for control.
Even if hezbollah, hamas, the houthis, and iran demolished completely the Land of Israel, there would still be no peace in the Middle East.
Whittle down the world of islam until there are only two of the devout left, they would be fighting.to the death.
Tony says
The basic rule is that Muslim Groups(Sunni v Shia) are enemies of each other to gain ultimate power and control, but they are partner brothers(Sunni and Shia) when fighting against Non-Muslims(eg. America, Israel). Therefore, Muslims are NEVER to be trusted.
Islam is a MUSLIM TERRORIST ORGANIZATION(MTO) against Non-Muslims and NOT A PEACEFUL RELIGION UNDER WESTERN LAWS because Islam funds, teaches, and promotes a Terrorist, Criminal Organization with Muslims as Terrorists for Allah(Quran 2:216; 4:95; 8:12,39,74; 9:5,29,41,49, 21:921; 88,111,123;21:92; 49:15 and more). More specifically, Islam is a Muslim Terrorist Ideology and Murderous, Criminal Enterprise of Intolerance, continuous war, discrimination, segregation, supremacy, genocide, polygamy, propaganda, deceit, hatred, incitement, sedition, rape, terrorism, and violence against all Non-Muslims as taught in the Quran.
Non-Muslims CANNOT have peace with Islam and its Muslims because Islam and its murderous god, Allah, demand a continuous Muslim war, a religious duty, against unbelievers where Non-Muslims are CRIMINALS under Islam when Allah in Qur’an 8:39 says, “And engage in war with them[Non-Muslims] until there will not be sedition and the religion will be completely to Allah…” HENCE, NON-MUSLIMS MUST MAKE ISLAM, ITS MOSQUES, ITS SCHOOLS, ITS ORGANIZATIONS, ETC. ILLEGAL UNDER THE LAW. Similarly, Islam and its many Organizations must be identified and publicly declared to be MUSLIM TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS for their funding, teaching, and support of terrorism, violence, and discrimination against Non-Muslims(eg. Quran 9:5,29,111 and more).
The FRUIT of Islam is incessant WAR, terrorism, discrimination, slavery, malice, ISLAMIZATION, and violence against all Non-Muslims; this FACT must be taught and broadcast to the general public to prohibit Islam, its Mosques, its Courts, and its Schools. Also, Islam is an Antichrist System terrorizing Israel, Christians, and Non-Muslims(Quran 3:54; 5:51 and more). Plus, there is NO EQUALITY UNDER THE LAW in Islam or in Islamic Law(Quran 5:51; 9:29; 98:6-7 and more). In Sahih Bukhari(V6,B60,N80), Abu Huraira narrates, “‘You(Muslims) are the best of peoples ever raised for mankind.’ means, the best of peoples for the people, as you bring them[Non-Muslims] with chains on their necks till they embrace Islam[see Quran 3:110].” See also Quran 3:22,151; 69:30-32; 98:6.
Western Muslims seek to expand Islam’s legality into the West’s Legal Systems and to advance Islam’s totalitarian, discriminatory goals to conquer the West. Consequently, Islam promotes a limitless, terroristic, Muslim war against unbelievers when Allah in Qur’an 49:15 says, “Surely the believers are only those who believed in Allah and his messenger. They do not doubt, and they performed JIHAD with THEIR MONEY AND THEIR LIVES for the sake of Allah. Those are the truthful.”
Blougeoisie says
Where’s the end the Lebanese occupation tenteban?
࿗Infidel࿘ says
I remember in the 1970s when Syria invaded Lebanon to prevent a PLO takeover, but remained there, and later became a major backer of Hizbullah during the Hafez al-Assad years. They were a major reason that Lebanon got completely trashed
I just hope that now, this Syrian incursion is just limited to Hizbullah, and not an attempt by Syria to reconquer Lebanon, like it was during Hafez al-Assad. If that’s its limited scope, it’s welcome: Israel can wipe out Hizbullah in South Lebanon, and Syria can do it in the Beka’a valley
Incidentally, I thought that Israel had destroyed all of Syrian weaponry. In that case, where did the Syrian army suddenly get new weapons?
gravenimage says
I believe that the new rulers of Syria have gotten most of their weapory from their Turkish backers.
Burnaby Lad says
22 years ago turkey blocked the U.S. IV (ivy)
ergdogan wants baghdad
gravenimage says
Erdogan wants the whole Ottoman Empire, and more.
gravenimage says
Syrian Army Enters Lebanon to Take On Hezbollah
………………………………..
More of the Sunni vs Shia rivalry…
TRUTH says
You can see that the brave army of Sultan Erdogan will deal with Hezbollah The Sultan’s army, led by Beglerbeg Jolani, expelled Hezbollah from Syria, and now it will also expel it from Lebanon. By the way, since the death of Mr. Bassel al-Assad, Syria has never had an army or a leadership. It was a Russian colony, but now it is a Turkish colony.
ruth samuel says
yeah!!!!
Stive says
A different take on the outcome of the iran-iraq war the killed millions; Had Saddam Hussein believed in the bible, and correctly, he would never had attacked Iran and due to prophesy, he could not win.
There are 4 demons bound in / by the Euphrates river. Correct prepositions have great meaning. This refers to four demon possessed rulers over 4 nations that are bound to each other by touching the Euphrates. They are Iran, Iraq, Syria, turkey.
Even if a ruler dies, the demon moves into the next ruler. Remember the angel told Daniel that God has heard but help is a little later as the battle against the prince of Persia isn’t over yet. The demon was in the ruler.
What Saddam Hussein was after is most of the Euphrates was in Iraq but Iran touched it on one side near the Persian gulf and Saddam wanted both sides of His river. Iraq could not take that small area no matter how hard they tried as God would not allow it as 4 nations must be bound in/by the river, not 3 nations. It’s that simple.
But there is more. People get excited by the Euphrates being dried up. They miss the real story. Dry up the Euphrates is an idiomatic expression meaning dry up the military power there, and not about water in an age of pontoon bridges where a river is not a barrier at all.
Kings of the east, well the ancient east west divide was the Euphrates. Kings of the east is anyone with land east of Euphrates like Syria, turkey, Iran, Iraq and any others east that join with them.
W. Bush dried up the Euphrates by wiping out Iraq power. Iraq was in the way of Iran and others to send forces to invade israel.saddam might approve of Iran forces invade Israel but would never let Iran forces cross Iraq to do so lest Iran eat Iraq in the process. Bush thus dried up the Euphrates. Bush did this to Prepare The Way, which is what Road Map means, for Kings of east to invade Israel. This is still in process even today for that invasion. There is much more but this was a brief mention.
Westpacwill says
It is astounding to see things unfold today. Thank you, Stive, very revealing!
Oren says
Your website is the only one I know reporting this. It seemed like it was obviously going to happen from when sunni forces took over Syria. In G-d I trust.
Deano says
Reagan supplied many weapons during the Iran-Iraq war and then used the money to fund the Contras in Nicaragua. A brilliant move in my book until the traitors Joe Biden, Tip O’Niell and the liberal press intervened.
Rarely says
Let’s just hope they leave once they’ve achieved their goal of defeating Hezbollah.
gravenimage says
Not sure I’d count on that. Rarely.
Rarely says
Nope, Not great odds.
gravenimage says
+1
John Pepple says
I was sad when the Iran-Iraq war ended, because it was much better to have them at odds with each other than causing problems for us. Sure enough, just a few months after they stopped fighting came the fatwa against Salman Rushdie.