Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is a former al-Qaeda terrorist who has also worked closely with Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, before double crossing him. The only thing that has changed about al-Sharaa is his name (from Abu Mohammad al-Jolani) and his attire: He now wears a suit. He has fooled the naive West, including […]
Bashar Assad in Moscow Doing Quite Well, Thank You
Wasn’t it F. Scott Fitzgerald who said that there are no second acts in America? But Bashar Assad is not American, and he seems to be doing quite well in his own second act, as a pampered exile in Moscow. He’s learning Russian, for obvious reasons. He’s brushing up on ophthalmology — before becoming the […]
The Iranian Regime and the Loss of Syria
Syria was until a month ago a loyal and useful ally of the Islamic Republic. It was the conduit for weapons that went from Iran through Syria to then be delivered to Hezbollah in Lebanon. But the sudden overthrow of Assad, and the takeover of the country by Sunni Muslims who despise Shi’a Iran and […]
The Assads and the Palestinians
The Assads, father and son, always claimed to be the defenders of the Palestinians against the Zionist entity. The truth is quite otherwise. More on how the Assads used and abused the Palestinians can be found here: “For Palestinians, Syria is a closing door and an opening window – analysis,” by Elias Zananiri, The Media […]
Turkey reopens embassy in Syria after 12 years; Assad tells Iran that Turkey was aiding jihadis to unseat him
Turkey was the force behind the jihadist opposition, Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), as well as the Syrian National Army (SNA), as they toppled the Assad regime in Syria. Despite widespread celebration of the ouster of Assad, which is seen also as a victory over Shia Iran, the Sunni jihadist rebels intend to impose the Sharia […]
Assad’s Fall, and Khamenei’s Wobbling
Could the fall of Assad, which turned Syria from an ally of Iran into a bitter enemy, help inspire Iranians to rebel against their own despots? Herb Keinon discusses that possibility here: “Assad falls, Khamenei wobbles: Will events in Syria lead to something similar in Iran? – analysis,” by Herb Keinon, Jerusalem Post, December 9, 2024: […]
‘Assad is the latest victim of the self-defeating atrocity of 7 October’
Brendan O’Neill, the former editor and now chief political writer at “Spiked,” is a rare pro-Israel voice in the British media. He’s jubilant over the fall of Assad and the harm Assad’s collapse has done to Iran and its proxies, especially Hezbollah, in the “Axis of Resistance.” More on O’Neill’s views can be found here: […]
Germany ‘freezes Syrian asylum decisions’ as Syria falls
Welcoming Germany became the largest refugee-hosting country in the European Union during the decade-long Syrian civil war and Biden’s debacle in Afghanistan. 2.5 million refugees entered Germany “from all over the world, including more than 1 million refugees from Ukraine.” “From all over the world” means predominantly from Syria and Afghanistan. The nightmare for Germany as […]
Israel sets up defense perimeter amid collapse of Assad regime, Netanyahu issues official statement
After opposition rebels took Damascus, Bashar al-Assad’s government collapsed and he escaped to Russia, Syria appears to be up for grabs between powerful regional players. The two main groups inside the country are the Syrian National Army and the jihad group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Meanwhile, Turkey has “for years supported Syrian opposition forces,” particularly the […]
The Final Blow: Iranians Pulled Out of Syria, Abandoning Assad
The final blow to Assad, who has now fled Syria, just as Damascus has fallen without a fight to the rebels, was his abandonment by Iran on December 6. Not only did Iran fail to provide the military aid — troops and weapons — that Syria had been hoping for, but just two days before […]