Initial Thoughts on the Collapse of Syria

‘Iran warned Assad two months ago that HTS was preparing to make a move’

The Syrian State as it has been for the past 50-odd years is gone. A loose coalition of Turkish-supported armed militia (many non-Syrian) jihadists and other western trained groups, on the night of 8 Dec. took Damascus with no resistance put up by the Syrian Army. Government forces withdrew and the Airport ceased working. Israel continued to bomb Hezbollah positions and already IDF tanks have invaded parts of the Syrian Golan and have taken Mt Herman.

Iran and Iraq have decided not to intervene in the conflict. The Iranian embassy in Damascus has been ransacked and Assad’s presidential palace has been looted. Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq closed their borders with Syria. The Kurds announced total mobilization on the territories under their control. As of now, Syrian officials are said to be negotiating with the militants to keep the civilian infrastructure and the state apparatus functioning, as former Al-Qae’da leader, Al-Joulani is named Head of State (despite a large bounty on his ‘terrorist’ head still at the US State Dept website). Numerous ISIS fighters, among others, have been released from prisons. HTS have started targeted executions in Aleppo, as well as public executions, with one public hanging posted on the internet, reportedly of Bashar al-Assad's cousin, Ammar Assad.