Syrian President has been forced to flee the country in the face of rebel attacks.
He ruled the country for 24 years after taking office in 2000. In 2011, when the civil war broke out, two powerful countries like the United States and Russia began to intervene in Syria.
The tragic fall of the Assad government is expected to bring a new turn in Middle Eastern politics. International political analysts believe that due to the change in the balance of power, Syria as well as the entire Middle East is going to face a complex situation. The politics of Middle Eastern countries including Iran, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, and Iraq will take a new turn. Many also believe that chaos and violence will increase.
Bashar al-Assad came to power in Syria after the death of his father Hafez al-Assad in 2000. Hafez al-Assad was a dictator who ruled Syria harshly for 29 years. After coming to power Bashar al-Assad also became a harsh ruler like his father. Although the Syrian people initially hoped that Bashar would be a liberal leader who would take a different path than his father Bashar also maintained his father’s repressive political structure.
During his rule Syria has been accused of numerous human rights violations and the country has faced one crisis after another.
In 2011, Bashar al-Assad brutally suppressed peaceful protests by the Syrian opposition. This repression is a dark chapter in Syrian history. Because of this, a long-term civil war began across the country, which turned into a terrible humanitarian crisis. So far more than 500,000 people have been killed in this civil war and about 6 million people have been forced to flee their homes and become refugees.
Bashar al-Assad has survived this long-term civil war with the support of Russia and Iran. Russia has used its powerful air force to launch operations against the rebels Iran has sent military advisors and the Iranian-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah has sent trained fighters to support Assad’s forces.
Meanwhile rebel forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) an Islamist armed group based in Idlib in northwestern Syria have suddenly become active again. They launched an offensive a week ago that ultimately led to the end of Bashar al-Assad’s rule. Assad’s main allies Russia and Iran busy with their own internal problems have been unable to provide much assistance to the Syrian government during the rebel advance.
The two allies have long labeled Tahrir al-Sham a terrorist organization. In the absence of effective resistance HTS rebels first captured Syria’s second largest city Aleppo. They then captured Hama and Homs effectively cutting off the capital Damascus. Assad’s forces have failed to prevent the rebels from entering Damascus. President Bashar al-Assad fled the country on a private plane within hours of the rebel fighters entering the capital. Thus ended the five-decade rule of the Assad family.
The fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria is a major blow to Iran. During Assad’s rule Syria was a strategic nexus between Iran and Hezbollah. Syria played a key role in supplying Hezbollah with weapons and supplies. Hezbollah has also been weakened by the nearly year-long conflict with Israel and its future is uncertain. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have also been repeatedly targeted by airstrikes. Similarly including militias in Iraq and Hamas fighters in Gaza have suffered heavy losses. This defeat of Iran’s allies is a major opportunity for Israel. Israel which views Iran as an existential threat will undoubtedly celebrate this situation.
Many believe that the success of the rebel forces in Syria would not have been possible without the indirect support of Turkey. Turkey is accused of supporting some rebel groups in Syria although the country denies supporting Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Patrick Wintour diplomatic editor of The Guardian said, “Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave the green light to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Having received that signal the armed group has continued to attack since last month.” For Turkish President Erdogan, the Syrian crisis is a major political issue, especially with the three million Syrian refugees who have taken refuge in Turkey. Turkey had aimed to send the refugees back through a diplomatic solution. But Assad’s intransigence has made that prospect slim. Despite repeated calls for a negotiated solution to the crisis, Bashar al-Assad has refused to sit down with Turkey. Now, this victory of the rebels in Syria could open a new chapter for Turkey as well.
While Syrians are rejoicing at the end of five decades of Assad family rule, analysts say the country’s future is uncertain. The rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has roots in al-Qaeda and a history of violence. Although the rebel group has tried to portray itself as nationalist in recent years, many still distrust the group. There are fears that it could return to its previous violent ways, especially after the fall of Assad’s government.
“This dramatic change in Syria could create a dangerous power vacuum, which could ultimately lead to chaos and more violence,” says the BBC’s Middle East correspondent Hugo Bachega. Al Jazeera‘s Zeina Khodr, who has been covering the warring countries of the Middle East for nearly a decade and a half, says from Beirut, Lebanon, “Iran’s power and influence in the Middle East have grown enormously in the past few years. From Iraq to Syria, and even Lebanon, Iran’s influence has been widespread. Iran had developed good relations with the rulers of these countries. As a result, the balance of power in the Middle East was in Iran’s favor.’ Zeina believes that the fall of Assad and the recent war will be a cause for concern for Iran.
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