Syria’s Ahmed Al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani. Photo Credit: Mfa.gov.ua, Wikimedia Commons
In Syria, The Barbarians Aren’t At The Gate, They’re In Power With Western Support – OpEd
Atrocities are being committed every day in Syria by the new rulers, according to Irish writer and peace activist Declan Hayes.
However, the Western corporate-run media are ignoring or censoring the horrific reality because the Western governments backed the regime-change operation.
He says that Syria – a cradle of civilization – is now being ruled by barbarians with the tacit support of Western governments and media.
The population is living under a reign of terror because the new rulers are terrorists affiliated with Islamic State who espouse an extremist version of Islam that does not tolerate other religions or versions of Islam.
Declan Hayes visited Syria as a peace activist and humanitarian many times during the decade-long war in that country. He witnessed the aftermath of atrocities carried out by insurgent groups in Latakia, Kassab, and Maaloula, among other places.
These mercenary groups were proxy forces financed and armed by the United States and its Western allies in a covert war for regime change against the former Syrian government.
The reasons for the regime-change operation were geopolitical due to the West’s support for Israel and antagonism towards Russia and Iran, as well as control of oil and gas resources.
Hayes maintains close contact with religious leaders and other community figures in Syria, especially among the Alawite, Christian and Shia Muslim communities. He says that the appalling violence and killings that were carried out by the Western-backed terror proxies during the decade-long war are continuing to be inflicted today.
Homes and villages are raided daily by armed supporters of Syria’s new ruling regime led by the de facto president, Ahmed al Sharaa, also known as Mohammad al Jolani, who is the leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militia.
HTS was formerly an affiliate of Islamic State and other Al Qaeda-linked terror networks. HTS seized power two months ago in Damascus after former President Bashar al-Assad fled the country with his family. Assad is living in exile in Russia.
The collapse of his government surprised the world but in many ways, it shouldn’t have been a surprise because Syria was worn down and destroyed by a 10-year war sponsored by the U.S., European powers, Israel and the Gulf Arab kingdoms.
The country was also devastated by crippling Western economic sanctions. Assad’s allies, Russia and Iran, could not prevent the collapse and takeover by the Western terrorist proxies.
Syria is facing an extremely dangerous future where the new regime is exacting brutal retribution against minorities and communities perceived as being loyal to Assad.
What makes the situation all the more grim is that the United States and European Union governments and their media are propping up the new regime, whitewashing its violations and its terrorist links, or simply ignoring the daily atrocities being inflicted.
However, Declan Hayes contends that the new rulers of Syria do not have a firm control over the country where resistance to the reign of terror is growing.
- This article was published at Strategic Culture
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Finian Cunningham
Finian Cunningham has written extensively on international affairs, with articles published in several languages. He is a Master’s graduate in Agricultural Chemistry and worked as a scientific editor for the Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, England, before pursuing a career in newspaper journalism.
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