December 11, 2024
The American Mideast Coalition for Democracy welcomes the fall of the last of the Baathist dynasties in the Middle East, a regime allied with the ruling mullahs of Iran and was a major link in the “Shi’a crescent” extending from Tehran to the Mediterranean Sea. For decades the Assad regime allowed Damascus to become a major weapons delivery hub for Iran supplying Hezbollah in Lebanon. We are optimistic now that Hezbollah has been decapitated by Israeli operations and its weapons and financial support removed with the fall of Assad, Lebanon will again emerge as the free and pluralistic country it once was. However, we ask the Lebanese government in accordance with UNSCR 1701 to request the relocation some of UNIFL forces in South Lebanon to the border between Lebanon and Syria to protect the border and prevent radical groups in Syria from entering Lebanon, and to demand the implementation of UNSCR 1680 and establish a clear demarcation line between Lebanon and Syria.
We are also cautious about the rise of radical Islam which has spawned the Muslim Brotherhood and its many offshoots, such as Islamic Jihad, al Qaeda, and ISIS. It is very likely these militias will take vengeance and severely oppress the remaining Syriac, Orthodox, and Chaldean Christians and Kurds, the Jews having been ethnically cleansed from Syria during the twentieth century.
“We can only hope that with the eyes of the world upon them, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham will act in a responsible manner, but that remains to be seen,” said AMCD co-chair, Tom Harb. “With the potential manpower of hundreds of thousands of Syrians returning, it is hoped that the country can be rebuilt and remain at peace with its neighbors.”
“Turkey is likely to have a major hand in the reconstruction of Syria,” added AMCD co-chair John Hajjar. “And that’s not necessarily a good thing, especially for minority ethnic groups like the Christians, Druze, Alawis, and Kurds. This might be a good time to consider an independent Kurdistan, pledged to the protection of Christians and minority ethnic groups, and allied with the West.”
“The chess pieces are moving quickly,” added AMCD Sr. advisor, Dr. Walid Phares. “The US has already taken action to protect the Kurds and destroy some remaining ISIS strongholds in Syria, and Israel is taking action to destroy Syria’s military capability, including its navy, defense systems, military airfields, missile depots, and dozens of weapons production sites. President Trump just met with the President of the Kurdish region in Iraq, Nechirvan Barzani, in Paris. Potentially, a Syrian Kurdish region could link up with the Iraqi Kurds to form an independent Kurdistan, and eventually to include the Kurdish regions of Iran as well.”
AMCD is cautiously hopeful that with the common-sense foreign policy of the new Trump administration allied with Israel and the moderate Sunni leadership in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the entire region can turn the corner and cease the promotion of radical jihadism, develop modern civil societies to include protection for ethnic and religious minorities, and fully join the modern world.