Syrian civil war is reignited.

[Northwest]

42 minutes ago, Diaz said:

Why there is still Syria refugee if the sanctions is removed? They can stop giving money to these refugees. 

@Diaz I think this is a bit OT. Obviously repatriation cannot be done overnight, but there are both economic and other—much more dubious—considerations at work. At any rate, Western and other governments seemingly prefer Jolani’s regime to any other that could arise in Syria, so I would imagine that sanctions have already been lifted. Even the Russian authorities seem to favour Jolani: shortly after Assad’s ouster (on 19 December 2024) Putin made some rather surprising statements about HTS’s regime. He effectively asserted that the new government was a) not “terrorist” and b) was not hostile to Russian interests. He also declared that Western powers’ willingness to deal with HTS proved that the group had moderated itself over time. Finally, he also declined to blame Turkey for backing HTS. Here are Putin’s words:

Quote

You have mentioned Syria. You and, as I said, those who pay your salary would like to present the current developments in Syria as Russia’s defeat. I assure you that this is not the case, and here is why. We came to Syria ten years ago to prevent the creation of a terrorist enclave there, like the one that we saw in some other countries, for example, Afghanistan. We have achieved that goal, by and large.

Even the groups that were fighting against the Assad regime and the government forces back then have undergone internal changes. It is not surprising that many European countries and the United States are trying to develop relations with them now. Would they be doing this if they were terrorist organisations? This means that they have changed, doesn’t it? So, our goal has been achieved, to a certain degree.

^ The above suggest that Russia might have been a party to some arrangement with the West over Syria’s future. (Notably, since coming to power HTS has allowed Russia to retain its bases in Syria.) The fact that Russia assigned so much credibility to Western behaviour (“if the West recognises HTS and Co., then the latter are not terrorists”) is itself suspicious. Evidently neither Russia nor China is going to back Iran in Syria or elsewhere. (Russia does not have a mutual-defence treaty with Iran that is comparable to its agreement with North Korea, for instance.) China, for instance, actually pressed Iran to restrain the Houthis, but of course Iran agreed to disagree. in Syria Russia intervened to protect its territory, not to help Iran and its partners fight the West. Russia, like China, views Iran as a disruptive force that ought to be contained. (I do not necessarily agree, but am outlining their perspective.)

[Haji 2003]

15 minutes ago, Northwest said:

Evidently neither Russia nor China is going to back Iran in Syria or elsewhere.

There are no ideological or ethnic etc. reasons for China/Russia to support Iran. However there are broader strategic and defence interests that would ensure that China/Russia would not be keen to see the IRI replaced with a pro-western regime.

The Straits of Malacca are an obvious chokepoint for China-bound traffic, so:

Quote

Container traffic on the China – Iran route grew by 2.6 times in the first months of 2025. Such strong demand for rail services seems promising for the future. Consequently, six countries decided to come together and agree on steps to develop the route.

https://www.railfreight.com/beltandroad/2025/05/12/six-countries-sign-agreement-to-develop-rail-on-china-iran-europe-route/?gdpr=accept

Iran is also a source of oil that would not be subject to Western-imposed sanctions on China, should that eventuality ever arise. You might believe that the possibility of that happening is low, but the consequences for China would be severe - so having an alternative in place helps.

Exactly how the supply chain worked is opaque, but Iranian-made drones seem to have ended up in Russian hands.

By a similar chain of logic, I have argued that China absolutely needs to see Putin remain in power and for Russia to prevail over Ukraine.

[Northwest]

16 hours ago, Haji 2003 said:

There are no ideological or ethnic etc. reasons for China/Russia to support Iran. However there are broader strategic and defence interests that would ensure that China/Russia would not be keen to see the IRI replaced with a pro-western regime.

@Haji 2003 Both Russia and China have greater economic and military ties with the GCC than with Iran. (Most of China’s crude oil comes from either Saudi Arabia or Russia; Iran is far down the list.) In fact, China never followed up on its economic deal with Iran, as its overall trade between both states has declined since 2021. Moreover, Chinese investment in Iranian energy is much lower than it could be, and overall Chinese investment in the GCC is considerably larger than in Iran. Finally, the recent Russia–Iran treaty merely formalises ongoing transactions, but does not signify a mutual-defence obligation:

Quote

Consequently, the treaty signed by Putin and Pezeshkian turned out to be little more than a bureaucratic summary of the current state of affairs, with dozens of abstract phrases such as “confirm commitment to,” “aspire to,” and “facilitate.” … There was nothing new in the details.

Almost all the areas of cooperation—energy, transport, regional organizations, etc.—highlighted in the treaty have already been the subject of new agreements between Iran and Russia in the last three years. … Instead, the two countries only agreed not to help any country that attacked the other.

This is clear confirmation that Moscow and Tehran do not intend to form a military alliance. It also shows that the Kremlin remains unwilling to come to Iran’s aid if it is attacked by either the United States or Israel. ... Even in its own wars, Iran is reluctant to risk its soldiers, preferring to rely on proxies.

^ This brings me to your point about Iranian drones:

16 hours ago, Haji 2003 said:

Exactly how the supply chain worked is opaque, but Iranian-made drones seem to have ended up in Russian hands.

No independent source (i.e., not Western media) has confirmed that Russia used Iranian drones in Ukraine. Iran has consistently denied that it sanctioned Russia’s use of its drones there, though it supposedly transferred a handful to Russia some time before the war began. (Maybe the Iranian foreign minister‘s words were misquoted?) Russia, of course, has Iranian involvement. Up until now, therefore, only Western sources have harped on “Iranian drones in Ukraine”.

[Haji 2003]

2 hours ago, Northwest said:

In fact, China never followed up on its economic deal with Iran, as its overall trade between both states has declined since 2021.

This article is all over the place:

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/496566/Iran-China-trade-exceeds-2-8-billion-in-Jan-Feb

But chatGPT's summary is:

• The trend in China-Iran trade is V-shaped over the three-year period: strong in 2022, declining in 2023, and recovering sharply in early 2024.

• The imbalance in trade is growing in China's favor, driven by consistent growth in Chinese exports and volatility in Iranian exports.

• The 25-year strategic agreement and increasing bilateral projects suggest long-term upward pressure on trade volumes, particularly if structural and logistical issues are resolved.

This article and other coverage note that some trade may be 'off the books'.

2 hours ago, Northwest said:

overall Chinese investment in the GCC is considerably larger than in Iran.

No doubt.

But If the US ever wants the GCC to sanction China they'll do it. That's not the case with Iran. So size does not correlate with strategic value.

 

2 hours ago, Northwest said:

No independent source (i.e., not Western media) has confirmed that Russia used Iranian drones in Ukraine.

 

OK, but there is this:

Quote

 

Russia has cultivated closer ties with Iran since the start of its war with Ukraine and has said it is preparing to sign a wide-ranging cooperation agreement with the Islamic state.

Reuters reported in February that Iran had provided Russia with a large number of powerful surface-to-surface ballistic missiles.

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/top-russian-security-official-shoigu-arrives-iran-interfax-says-2024-08-05/

[Northwest]

On 5/27/2025 at 11:49 AM, Haji 2003 said:

OK, but there is this:

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/top-russian-security-official-shoigu-arrives-iran-interfax-says-2024-08-05/

@Haji 2003 Is there any independent (non-Western) evidence that Iran sent Russia ballistic-missile technology? (At any rate, the Russian–Iranian agreement does not mention arms transfers, much less a mutual-defence treaty.)

[ShiaChat Mod]

Any news on the Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque and shrine? 

[Haji 2003]

On 12/9/2024 at 10:48 AM, Abu Hadi said:

As Professor Mirandi and others have said already, Syria was always the weakest link in the AOR, and they already knew the nature of the Syrian 'leadership'.

I think what this year has proven is the fragility of old-style governance in the Middle East, which was itself imposed by colonial powers. This typically involved a 'King' or 'Emir' running an autocracy with the military also constructed on the basis of a strong hierarchy.

Of course in recent years having a king has been replaced by having a President as leaders have been picked in Washington rather than London (though it has been said that MbS was picked by Netanyahu).

These approaches to leadership are always prone to assassination (decapitation), coups and bribery. Kill Gaddafi and the regime collapses, remove Assad and a new regime can step in his place, hang Saddam and the game over for the Ba'ath.

It seems to be far more effective to have a more devolved system of leadership. This makes decapitation less effective, because someone else simply steps into the murdered person's shoes - as Hezbollah and Iran have shown.

[Northwest]

The Jolani Gang has so alienated the minorities by its sectarianism that it has managed to make Israel appear ‘reasonable’, and the Israelis have adeptly offered to ‘protect’ the Druze, Kurds, Alawites, etc. from HTS’s Salafi regime. Right now the SDF and Druze militias are counting on Israel to protect them from the Jolani Gang’s Sunni chauvinists. Both Israel and Shias are opposing the Jolani Gang from different and opposite angles. The Jolani Gang makes Sunnis seem to be a terrorist collective that in some ways poses more of an immediate threat to fellow Muslims (Shias) than Zionists do. Every attempt by Sunnis to establish a theocracy ends up bolstering genocidal bigotry that makes Israel’s impersonal hostility seem comparatively tame (or allows Israel to pose as such). If secularism and/or Israel is the cause of all problems, then why does every Sunni Islamist movement end up producing the same doleful results? Can’t the Sunni majority offer a pluralistic Muslim alternative, rather than giving the West more opportunities to intervene (because the Sunni Arabs can’t maintain a functional, nonsectarian, tolerant religious rule)?

[Eddie Mecca]

4 hours ago, Northwest said:

The Jolani Gang makes Sunnis seem to be a terrorist collective that in some ways poses more of an immediate threat to fellow Muslims (Shias) than Zionists do.

Yes, and this was precisely the plan all along... the British Empire handpicked Wahhabism 200 - 300 years ago in order to destroy Islam from within... by bolstering Wahhabism, the British were able to collapse the Ottoman Sultanate and minimalize the endangering of British lives... moving Wahhabism from Najd to Mecca gave it a newfound holiness... the new-fashioned brand of Sunnism found a newborn sanctity... the excessive strictness, the asinine, literal representations, the ingrained sectarian worldview, the willingness to sell Islam short for material gain... all these and more contributed to a campaign to make the image of Islam look ugly before the world... Wahhabism was catapulted by the white imperialists in order make Muslims abandon Islam and turn toward Western alternatives such as: captialism, communism, socialism, atheism, agnosticism, consumerism, individualism, postmodernism, Satanism, the occult, secret societies etc.

4 hours ago, Northwest said:

Both Israel and Shias are opposing the Jolani Gang

Israel, Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabi, UAE, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt etc. are all in bed together... there are dynamics and nuances governing each of the relationships... Israel is not 'fighting' Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham in the strictest and absolute sense... It's more like when the Mafia Big Boss (i.e. ultimate authority, often called the "Don" or "Godfather," who controls the entire criminal family) slaps around an underling or a footsoldier (i.e. "made man," the lowest level in the family, who is inducted into the Mafia and traditionally must be of Italian descent) in order to make an example of him to all the other wouldbes who may think of stepping out of line in the near or distant future... the Salafis understand their role and their status and their ranking in the totempole... the occasional bullying by Israel gives the Salafis a certain amount of street credibility among the delusional Sunni masses as well... "If our Salafi brothers are in cahoots with the Zionists, then why is Israel constantly bombing them?" is an argument you might hear from the deluded Sunni street... the response is: because even though they're working in coordination with the Zionists, it doesn't mean that the Zionists trust them fully/wholeheartedly... the Salafis were hired by the Israelis to extract the natural resources from the ground, keep the region in line, and divide Syria into chiefdoms... the Jews want them (Wahhabis) strong enough to kill the indigenous brown savages... but not powerful enough to challenge NATO hegemony 

Edited August 10, 2025 by Eddie Mecca

[Northwest]

3 hours ago, Eddie Mecca said:

Israel, Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabi, UAE, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt etc. are all in bed together... there are dynamics and nuances governing each of the relationships... Israel is not 'fighting' Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham in the strictest and absolute sense...

@Eddie Mecca Israel continues to attack critical Syrian infrastructure (including MoD facilities), killing HTS militants and officials, while openly encouraging quasi-separatist tendencies—at a time when Syria is barely ‘recovering’ from a decade-long war. Israel killed dozens, if not hundreds, of Jolani’s Sunni Bedouin allies in Suwayda, forcing HTS’s forces to withdraw. If this is not open conflict, then ‘fighting’ loses its meaning. Moreover, at this moment HTS refuses to deliver on the promises it made to Israel: normalization, decentralization, minority rights, a full crackdown on Palestinian militants, etc. So HTS has only grudgingly retreated when confronted with Israeli might. Its actions are hardly those of a Zionist mercenary, much less a puppet. The notion that all anti-Shia forces, including HTS (the ‘Jolani Gang’), are Zionist agents (that is, witting and conscious volunteers or Israeli employees) seems simplistic.

3 hours ago, Eddie Mecca said:

the occasional bullying by Israel gives the Salafis a certain amount of street credibility among the delusional Sunni masses as well... "If our Salafi brothers are in cahoots with the Zionists, then why is Israel constantly bombing them?" is an argument you might hear from the deluded Sunni street... the response is: because even though they're working in coordination with the Zionists, it doesn't mean that the Zionists trust them fully/wholeheartedly...

One could say many of the same things about al-Qaida, which both fought the West and sought Western aid vs. Shias. (While al-Qaida was massacring Afghan Shias, it was also carrying out anti-Western attacks such as 9/11—all while relying on Western clients like the KSA and Pakistan.) My view is that Sunni (Salafi) extremist groups like ISIS, al-Qaida (including its offshoot HTS), etc. are more or less independent actors that tactically and/or strategically marshal, or rather manipulate, Western support for their own ends. The West acts similarly in regard to the Sunni Islamists, as it does in relation to other groups. At any rate, the evidence above suggests that Israel and HTS are not ‘coordinating’ much of anything. Yet ideological biases often prevent one from assessing reality as it is, including differences among political actors. In this case Israeli and Shia interests vs. Salafi terrorism happen to coincide; this should be acknowledged.

3 hours ago, Eddie Mecca said:

the Salafis were hired by the Israelis to extract the natural resources from the ground, keep the region in line, and divide Syria into chiefdoms... the Jews want them (Wahhabis) strong enough to kill the indigenous brown savages... but not powerful enough to challenge NATO hegemony

There is a clear split between Israel and the U.S. on Syria. Turkey’s support for a centralized HTS regime directly clashes with Israel’s vision; both sides back different administrative and political models in Damascus. Moreover, the Trump administration is divided on Jolani: some factions (Barrack) favor Jolani’s patron Erdoğan, but others (Rubio) side with Netanyahu vs. HTS. For a time Trump was quite skeptical of Jolani, withholding on recognition and aid; by contrast the Europeans (Ukraine included), along with Qatar, helped Turkey arm and finance HTS. As soon as Trump ditched his ‘Russia Détente’ he normalized ties with Syria to court Turkey, a move that Israel distrusted. So no, there is no harmonious Israel–NATO strategy here. Objectively Israeli and Shia interests coincide in Syria; a shared model (ethnic and religious pluralism, autonomy, and/or partition) can be applied to other Sunni-chauvinist states like Turkey or Pakistan.

[Abu Hassanain]

Salam

I Am going to respect site rules and akhalaq and say this in a round about way.

Hts, Taliban, Gulf, etc are ruling like they rule and incapable of a tolerant or decent goverment because they follow pharaoh haman shadad and the wives of lut and nuh and their ilk.

Most of the Shia population is astray but we made it to the table and can or could get it together. For example the Irani Government respersents are people best recent effort and has been beneficial in so much as they have followed or been able to follow  Quran and Ahlul Bayt.

Pharaoh’s religion was founded to oppose freedom justice equality and independence taught by the Quran and Ahlul Bayt as. 
 

All of the actions of these groups whether politically can be traced back to pharaoh’s coup which was planned, encouraged, and supported by Haman. The books of Pharoh’s school even mention that haman and the wife of lut killed Pharoh because he saw them doing such and such and haman wanted the throne. We see among their followers the same backstabbing and betrayal today.

The followers slaughter innocents why is that surprising when Haman attacked the house of Fatimah as ? 
 

they steal all the wealth . Why is that surprising when Shadad who they call wealthy only became wealthy by stealing ?

the ottoman empires fall was good, they were not our freind. They the British and saud and Israel were and are all our enemies both religiously and politically . But so are Russia China and Followers of Pharoh and Haman. Safavids did some good for Shia and left our scholars alone but they and the qajars both opposed really implementing Islam. The only goverment of Iran that was not taghut is the goverment of Dhul Qarnayn as and Islamic Republic.

Iran Rome Egypt Europe had decent rulers at different times but ultimately whatever good they did was not for The Sake of Allah 

None of the countries that follow Pharoh and Haman are good or ever going to like us. Their followers tried to kill me in three states. This is when I was calling for unity and brotherhood.

We need to wake  up . Shia can only rely on Allah, the wasilah of Ahlul Bayt and to an imperfect extent each other.

I close with the advice of the religious and political sage 

Ayatullah Khumanyi 

Neither East nor West Islam is the Best

Edited August 10, 2025 by Abu Hassanain
Typo

[Eddie Mecca]

20 hours ago, Northwest said:

Turkey’s support for a centralized HTS regime directly clashes with Israel’s vision

Please show evidence of Turkey wanting a unified Syria and Israel advocating for a fragmented Syria and clash of regional visions between the two 

20 hours ago, Northwest said:

extremist groups like ISIS, al-Qaida (including its offshoot HTS), etc. are more or less independent actors

1.) Based on our previous discussions, I thought you were an advocate of New World Order / One World Government conspiracy theory... that is to say, there are no true opposing sides between two or more competing great powers... all governments, organizations, agencies, conglomerates etc. are on the same side... the illusion of divergence among nations is created in order to deceive the masses and fool them into believing a freedom of choice or duality exists... do you still hold this view or did you abandon it altogether or fine-tune it a bit? 

2.) A certain degree of wiggle room exists for these groups, no doubt... subservient nations and groups often display a certain level of independence... this is sometimes done for bargaining purposes or to gain an amount of leverage or flexibility of movement in order to renegotiate terms

[Northwest]

3 hours ago, Eddie Mecca said:

Please show evidence of Turkey wanting a unified Syria and Israel advocating for a fragmented Syria and clash of regional visions between the two

@Eddie Mecca Turkey helped HTS build up its base in Idlib for years, while the latter collaborated with pro-Turkish militias (SNA). As soon as last year’s offensive began, Turkey praised it and blamed Assad for refusing to negotiate. (Erdoğan publicly hoped that HTS would reach Damascus “without incidents,” and Foreign Minister Fidan described the outcome as the “will of the Syrian people.”) Turkey has since extended economic and military aid to Damascus, in part to counter the Kurdish-separatist SDF. So Turkey clearly prefers a united Syria under HTS, as such an order would hinder Kurdish and other aspirations. As others have pointed out, the U.S. has also asked the Druze and Kurds to accept HTS (recall special envoy to Syria Barrack’s deadline), a move that Israel deeply resents. As far as Israel goes, it clearly wants to either annex or establish a ‘sphere of influence’ in the Druze area of southern Syria, and it maintains ties with the SDF as well. A quasi-separatist, Israel-aligned Druze or Kurdish entity in Syria directly impinges on Turkish regional interests.

3 hours ago, Eddie Mecca said:

1.) Based on our previous discussions, I thought you were an advocate of New World Order / One World Government conspiracy theory... that is to say, there are no true opposing sides between two or more competing great powers... all governments, organizations, agencies, conglomerates etc. are on the same side... the illusion of divergence among nations is created in order to deceive the masses and fool them into believing a freedom of choice or duality exists... do you still hold this view or did you abandon it altogether or fine-tune it a bit?

To be honest, I am now somewhat undecided on the matter. I am definitely adjusting it at this stage...but I think there is still a fair amount of truth to it, with nuance. My point is that there is no central controller in the sense that a single actor is able to impose its will absolutely in all spheres of activity, though hegemony as a concept is very real. But within the broad NWO agenda—the drive for global hegemony—there are also different models and ideas, dependent on whichever group aims to run the NWO. So there are many fights within and among the NWO cliques, gangs, and blocs.

3 hours ago, Eddie Mecca said:

2.) A certain degree of wiggle room exists for these groups, no doubt... subservient nations and groups often display a certain level of independence... this is sometimes done for bargaining purposes or to gain an amount of leverage or flexibility of movement in order to renegotiate terms

The current clash between HTS/Turkey/America and Israel in Syria is far more fundamental than a mere skirmish over offers, reflecting a serious divergence in regional aspirations, terms of agreement, and so on. I think there is enough evidence at this stage to support this. Returning to my original point, I would argue that Jewish/Zionist omnipotence (and omnipresence) is a myth that denies Muslims agency, responsibility, etc., allowing Sunni chauvinists to escape blame for supporting genocidal religious (in their minds, which proves my point) sectarianism. Israel and Co. mainly exploit the preexisting hatred; the fact that many Sunnis willingly and voluntarily join up with Wahhabi–Salafi militants shows this. If this did not exist, Western attempts to create schisms, cults, and so on would not be as successful to date.

Edited August 11, 2025 by Northwest

[Northwest]

@Eddie Mecca After further reflection, I am reconsidering my stance on Jolani/HTS. To be honest, I always had trouble reconciling the apparent rifts among the parties with the fact that Syria’s guarantors—the EU, Turkey, the U.S., and the GCC—have worked in concert with Israel on other issues. In the meantime I have done some reading on secret EU dealings with Israel during the Gaza war at the same time figures like Macron and Borrell (or even Biden) were publicly lashing Israel, referring Netanyahu to the ICC, etc.

Basically, the same people who vocally talked about a ceasefire and two-state solution had long promoted close EU–Israel ties, including in the defence sector. France in particular continually delivered large amounts of munitions, dual-use components, and other high-tech equipment to Israel during the Gaza war, while officially claiming that it was a minor player at best or was doing its utmost not to arm Israel. So the media circus was just that, a PR show designed to cover up massive EU–Israel collusion throughout the war.

Another example of this is the recent bid by several EU states and Canada to promote a ‘two-state solution’. Now media are revealing that in return for this ‘deal’ the EU was demanding that the Palestinians recognize the Abraham Accords, ‘reform’ (read: cripple) the PA (something Israel has long demanded), and of course get rid of Hamas. So this ‘two-state solution’ effectively guarantees that any Palestinian entity will not have real sovereignty, but will be a kind of fig-leaf for the liquidation of the Palestinian cause: an illusion.

Going back to Syria, I will now show how hidden ‘diplomacy’ ties in with all this. Jolani’s behaviour had perplexed me, given that he and other senior HTS figures had definitely promised Israel last year that they would do their best to normalize ties. The fact that Israel then bombed Syria thousands of times after HTS took power—despite the latter’s fulfilling Israel’s demand for an anti-Iran, post-Assad Syria—really confused me. Now, however, I think I can see the contours of the real situation, something that had been well concealed.

There are many reports that his administration is close to finalising secret deals with Israel (normal ties by New Year). This puts the entire Suwayda episode in a new light. A month earlier, the U.S. had hinted that neither it nor HTS opposed each other, but that both faced common enemies: Assad loyalists, pro-Iran groups, and renegade Salafi militants. The last group in particular posed a challenge. Even though groups like Zawahiri‘s al-Qaida and ISIS were set up by the West, their rank-and-file members may not have always known this.

A possible interpretation of the Suwayda episode:

• Both Israel and Syria needed a convenient way to justify their secret deals (i.e., de facto normalization, including recognition of Israeli ambitions vis-à-vis the Druze) while meeting Western security demands (i.e., the elimination of radical Salafi militants and Sunni Bedouin). So Israel armed the Druze factions, paid their salaries, and so on, in order to annex Suwayda, while the U.S. pretended to be a bystander and HTS a hapless victim.
• HTS encouraged the Salafi extremists and Bedouin to fight the Druze, knowing full well that it was laying a trap for them, in line with U.S. demands that radical groups be liquidated (the U.S. and Syria continued cooperating on anti-ISIS ‘counterterrorism’ during this timeframe). When the Druze, backed by Israel, predictably counterattacked, HTS left the poorly-armed Sunnis alone and withdrew, leading to a massacre of Bedouin.
• The whole mess then allowed both sides—the pro-Israel Druze leadership and HTS—to claim that they were acting in opposition, when the entire scenario was fabricated to fulfil several distinct aims at once.

So this is my latest ‘take’ on all this.

Edited September 24, 2025 by Northwest

[AbdusSibtayn]

The year is 2045.

It's a midsummer day in Suwayda/Daraa/Idlib. As the sweltering forenoon heat rises, a denizen, Marwan Muawiyah, seated in the shade of an olive bush, is peering into his phone. His cousin, Mugheerah Yazeed, who had fought in the 'jihad' to storm Aleppo in December 2024, is also bent over his shoulder, squinting at the screen. 

News is playing on the screen. The Hezbollah have foiled another attempt by the colonizer Jewish ethnostate to invade and occupy Lebanon. A victory parade is underway in Dahiye, with latmiyahs blaring from loudspeakers on trucks, cadets marching in tandem. A very aged Sheikh Naeem Qassem is addressing the jubilant Shia celebrators on screen, with a portrait of the shaheed Sayyid Nasrallah and a huge 'Ya Hussain' banner in the background. 

Marwan Muawiyah and Mugheerah Yazeed scowl at the phone screen. "Shirk! Bid'ah!! Kufr!!! ", Marwan Muawiyah mutters angrily, somewhat under his breath. 

Their reverie is broken by a stinging sensation of pain, as a Jewish settler-landlord cracks his whip on their bare backs- " Get your lazy bums off the ground, filthy goyim!!! Get to work NOW!!! "

Both the cousins get up, groaning and mumbling. They dust the soil off their tattered three-quarter trousers- military fatigues, remnants from the 'Jihad' in winter 2024.

As Marwan Muawiyah digs into the soil with his rake, a band of settler children swarm into the olive grove. They jeer at him. Make faces. Call him nasty names. Hurl racist insults. Marwan Muawiyah and Mugheerah Yazeed look around pitifully. 

As they leave, one of them spits on Marwan Muawiyah's broom-beard. The fiendish peal of their laughter resounds through the landscape, and they run away, cackling. 

Under the scorching sunlight, Marwan Muawiyah looks into the distance, wiping sweat off his forehead, and sighs contentedly- "At least Assad is gone.....! "

Edited September 25, 2025 by AbdusSibtayn

[Eddie Mecca]

On 9/24/2025 at 5:52 AM, Northwest said:

Turkey

I can envision a time in the near or distant future when Turkey, Qatar etc. turn on Israel or vice-versa... @Northwest, trying to grasp ME geopolitics can sometimes be like playing 5th dimensional chess... you're putting forth a gallant effort in trying to understand the inner-workings of our region and I appreciate your endeavor

On 9/24/2025 at 5:52 AM, Northwest said:

Druze, backed by Israel

Aren't there Syrian Druze who are pro-Axis of Resistance as well? 

[Northwest]

28 minutes ago, Eddie Mecca said:

Aren't there Syrian Druze who are pro-Axis of Resistance as well? 

@Eddie Mecca According to numerous reports, many Syrian officers and minorities (including Druze) who supported Assad are now siding with Israel, thanks to HTS’s sectarian stance. (Coincidentally, many Shia, for different reasons, have also opposed HTS.) Remember that during the Iraq–Iran war Israel actually viewed Saddam as a greater short-term threat than Iran, hence its involvement in the Iran–Contra affair. During the 1980s Israel and Bashar’s father Hafez al-Assad cooperated vs. the Soviet-aligned PLO in Lebanon (incidentally, the Lebanese Shia also opposed Arafat’s sectarianism). The U.S., Israel, and Iran briefly aligned tactically in Afghanistan and Iraq after 9/11, owing to shared enemies (al-Qaida, Taliban 1.0 [Mullah Omar’s version], and Saddam’s Iraqi Baathists [progenitors of Zarqawi/Zawahiri’s al-Qaida 2.0 and ISIS]). Even in Syria some Israeli officials were reluctant to get rid of Assad entirely, but instead wanted to pressure him into severing his support for Hezbollah and Iran, given that Israel also feared the emergence of a Wahhabi–Salafi pseudo-‘caliphate’ on its border. Geopolitics is complex...

[Ashvazdanghe]

3 hours ago, Eddie Mecca said:

I can envision a time in the near or distant future when Turkey, Qatar etc. turn on Israel or vice-versa...

Salam respectfully this is just far fetch wishful thinking which never won't happen which zionist Israel has strong ties with Turkey & so called Azerbaijan but never allows them to become powerful in extent that them can be become a treat for it ; which also neo-ottomanism is a zionist project which Qatar won't have any militaristic power which it's procedure is becoming in similar fashion of Swiss of west Asia in its rivalry with Oman .

3 hours ago, Eddie Mecca said:

Aren't there Syrian Druze who are pro-Axis of Resistance as well? 

Syrian Druze only are pro themselves which they are under influence of Israeli Druze which their want independent state as friend of zionist Israel  ; which colonizer britain has used them insimilar fashion  for weakening Ottomans through making contact  & alliance with them through  Gertrude Bell as it's secret agent  by giving promise to make an independent state for them .

[Eddie Mecca]

45 minutes ago, Northwest said:

According to numerous reports, many Syrian officers and minorities (including Druze) who supported Assad are now siding with Israel

Their best bet is attempting to evacuate Syria altogether... mass migration and temporarily move to either Lebanon or Jordan... Takfiris end game is to eliminate all minorities in the region if possible... I'm not sure what the rationale is here... HTS-collaborating Druze need to reexamine their thinking process

45 minutes ago, Northwest said:

Remember that during the Iraq–Iran war Israel actually viewed Saddam as a greater short-term threat than Iran, hence its involvement in the Iran–Contra affair.

Yeah, the secularists had the real power during the 1950's, 1960's, 1970's and 1980's and Islamist movements were still on the fringe of society during these decades... hence, Israel encouraging and supporting Hamas through indirect means during its early days and trying to play them (i.e. Hamas) against the PLO... US supplied armaments to both sides in order to weaken both countries simultaneously... they wanted both to fight to a Mexican standoff in order to preserve regional balance of power... Iran had no choice... it was either accept covert weapons from the US and fight gallantly or remain weaponless against the militarily superior Saddam and die... Satan is an arch-deceiver my deist brother

Edited September 28, 2025 by Eddie Mecca
Adding

[Ashvazdanghe]

10 minutes ago, Eddie Mecca said:

Iran had no choice... it was either accept covert weapons from the US and fight gallantly or remain weaponless against the militarily superior Saddam and die

Salam America & zionist israel have tried to fool Iran which zionist agents have made contact with Iran with American identity under cover pretending to be a part of group of American diplomats which Iran just wanted to acquire american weapons because it's army has been totally dependant to american weapons but when Iran has received weapon so then it has been exposed that all weapons have been provided from zionist Israel with exclusive serial numbers for Israel which if saddam could acquire those guns from Iranian war prisoners so then could use Israeli serial number of weapons for accusing Iran to cooperation with Israel so therefore Iran has not accepted weapons & not used previously received weapons in war ; which Mr Rafsanjani has exposed their dirty plan for fooling him & his party to people of Iran with all details  by order of Imam Khomeini (رضي الله عنه) but still it has remained a conspiracy theory against Iran . 

Edited September 28, 2025 by Ashvazdanghe

[Eddie Mecca]

1 hour ago, Northwest said:

Even in Syria some Israeli officials were reluctant to get rid of Assad entirely

Correct, there was a stream of thought among the Zionist hierarchy that thought a weakened Assad was preferable.. a crippled, rational secularist is better than a wacko Takfiri caliphate on your doorstep 

Edited September 28, 2025 by Eddie Mecca
Correction

[Zaid.AN]

Assalamu Alaikum. Honestly if there had been any error in our Syrian intervention up until the fall of the Assad regime, it was that we didn't do our utmost to create a Shia-Alawite state or autonomous region.

Edited August 8 by Zaid.AN
Add

[Diaz]

6 hours ago, Zaid.AN said:

Assalamu Alaikum. Honestly if there had been any error in our Syrian intervention up until the fall of the Assad regime, it was that we didn't do our utmost to create a Shia-Alawite state or autonomous region.

Ws Salam, or atleast train the Shias in Syria how to protect themselves. Majority of them do not know how to use weapons, this is sad.

[Zaid.AN]

6 hours ago, Diaz said:

Ws Salam, or atleast train the Shias in Syria how to protect themselves. Majority of them do not know how to use weapons, this is sad.

They, as you mentioned, and the biggest issue is that we didn't do anything for them. In fact, they owned weapons and then handed them over to the so-called Syrian authorities under false and empty promises regarding civil peace and integration into the new state. This was absolutely their mistake.

[Panzerwaffe]

On 8/9/2025 at 7:17 PM, Northwest said:

The Jolani Gang has so alienated the minorities by its sectarianism that it has managed to make Israel appear ‘reasonable’, and the Israelis have adeptly offered to ‘protect’ the Druze, Kurds, Alawites, etc. from HTS’s Salafi regime. Right now the SDF and Druze militias are counting on Israel to protect them from the Jolani Gang’s Sunni chauvinists. Both Israel and Shias are opposing the Jolani Gang from different and opposite angles. The Jolani Gang makes Sunnis seem to be a terrorist collective that in some ways poses more of an immediate threat to fellow Muslims (Shias) than Zionists do. Every attempt by Sunnis to establish a theocracy ends up bolstering genocidal bigotry that makes Israel’s impersonal hostility seem comparatively tame (or allows Israel to pose as such). If secularism and/or Israel is the cause of all problems, then why does every Sunni Islamist movement end up producing the same doleful results? Can’t the Sunni majority offer a pluralistic Muslim alternative, rather than giving the West more opportunities to intervene (because the Sunni Arabs can’t maintain a functional, nonsectarian, tolerant religious rule)?

Nailed it 

[Hamdi999]

On 8/9/2025 at 8:17 PM, Northwest said:

The Jolani Gang has so alienated the minorities by its sectarianism that it has managed to make Israel appear ‘reasonable’, and the Israelis have adeptly offered to ‘protect’ the Druze, Kurds, Alawites, etc. from HTS’s Salafi regime.

On 8/9/2025 at 8:17 PM, Northwest said:

Right now the SDF and Druze militias are counting on Israel to protect them from the Jolani Gang’s Sunni chauvinists. Both Israel and Shias are opposing the Jolani Gang from different and opposite angles.

That's the israeli and american trap, they will use these minorities when they are persecuted. We all saw what happened to the kurds and how america/israel backstabbed them this year, it's a sad tale how especially the kurds keep falling into this trap. 

On 8/9/2025 at 8:17 PM, Northwest said:

The Jolani Gang makes Sunnis seem to be a terrorist collective that in some ways poses more of an immediate threat to fellow Muslims (Shias) than Zionists do. Every attempt by Sunnis to establish a theocracy ends up bolstering genocidal bigotry that makes Israel’s impersonal hostility seem comparatively tame (or allows Israel to pose as such).

Oh boy this aged really badly considering how israel litterally wiped every village in southern lebanon that they occupied as they spread like a cancer. Even the most extreeme salafi wouldn't have done this, the worst HTS did last year was burn a bunch of houses and do pogroms against innocent civilians, HTS is basically israel LITE. As a lebanese shia I see israel as a cancer that is 10000x worse than these brainless nasibi fools.

israel on the other hand managed to wipe thousand year of shia history in southern lebanon just like that, buildings that were there for centuries now gone, demolished and all the towns ethnically cleansed. This includes my town, it's all gone, even the roman ruins in it I think israeli savages destroyed it, they destroyed everything. They're destroying houses and heritage sites and are probably going to beat isis at this rate. 

Israel in the last 6 months has done what no sunni empire did in the last 1400 years in southern lebanon, atleast that I am aware of.

All because hezb dared to enforce the ceasefire which israel violated 15k times. 

its gotten so bad, hezbollah last week contemplated negotiating with HTS against israel. This is how cancerous israel is, they're causing hezb to seek an alliance with these sectarian idiots via turkey. 

On 8/9/2025 at 8:17 PM, Northwest said:

If secularism and/or Israel is the cause of all problems, then why does every Sunni Islamist movement end up producing the same doleful results? Can’t the Sunni majority offer a pluralistic Muslim alternative, rather than giving the West more opportunities to intervene (because the Sunni Arabs can’t maintain a functional, nonsectarian, tolerant religious rule)?

Salafis are too sectarian to produce a reasonable society. Ironically joulani is shifting from his terrorist allies by backstabbing them and is attempting to become another saddam hussein like tyrant by shifting to arab nationalism and secularism. 

Edited August 12 by Hamdi999