After eight years, rebels are back in the Syrian city of Aleppo. An alliance led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) swiftly seized control of the city in the north of the country. The HTS is seen as the successor to the Al-Nusra Front, which was aligned with Al-Qaeda. Syria’s ruler Bashar al-Assad has already announced a counter-offensive. The latest developments threaten to reignite the civil war.
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Symptoms of the international community’s failure
The world must wake up, demands the Catholic newspaper La Croix:
“It’s hard to say where this movement could lead. Eight years after its defeat, the return of the opposition to Aleppo is triggering a mixture of hope and horror, especially among the city’s Christian minority. The fighting, which hadn’t been seen on this scale since 2020, once again highlights the failure of the international community, which has been unable to implement a political process to resolve the Syrian conflict despite 13 years of war and half a million deaths. May it finally wake up and take action to end the sense of abandonment and war without prospects which is taking such a heavy toll on the civilian population.”
An explosive mix
The situation in the Middle East is very dangerous, warns the website Capital:
“Moscow’s inability [owing to the war in Ukraine] to maintain its presence in the country at the same strategically necessary levels is undermining the balance that had been established and promoting the realignment of military forces in the region. The United States and its allies are watching closely but completely passively. … China, meanwhile, continues to expand its economic presence and is looking for ways to consolidate it through diplomatic initiatives. … Tensions are rising exponentially by the hour, and the absence of a clear strategy and a strong will to enforce peace on the part of the major powers is creating an explosive mix.”
Assad right to fear he will be on his own
The civil war in Syria never really ended, concludes Politiken:
“The explosive developments in Aleppo could be an indication that Assad’s supporters – Russia, Hezbollah and Iran – have changed their minds. Russia’s military has its hands full with Ukraine. Hezbollah in Lebanon has been partially destroyed. Iran itself is risking a war with Israel. So Assad is right to be afraid that he will be left standing alone. The Syrian dictator has been welcomed back into the Arab League. But no Arab government is seriously investing in the reconstruction of Syria. … The developments in Aleppo are therefore also a reminder that Assad doesn’t offer a political solution. On the contrary, he is standing in the way of the peace process.”
A risky game for Turkey
Turkey should also be worried by the speed of the Islamists’ advance on Damascus, comments the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung:
“Turkey’s main objective is to exert pressure on Assad in order to reach an agreement on the return of Syrian refugees and a rollback of Kurdish autonomy efforts. A new war that could trigger another flood of refugees is not in Ankara’s interest. It is no coincidence that the escalation is happening now, as the US president-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office. Turkey and the rebels want to create facts on the ground, while Washington’s ability to act is limited. But it is a risky game with many unknown quantities.”