What are the major powers doing to protect their interests in Syria?

(CLO) Bombings have occurred in many locations across Syria as the parties involved in the Middle East try to protect their interests after the rebels overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.

Attacks from many sides

While the rebels celebrate and release former regime prisoners, including those held in the notorious Sednaya prison, countries involved in Syria are moving quickly to protect their interests, as well as trying to shape a future Syria.

US F-15s and B-52s are on a mission to attack suspected IS facilities in Syria. Photo: GI

The United States has struck targets linked to the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group in central Syria. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Sunday that it had struck more than 75 targets, including IS leaders, operatives and camps, to ensure the terrorist group does not exploit the end of the Assad regime.

CENTCOM said it was conducting damage assessments after the airstrikes, which involved warplanes including B-52s and F-15s, but there were no indications of civilian casualties.

“Let there be no doubt – we will not allow ISIS to reestablish itself and exploit the current situation in Syria,” said CENTCOM Commander General Michael Erik Kurilla. “All organizations in Syria should know that we will hold them accountable if they cooperate or support ISIS in any way.”

Meanwhile, Türkiye has also attacked US-backed Kurdish forces. A war monitoring group and a spokesman for the Kurdish group said the Turkish military opened fire on US-backed Kurdish forces in northern Syria over the weekend.

Map of the forces controlling Syria. Graphics: AJ

Meanwhile, Israel also confirmed that it had deployed forces into a buffer zone outside the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and into former Syrian military positions on Mount Hermon in what it described as a "temporary measure".

However, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Iraq have strongly criticized Israel for taking advantage of the instability in Syria to "seize land" near the Golan Heights. Qatar's Foreign Ministry called Israel's actions "a dangerous development and a blatant attack on Syria's sovereignty and unity" and a serious violation of international law.

A spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed that Israel's actions violated the 1974 ceasefire agreement between the two countries, and called on the parties involved to withdraw their troops from the area to avoid escalating the conflict.

Israel also said it would continue air strikes on former regime sites in Syria that it said were linked to missiles and chemical weapons.

The road ahead is full of uncertainties.

The airstrikes reflect the dangerous road ahead for Syria as it transitions after five decades of Assad family rule.

With their interests sharply at odds, Türkiye and Israel have drawn what they see as their red lines regarding Syria. Türkiye has said it will not accept the Kurdish PKK or IS. It has also promised to help Syrian migrants in Türkiye, which hosts some 3 million Syrian refugees, return home.

Hundreds of Syrian refugees gathered at two border crossings in southern Türkiye on Monday, eagerly awaiting their return home after the fall of the Assad regime.

Syrian refugees crowd the border between Türkiye and Syria waiting to be repatriated. Photo: Washington Post

Meanwhile, Türkiye and the United States are allies and both countries celebrated the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday, but their interests also differ over supporting the Kurds in northern Syria.

The Kurds have been key partners for the United States in the fight against IS, an Islamist terrorist group that emerged at the start of Syria’s civil war more than a decade ago. They now control much of northeastern Syria under an autonomous civilian administration.

Türkiye, meanwhile, sees armed Kurds near its border as a threat. For decades, Türkiye has been fighting Kurdish separatists who seek to establish an independent state.

About 900 US troops have been deployed to Syria to support Kurdish forces. US forces have patrolled around the city of Manbij with Türkiye in the past, but it is unclear whether any US troops were there during the Turkish shelling of Manbij.

The major powers are all trying to minimize the damage.

Iran, which has backed Assad in the Syrian civil war to secure a land corridor with Hezbollah in Lebanon, also said it had quickly opened direct lines of communication with the rebels who toppled Assad, aiming to “stop the trajectory of hostility” between the two countries.

Hours after the fall of the Assad regime, Iran sent a message that it expected relations with Damascus to continue based on the two countries' "wise and far-sighted approach" and called for the formation of an inclusive government representing all sectors of Syrian society.

In its own warning, the Russian news agency Interfax quoted a lawmaker as saying Moscow would respond strongly to any attack on its military bases in Syria.

Speaking at the White House on Sunday, US President Joe Biden called the fall of Mr Assad's regime in Syria a "moment of risk" and "historic opportunity" and laid out a detailed plan for how the US intends to support the region.

The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to meet later Monday to discuss the Syrian crisis in closed session, at Russia’s request. The meeting may not produce a comprehensive solution for Syria, but observers hope that the world powers will speak with one voice on supporting the people there.

Nguyen Khanh

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/tai-sao-my-tan-cong-is-tho-nhi-ky-tran-ap-nguoi-kurd-va-israel-chiem-dat-o-syria-post324850.html