Syria's main opposition group has named a new prime minister to lead the country's transitional government as outside forces seek to consolidate their interests in the wake of the fall of Assad.
The new prime minister, Mohammad al-Bashir, has previously run his government in Idlib under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the most powerful rebel group that has moved into Damascus and other cities. was.
In a brief speech on state television, Bashir said he had been meeting with the interim government and members of the ousted government and would remain in office until March 1.
“This is a time when these people can enjoy stability and peace,” Bashir said in a separate interview with Al Jazeera.
Israel on Tuesday announced its intention to create a “barren defense zone” within Syria's southern border following a bombing campaign targeting the Syrian navy, alleged chemical weapons facilities, and other military assets left by the regime. did.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later announced that it had carried out more than 480 airstrikes in the past 48 hours, hitting “most of Syria's strategic weapons stockpile” to prevent it from falling into the hands of extremists.
In northern Syria, Turkish forces bombed Kurdish targets, leading to clashes between the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army and the U.S.-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 218 people were killed in three days of fighting between the two sides in Manbij, northeast of Damascus.
Turkey's attack on the SDF has raised questions about the viability of a small U.S. military presence in northern Syria and SDF-run prisoner-of-war camps where Islamic State (IS) fighters and their families are being held. The local US military is working in cooperation with the Self-Defense Forces.
Early Wednesday, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi said the SDF and Turkey-backed rebels had reached a ceasefire agreement in Manbij through US mediation.
“The SDF has always been clear that prisons are not a priority when its existence is at risk,” said Charles Lister, director of the Syria program at the Middle East Institute in Washington.
“U.S. forces can only remain on the ground if our Self-Defense Force partners are survivable.”
With less than six weeks remaining in office, the Biden administration has been cautious in its response to events. As a transitional government is named in Damascus, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for an “inclusive” political process and said US recognition would depend on Syria's new master meeting these criteria. Ta.
“The Syrian people will decide Syria's future. All countries must pledge to support an inclusive and transparent process and refrain from outside interference,” Blinken said in a statement.
“The United States recognizes and fully supports any future Syrian government that emerges from this process.”
Early signs from Damascus were that HTS sought to maintain exclusive control of the transition process.
Pointing to HTS' past “authoritarian practices” in Idlib, Lister said: “It does not bode well that the transition in Damascus is being led solely by this one group.”
Representatives from neighboring and Gulf Arab countries reportedly met with HTS officials and were widely expected to recognize an interim government in the coming days.
Western countries have generally kept their distance. The United States, Britain and the United Nations previously designated HTS a terrorist group because of its past ties to al-Qaeda, and European countries have largely followed suit.
Western capitals have indicated they are willing to reconsider the designation depending on HTS's actions, and U.S. officials have also reportedly been in informal contact with HTS.
HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharah, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, sought to allay fears about how Syria would be governed, telling Sky News on Tuesday that the country was at war. He said he was “exhausted” and had no intention of returning to war.
“Syria will be rebuilt,” he said. “This country is moving towards development and reconstruction. It is moving towards stability.”
Geir Pedersen, the UN special envoy for Syria, was expected to convene an international conference on the situation in Geneva later this week as events on the ground continue to unfold rapidly.
The future of Russia's military presence in Syria, including the naval base in Tartus, the Hmeimim airfield near Latakia, and other military outposts, remained in the balance as of Tuesday.
Under the leadership of Ahmed al-Sharah, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, HTS has so far refrained from attacking Russian military assets. Russian state media reported that Syrian rebels had given “guarantees” of the facility's security, but the Russian government said it was ready to hold talks with Syria's new rulers.
“Both Russia and HTS recognize that there is no need for a new struggle right now,” said Ryan Crocker, a former U.S. ambassador to Syria.
However, given Russia's role in providing air power to the Assad regime and relentlessly bombing civilian targets of the rebels until a few days ago, it is clear that the rebels will continue to operate in Syrian bases in the long term. It is unclear whether this will be allowed. -Held territory.
Agence France-Presse reported that new satellite images of Tartus showed no Russian ships had entered the port as of Monday, but Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denied that Russia had abandoned the base.
“For President Putin and the Iranian regime, the collapse of the Assad regime is a huge blow to both sides,” said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Karas. Karas told the European Parliament Committee on Tuesday, adding that there were legitimate concerns about the risk of a resurgence of sectarian violence and extremism in Syria.
The dismantling of Kurdish-run prisons holding IS fighters could spark a renewed wave of recent IS attacks in Syria and beyond, posing an early dilemma for Donald Trump.
Over the weekend, the president-elect took to social media to emphasize his opposition to U.S. involvement in Syria.
“The United States should have nothing to do with it. This is not our fight. Let's play. Don't get involved!” he wrote.
The US has an estimated 900 troops stationed in northern Syria as part of its counter-IS mission in conjunction with the SDF. On Sunday, the U.S. military conducted dozens of airstrikes on 75 IS targets. “There's no question, we won't tolerate it,” said Gen. Eric Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command. [Islamic State] The goal is to reconstruct the current situation in Syria and take advantage of it. ”
“President Trump said we should stay out of conflict, but we are already in conflict. But our ability to stay in it and contain it… [IS] I highly doubt it. ”
