With Assad overthrown and Syria in shambles, Israel has declared the permanent annexation of the Golan Heights. "The Golan Heights," announced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, "will forever be an inseparable part of the State of Israel."

He said that control over this historical Syrian territory "guarantees" Israel's security and sovereignty and is of "great importance". The announcement came as Israel pounded with airstrikes numerous Syrian bases, abandoned army assets, parked warplanes and helicopters, and even naval ships off Latakia.

The NATO-Israeli cabal cheering on Damascus's fall will get more than they bargained for. Power struggles and infighting among extremist militias and civil society, each backed by different regional and foreign actors who want a piece of the pie.
The short headline defining the abrupt, swift end of Syria as we knew it would be: Eretz Israel meets new-Ottomanism. The subtitle? A win-win for the west, and a lethal blow against the Axis of Resistance.

But to quote still pervasive American pop culture, perhaps the owls are not what they seem.

Let's start with former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's surrender. Qatari diplomats, off the record, maintain that Assad tried to negotiate a transfer of power with the armed opposition that had launched a major military offensive in the days prior, starting with Aleppo, then swiftly headed southward toward Hama, Homs, aiming for Damascus. That's what was discussed in detail between Russia, Iran, and Turkiye behind closed doors in Doha this past weekend, during the last sigh of the moribund "Astana process" to demilitarize Syria

The transfer of power negotiation failed. Hence, Assad was offered asylum by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. That explains why both Iran and Russia instantly changed the terminology while still in Doha, and began to refer to the "legitimate opposition" in a bid to distinguish non-militant reformists from the armed extremists cutting a swathe across the state.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov - his body language telling everything about his anger - literally said, "Assad must negotiate with the legitimate opposition, which is on the UN list."

Very important: Lavrov did not mean Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Salafi-jihadi, or Rent-a-Jihadi mob financed by the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) with weapons funded by Qatar, and fully supported by NATO and Tel Aviv.

What happened after the funeral in Doha was quite murky, suggesting a western intel remote-controlled coup, developing as fast as lightning, complete with reports of domestic betrayals.

The original Astana idea was to keep Damascus safe and to have Ankara manage HTS. Yet Assad had already committed a serious strategic blunder, believing in lofty promises by NATO messaged through his newfound Arab leader friends in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

To his own astonishment, according to Syrian and regional officials, Assad finally realized how fragile his own position was, having turned down military assistance from his stalwart regional allies, Iran and Hezbollah, believing that his new Arab allies might keep him safe.

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) was in shambles after 13 years of war and ruthless US sanctions. Logistics were prey to deplorable corruption. The rot was systemic. But importantly, while many were prepared to fight the foreign-backed terror groups once again, insiders say Assad never fully deployed his army to counterattack the onslaught.

Tehran and Moscow tried everything - up to the last minute. In fact, Assad was already in deep trouble since his visit to Moscow on 29 November that reaped no tangible results. The Damascus establishment thus regarded Russia's insistence that Assad must abandon his previous red lines on negotiating a political settlement as a de facto signal pointing to the end.

In less than 13 days, a coalition of U.S.-backed jihadist militant groups took over Syria. The offensive, which began on November 27, culminated in Syrian President Bashar al-Assad hastily stepping down and fleeing to Russia. Assad and his wife were confirmed to be in Moscow by December 9.

Assad said he made his decision to preserve the peace in Syria. Russia said it was not involved in his decision-making.

The gloating by American and European politicians reflects the years of investment by the Western powers for regime change in Syria. An investment that seems to have paid off, finally.

It is misplaced to speculate that there may have been some kind of betrayal or "deal" by Assad and his allies in Russia and Iran to let the country go. Yes, the Syrian army and authorities capitulated in breath-taking short order. But it is callow to conjecture about a more devious move behind the scenes, such as Russia or Iran leaving its Syrian ally to the mercy of insurgents.

Syria was simply broken and exhausted by years of Western aggression and attrition. There was little that Russia or Iran could do to salvage an allied country.

The final collapse of Syria did not come after a 13-day blitzkrieg. It came after 13 years of non-stop state terrorism by the United States and its European NATO allies. The earlier phase of U.S.-sponsored proxy terrorism (2011 to 2020) was checked by the intervention of Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah. But the West's proxies weren't defeated definitively. In retrospect, that may be seen as a fateful strategic blunder.

The continuation of the proxy war after 2020 relied on the imposition of crippling economic and trade sanctions on Syria by the U.S. and the European Union. War by other means also involved the American and Turkish military forces illegally occupying Syrian territory in the north, east, and south, which enabled the theft of Syria's oil and wheat exports. During Trump's previous presidency, he openly bragged about "stealing Syria's oil."

President Biden's top aides are reportedly weighing the idea of issuing pre-emptive pardons to current and former government officials ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration next month.

Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), Sen.-elect Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Dr. Anthony Fauci are among those being discussed as potentially needing a pardon before Trump takes office, according to Politico.

Fauci has been accused by Republicans and watchdog groups of lying to Congress about the origins of COVID-19 and his use of a private email account to conduct government business.

It seems that I wasn't the only one surprised by the rapid fall of Damascus. Even Alastair Crooke was. Larry Johnson too.

Certainly, on paper at least, Assad had the means to repel the Turkish attack as Alexander Mercouris explains in a recent podcast.

Mercouris also offers various explanations for the sudden turnaround. But nobody actually knows. As usual, he does a little too much mind-reading, of what he thinks is going in Putin's head, Lavrov's, Erdogan's and, of course, Assad's. We all do that, of course. I certainly do. And it always gets me in trouble.

The best assessment I have seen so far is from Alastair Crooke.


Crooke makes some important points.

Russia and Iran did not abandon Assad, as many are saying. In 2020, Russia offered to arm Syria and train its army. Assad refused. He was offered economic help by Russia and Iran. He refused. People have often asked why the Russians didn't give the Syrians S400s. Guess why?

Assad continually distanced himself from Iran trying to cozy up to the Oil States.

And two months ago when Iran warned him war was coming he refused to listen.

The average SAA soldier was paid $4.00 a month - a General, $40.00 a month. HTS offered them $400 to surrender. Russia did what it could .

In any case, it was Assad who abandoned Russia and Iran - and ultimately Syria itself.

The system created by the US and its allies is not about fairness or justice. It exists solely to maintain Washington's dominance.

The phrase "rules-based international order" is frequently invoked by Western powers, particularly the United States and its NATO allies, as a guiding principle of global diplomacy.

At face value, it suggests a fair and stable system where rights and protections apply equally to all. But in reality, this so-called order is a selective, asymmetrical system designed to circumvent international law when it inconveniences Washington.

Polish-Russian relations have continued to spiral toward complete non-existence, and the two sides have long been on the brink of breaking off official relations altogether.

Most of the tit-for-tat actions over the past couple years have focused on mutual accusations of spying. Currently, Poland is threatening to shutter all Russian consulates on Polish soil over espionage and 'terrorism'.

On Thursday Russia ordered the closure of the Polish consulate in St. Petersburg and told its diplomats to immediately leave the country, in the latest escalation. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced:

"Three diplomatic staff members of the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in St. Petersburg have been declared persona non grata."

This move is being described as in retaliation for the prior closure of a Russian consulate in the Polish city of Poznan in the western part of the NATO country. The Kremlin has further cited Poland's "openly hostile policy" toward Moscow as a reason behind the move.

Poland and EU states have accused Moscow of "intimidation, the instrumentalization of migrants, sabotage, disinformation, foreign information manipulation and interference."

In the past, progressive elites were not generally threatened by the campaigns of the old center and center-right parties because those groups have long been managed by fake conservatives with no intention of disturbing the deviation of the Overton Window to the radical left. But of course, times have changed. Legitimate opposition to the far-left is rising in the form of political parties fighting for secure borders and anti-wokeness initiatives, and the progressives are furious.

They've had a taste of near total power, and though they claim to be the patron saints of Democracy they are openly adopting authoritarian ideals in order to keep that power.

In the US the far-left has been pursuing an all out propaganda war and has abused the legal system for years as a means to stop conservatives from returning to government. The lawfare tactics utilized against Donald Trump were unprecedented, but ultimately failed. In Europe, though, leftists are finding more success.

The unfolding events show the West's willingness to use any means to achieve its strategic objectives and retain global supremacy.

With each passing day since October 7, 2023, the contours of the regional processes unfolding in the Middle East become increasingly clear. That day - a watershed moment for the entire region - left behind a multitude of questions that remain unanswered.

One of the most formidable intelligence agencies in the world, Israel's Mossad, failed to foresee or prevent the attack by Palestinian groups, sparking widespread astonishment.

However, beneath this shocking event lies a series of deeper processes, steadily propelling the region toward profound transformations. Mechanisms that once seemed hidden are now becoming more apparent, revealing a deliberate design to reshape those nations that long resisted Western influence and expansion.

On the morning of December 8, the region was shaken by news that, until recently, seemed unimaginable: Damascus had fallen to the forces of opposition and terrorist groups. The Ba'ath Party's rule under President Bashar Assad has been effectively destroyed. Assad's disappearance and the silence from official sources only amplified the sense of irreversible change.

Following a prolonged war with Hamas and the near-total defeat of Lebanon's Hezbollah, international and regional actors shifted their focus to Syria, a key player in the 'Axis of Resistance' against Israel. Syria, which had long served as a cornerstone of Iranian policy in the region, became the latest link in a chain of nations succumbing to mounting internal and external pressures.

These events appear to be part of a broader scenario aimed at fundamentally altering the political and social landscape of the Middle East. With the weakening of key participants in the Axis of Resistance - from Palestinian groups to Syria and Lebanon - a crucial question arises: Who will be the next target of this rapidly unfolding plan? The fate of the region, as well as answers to pressing questions about the role of external forces in these developments, remains uncertain. But one thing is clear: The Middle East will never be the same again.

The capture of Damascus by militants was a "fundamental act of justice," the outgoing US president claims

Outgoing US President Joe Biden has claimed credit for the fall of Damascus to a coalition of armed groups, including jihadists from Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS). Washington had weakened the supporters of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, the American leader has said.

The result of the lightning offensive of anti-government militants in the past two weeks was a "fundamental act of justice" and a "moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering citizens of Syria," Biden said in a video address from the White House on Sunday.

"For years, the main backers of Assad have been Iran, [the Lebanese-based militant movement] Hezbollah, and Russia. But over the last week, their support collapsed, all three of them. Because all three of them are far weaker today than they were when I took office," Biden said.