The following is the official statement of “Hands Off Syria“, Sydney (hereafter ‘HOS‘), dated Monday, December 9th, 2024
Today is a sad day for the supporters of Syria, however, it is much worse for the people of Syria, as, unfortunately, dark days await.
HOS, Sydney, calls on international humanitarian organisations to demand safe corridors and passages for all those wishing to leave the country. These organisations must also demand that the people in Syria are treated with dignity and humanely, and that safety and security is restored immediately. The UN must call for the restoration of democratic processes, an that a democratic elected government is in place in the near future.
Syria has never wavered its support for Palestine and the liberation of the occupied territories. Syria has been the central pillar of the Resistance while it has been continuously bombed by Israel, with the support of the US. There are reports that in the last couple of days Israel has bombed and destroyed every major military institution, and that has invaded Syria via Quneitra.
Today Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS), successor to Jahbat al Nusra, the al Qaeda terrorist group, listed as a terrorist organisation by the UNSC has taken Syria. Ten of thousands of mercenaries, criminals and terrorists have over run the country, in just over a week. Vanessa Beeley, well known journalist living in Syria, as she managed to escape states “[c]haos rules, looting, thuggery and thieving… Going through the border was a mash of gunfire, infighting and looting from every single shop and market. Terrorists on motorcycles, gunslingers and criminals… Early morning Israel was destroying #Syria Air Defence with bunker buster bombs…” (V. Beeley on X, 09/12/2024). There are already videos on social media depicting the terrorists beheading soldiers, setting fire to buildings. We understand that hospitals are being flooded with wounded people.
Dr Tim Anderson writes: According to Palestinian journalist in Washington Saeed Rikat, the HTS attack was coordinated by the Biden administration with Türkiye and Israel and “came as a result of American-Israeli emergency plan” as part of “an American vision” for the second day of the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, “especially in light of the failure of the Israelis to achieve a decisive victory” against Hezbollah and that this is “an effort to inflict a defeat on Iran and its allies in the region” such as the Syrian Army which regained control of Aleppo eight years ago (Dr Tim Anderson, 8/12/2024, Centre for Hegemonic Studies: Genocide rewarded: US backed al Qaeda takeover of Syria follows Israeli retreat from Lebanon – Centre for Counter Hegemonic Studies ).
HOS, Sydney, expect the UN to discuss Syria’s situation this week, and expect that international humanitarian organisations get immediately into action, so the suffering of the people of Syria is limited, the wounded are treated, the dead buried, and order is restored.